Conversion of a traditional lawn to a dry lawn

With increasing drought and the climate crisis, having a dry lawn is the perfect solution for a lush garden without wasting water. This type of dry lawn, in fact, requires very little watering throughout the year and saves around 80% in maintenance and water resources.

Botanical Dry Garden boasts many years of experience with alternative lawns to the classic English grass lawn. The great success of dry lawns makes us believe that the future of our green spaces must take into account, on a large scale, the use of these walkable groundcover plants that will replace, with far fewer requirements, grass lawns of poaceae. But converting a classic lawn is not a simple operation, and must be carried out with great care and attention.

1. Creating a dry lawn from scratch
2. Converting an existing lawn
3. Expert advice: choosing the irrigation system
4. Which dry lawn to choose

Creating a dry lawn from scratch

The technique for creating a low-water-use lawn from scratch involves deep soil preparation and surface preparation as with a normal sowing. At the end of this operation, 5-15 seedlings per square meter of different groundcovers are transplanted, in varying percentages depending on the needs.

The coexistence of multiple types of lawns within the same garden is essential for the lawn's resilience. The different nutritional needs of the plants, as well as the different contribution each plant gives to the soil, not only makes the lawn more resistant, but also the soil healthier. The type of groundcover to transplant should be chosen based on the needs of the garden and its owners: winter temperatures, the presence of salt spray, but also the level of foot traffic or the presence of pets make a difference. Each plant has specific characteristics that make it suitable for different needs.

Once the seedlings have been transplanted, you will need to wait a period ranging from 2 to 6 months for them, with their growth, to cover the entire surface of the lawn, and the new life of the garden will take shape. Sporadic and substantial watering will accompany their full development and more frequent mowing during the first year will help keep unwanted weeds under control by stimulating the horizontal growth of the seedlings.

Converting an existing lawn

Sometimes it can be difficult or even counterproductive to think about destroying a job well done for a dry conversion, into a lawn that is less demanding and certainly more rustic than the classic English lawn. For this reason, starting from scratch is not the only option, and an alternative considered more “painless” is possible.

In fact, it is possible to transplant alternative seedlings onto the existing lawn, avoiding working the surface. It is a technique that requires attention and patience, and a completely different watering regime.

Let's see, step by step, all the techniques to adopt to obtain a converted dry lawn. 

1. General cleaning of the area. With the help of a professional brush cutter, all visible grass must be removed, leaving the root system intact. You therefore do what is known in the trade as “black earth.”
2. Creating holes for transplanting. Different tools can be used for this operation, from the common hoe to augers mounted on professional drills: it depends on the type of soil and its consistency.
3. Transplanting. Place a variable number between 5 and 15 seedlings per square meter inside the holes, and carefully cover the root ball. If the soil around the hole is sufficiently fine, there is no need to supplement. Otherwise, sprinkle the surface with sandy and fine soil, which allows us to cover the root ball of the seedlings well.
4. Rolling and transplanting irrigation. Rolling immediately after planting serves to compact the soil and level the surface well. Then an abundant watering will complete the work.
5. Irrigation. It will be necessary at this point to properly regulate the watering cycles. The old lawn will return to green in a short time, but by watering infrequently, the newly planted seedlings (more drought-resistant) will tend to cover the surface

Unlike starting from scratch, this technique does not give an immediate result, and for complete conversion 1 or 2 years will be necessary.

Expert advice: choosing the irrigation system

For a successful conversion of the lawn to dry, particular attention must be paid to the choice of the irrigation system. Our latest experiences lead us to believe that the use of sub-irrigation is the best choice, given that modern drip lines prevent root intrusion, preserving their functionality for decades.

In this case too the conversion from a sprinkler system to sub-irrigation is not traumatic. It is possible to use the existing pipes and, instead of the sprinklers, insert the system tubes that will be placed 5-10 cm underground about 40 cm apart.

This technique allows for further water savings and does not involve moving furniture when watering. Practically invisible.

Which dry lawn to choose

Our Guide to choosing the right lawn is a great help for those planning to convert their garden to dry but do not know which plants are best suited to their needs. Here are some of our tips:

• The lawn of Verbena x Hybrida will color your garden with vivid lilac tones from spring until the first cold autumn. This variety has a high resistance to foot traffic and therefore allows you to have a garden that is always tidy and particularly colorful without the need for excessive maintenance.
• The lawn of Lippia nodiflora var canescens does not need much maintenance and requires very little watering. In addition, it resists foot traffic and salt spray very well, so it is also suitable for coastal gardens.
• The lawn of Dymondia margaretae is a groundcover plant with yellow flowers that always stays very low and forms a dense carpet capable of keeping weeds at bay.
• The lawn of Erigeron karvinskianus is able to provide a lively expanse of lovely white-pink daisies for much of the year, with a long flowering period from April to October.
• The lawn of Achillea crithmifolia is cold resistant and versatile in combinations: an evergreen lawn with a great need for sun, which will accompany you through the harshest winters allowing you to have a lush garden for much of the year.
• The lawn of Frankenia laevis adapts to both full sun and partial shade, and is resistant to both salt spray and intense cold. Furthermore, it never exceeds 4 centimeters, proving to be a very convenient low-maintenance lawn.