A lawn alternative it might not be the Emerald green grass that we all desire , but the days of green grass may be over soon if we continue with our water issues and taking into account the inevitable climate change . At least , it is an alternative to dry yellow lawns in the winter . Dymondia loves the heat and is tolerant to light frost , so not recommended in the colder areas of Zimbabwe . As it is low maintenance and no mowing needed , it is also great to grow in between pavers and in the harder to mow areas such as down slopes or between rocks . It can be planted in sunny or partly shade areas .
It can ’ t be that amazing , can it ?
Unfortunately not ! Dymondia is a little slow growing and needs a bit more water to help get it started , but once it is established , it is easy to maintain . This creeping , much-branched rhizome also prefers sandier soils , and detests waterlogged soils . If you have clay soils like me , it can be grown easily but you might need to add river sand when preparing the soil .
The other downside of Dymondia , but hopefully not forever , is that it is sold for $ 1 per sleeve at nurseries , which makes it very expensive to lawn a garden . You could buy some from a nursery and start propagating them in your backyard . Hopefully , if the idea of having it as a lawn takes off in Zimbabwe , the price of it will drop . In the meantime , follow this guide on how to propagate it in your backyard .
How to propagate Dymondia
Step one Once you have bought several Dymondia plants from a nursery , prepare some trays with potting soil . If you don ’ t have any trays , you could always use milk cartons by cutting them in half and making holes in the bottom ; milk cartons are free and cannot be recycled so you are giving them a second life .
Step two You can divide a sleeve into about eight to ten pieces at most . Once divided , remove the long roots and plant into the tray or milk carton . We didn ’ t use any rooting hormone but you can .
Step three It won ’ t take longer than two months before they are ready to be planted out . Or you could divide them again and this will increase the number of plants you have
Step four When you are ready to plant them out , you will have to prepare the soil first . Dig the soil adding compost , superphosphate and some river sand if you have heavy clay soils . Space the seedlings 20 cm apart and then water heavily . Finally , mulch all around the plants , not covering the seedlings themselves . Remember that they take a while to get established but be patient and you will be rewarded with a water wise lawn .
Would you like t0 order trays of Dymondia ? email Kari Olivey
kariolivey @ gardener . com
$ 10 for 125 Dymondia plugs , which covers 5m 2 .
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