Do you ever wonder why we have lawns everywhere?# And I mean everywhere.

Lawns have been around since the 17th and 18th century when European# manor houses had massive lawns to show off their wealth.

The bigger the lawn, the higher# their status.

It didn't take long for American early leaders to join the trend.

In 1806, US# President Thomas Jefferson was one of the first to have a lawn at his estate.

Now, lawns in the# US are estimated to cover, listen to this, more than 40 million acres, which is nearly 2% of our# land.

You see them everywhere in suburban houses, in apartment complexes, in office buildings,# and of course, golf courses.

But recently, more and more homeowners are removing their# lawns.

Today, we're going to break down why that is and what Florida friendly alternatives# can help you begin your no long journey.

Plus, I'll share some tips for those of you# who live in a Homeowners Association.

Every year, Americans spend about $36 billion# on lawn care.

That's crazy.

But why is it so expensive?

What most people don't know is that# lawns are made up of turfgrasses, which are not always native.

That means the turfgrasses we# grow here in Florida need to be maintained in a completely different way than those in other parts# of the US.

Sometimes achieving that lush green look might lead to overwatering, overfertilizing,# and pesticides.

Plus, once you've got that picture perfect lawn, the job isn't done.

you still need# to mow it.

It could get exhausting and costly.

Let's talk to University of Florida's IFAS# turf expert Dr.

Marco Schiavon to learn about the pros and cons of lawns in Florida.

For# over six years, he and his team have been researching eco-friendly strategies for turf# grass management and testing new turfgrasses.

Thank you, Dr.

Schiavon, for joining us.

Thank you# for taking the time out of your busy schedule to teach us about turf.

[Dr.

Schiavon] Thank you for having#me here.

So, I'm excited to talk about this#topic.

And before we ... some terminology because I think these terms are# used interchangeably, lawn, turf, and grasses.

Are there any key differences between those#terms?

[Dr.

Schiavon] Usually these terms are used as synonym, but there are some differences.

So a lawn would be# a part of any property that is uh covered with a groundcover with with a plant.

Those plants are# usually turfgrasses.

Now, grasses are plants that are part of a specific family, which is the,# Gramineae family.

Within the grass family, those that can actually sustain frequent# and short mowing, we call them turfgrasses.

Sort of like a golf course.

[Dr.

Schiavon] Yeah, sort of like a# golf course, but are lawn, even in our backyard or front yard, we actually have turf grasses# because we mow them really frequently.

Here in Florida, I feel like we have many# types of grasses or turfs.

What type of lawns are people going to expect when we see them in our#front yards?

Here in South Florida specifically, the majority of our lawns would be made of St.# Augustinegrass.

St.

Augustinegrass is definitely the most popular option here in South Florida.

We# also do have some Zoysiagrass, which is getting a little bit more popularity recently, in# these years.

And then the northern you go, the more species you see like for instance Bahiagrass.

When you get to Kissimmee, majority of your roadside will be Bahiagrass.

And then up in the# panhandle, we find Centipedegrass.

There are also other option like Bermudagrass and Seashore# Paspalum, but those are high maintenance grass.

So the chances are that people that have them in# their lawn usually live on a golf course.

And this is interesting because you said St.

Augustine# for us South Florida here.

Is it because it's St.

Augustine grass just does better for because# of our environment here?

Generally speaking, yes.#St.

Augustinegrass is native to ... those grasses that I told you about, St.

Augustine# grass tolerates more shade.

And here in South Florida, we love our trees.

People have a lot#of trees in their yard and so St.

Augustinegrass#will be the b... So what do you think are#the pros and cons when it comes to our lawns?

So, the pros and cons both come from the# expectation that people have about their lawn.

Some people expect their grass to be perfectly# pristine and green and lush the whole year.

If you want Super Bowl grass in your front yard or# backyard, yes, you will need a high input in order to maintain the grass.

You will need a lot# of water.

You will need a lot of fertilizer.

You will need some degree of pesticides application# in order to control your weeds or your diseases.

And you will need constant mowing.

However, the# thing is there is a level of acceptability where you can have green functional lawn maybe# not perfect and maybe with some weed here and there.

Reduce drastically your inputs and have# a functional loan.

Now, what does a functional turfgrass provide to you?

Turfgrasses can# sequester a lot of carbon.

Second of all, it's a soil stabilizer.

It reduces storm water# runoff and it also reduces the amount of dust that we find in the air.

And third of all, the effect# that has on temperature on urban environment is is huge.

If you walk on a turfgrass lawn, it will# always be cooler than walking down the sidewalk.

And these are good valid points to recognize that# our expectations of grass just lowering them just a tad can make a big difference on the input of# of what we expect.

Absolutely.

Expectation needs to meet reality because if we set#our expectation too high then at that point the only results will be frustration and possibly# more input and more resources being wasted.

We talked about the pros and cons and you# mentioned a really good point about expectation.

So the question is, is green grass realistic in# Florida?

[Dr.

Schiavon] Green grass is realistic in Florida.

There are different shade of green depending,# depending on how green you want it.

But yes, light green grass is absolutely realistic in Florida.# People need to understand that during cold snap sometimes some of these grasses may go off color.# Zoysiagrass for instance may be a species that every year may go off color a little bit.

That# is a natural process and it's always about the expectation so can I sustain 15 days, 1 month of# a yellowish color knowing that it's a natural process and the grass will eventually snap out of#it [Jeannie] And come back to green.

Yes.

Yes.

Exactly.

I really enjoy how you mentioned that greens come in# diff.. I'm going to be honest, my expectation was my grass# is not green something's wrong with it.

Does grass here in South Florida or just in Florida have a# dormant stage?

[Dr.

Schiavon] Physiologically it's not dormant stage like the one we see out west where the# grass completely shuts down and becomes yellow for 3 to 6 months per year.

Here is more a quiescent# state.

It would go off color.

Yes, for sure.

Uh, and it can go off color because of temperature# or sometime it can go off color because of lack of water.

If it goes off color because of# temperature, there's really not much you can do.

If it goes off color because of water, well#then, it's time to [Jeannie] kind of turn your#sprinklers on.

In recent year, there's been this# little movement that's come around the no long journey.

And where do you think that might have#come from?

[Dr.

Schiavon] Well, once again, that comes from the expectations that people have about turfgrass.

If# you have an automatic irrigation system, you let it run every night for 15 minutes, rain or shine.# That of course makes us look bad in the eye of the public when really when you can understand# that here in Florida we have a rainy season and during the rainy season, most of the time the# precipitation from the sky is enough to maintain turf grass quality.

[Jeannie] That's really interesting.

[Dr.

Schiavon] And#so just saving irrigation and water for when the actual grass really needs it, that would# be the right time to do it.

The other thing is the need for custom mowing.

If you use a# gas powered mowers that of course release CO2 in the atmosphere.

However now with newer# technology, we have electrical mowers that just like cars right.

If we transition from gas car# to more electrical or hybrid, then we can reduce our CO2 emissions and I would also like to# point out one fact that if the perception of inputs needed do not change, you can remove your# turf and put any other species, low maintenance low input species, but if we do not change# people mindset on how to maintain those species then we will still... [Jeannie] Have the same impact.

What's your advice#when it comes to managing our lawns?

Well, University of Florida has a set of best management# practices for the green industry and my advice is following them.

Among these, watering turf# grass when it needs it and not have a set-and- forget irrigation schedule.

Personally, I try# to tell people your irrigation system should be set on off and not on on and turn it on only when# the grass needs it.

Or if we are going through the dry season and it's really hot and you still need# to water your grass, try to set your irrigation system to two times per week, three times per# week, possibly not every day and let it on all year around because that is absolutely# a waste of water.

For fertility, try always to use the fertility ranges that# UF puts out recommends for each species for each geographical region.

With nitrogen,# more is not always better.

[Jeannie] Nitrogen makes your grass greener.

[Dr.

Schiavon] Nitrogen makes y... grow more and lusher and yeah, greener, so to speak.

And turf grasses, they do need some# degree of nitrogen for regular growth.

However, using composting or knowing the amount# of organic matter in your yard or your soil, that could help you lower your nitrogen needs.

Is#there any recommendations for people that would#want to remove everything?

Well, yes, as a matter#of fact, you also do not need to remove the entire surface covering turf.

Maybe your turf# grows well in one area of your yard, so you can keep that area and remove where the growth is#not as regular or [Jeannie] not doing as well.

That's a really good point because we when we look our# space, we realize that not every corner of it is is all the same.

And that's a good point to make# that you might have an area where St.

Augustine is not doing well because it's too much water or# too much sun or not enough sun and that might be an area where you can implement some natives, some# other you know ground covers that might grow here.

That is absolutely correct where the grass is# not green enough and you exhausted all your option then maybe the it's time for a change.# But if you have patches and places where the grass is growing fine, then there's no need to# remove that because always remember that comes with a significant cost usually.

[Jeannie] Correct.

I always hear too#that lawns or grasses can be a monoculture and#not give us, you know, a little of everything.# What what's your opinion on that?

I myself guilty#as charge.

My lawn has plenty of weeds in it, but that actually increase your biodiversity.

So really the typical Florida lawn# is not really a monoculture.

It's a mix of turfgrass species and some weeds that naturally grow in it# and that increase your biodiversity.

So you're saying that weeds are good here.

Weeds, it always#depends on how you approach them.

Exactly the same about your turfgrass management.

Weeds are not# good or bad per se.

It's how you see them.

You make a good point.

I always notice# that some of the areas of my grass that there's more weeds usually has a little more life to them.# There's a little more, you know, butterflies or there's other insects that are sort of migrating# to the area.

Absolutely.

They usually good#for biodiversity.

... not even realize that they're there because they# blend really well with your turfgrass.

Here at UF, there's a lot of study, really cool things about# turf.

Can you share us some really exciting things you guys are doing here?

[Dr.

Schiavon] Absolute... of Florida, the turfgrass breeding program had released recently a new cultivar that is called# Citrablue which is a great alternative for good old Floratam.

Floratam is the most present cultivar# of St.

Augustinegrass that we find in Florida.

It has been performing really well, but it's kind# of an old cultivar.

And talking about different shade of greens, Floratam definitely is# more on the lighter green side.

Citrablue on the other hand possesses a darker green# color which means we can fertilize it less.

Also, it grows horizontally more than vertically, which also means we can mow it shorter and hopefully, not not as frequently.

Well, thank#you for everything we've learned here and I hope everyone here has learned something really cool# about turf or grass or lawns.

And just know that there's other options when it comes to removing#our lawns.

As Dr.

Schiavon mentioned, you don't need to remove your entire lawn.

Lawns can still be# beneficial, but instead of having 100% turfgrass, you can bring in more Florida friendly and# native plants into your space.

Natives and Florida friendly plants are well suited for our# tropical climates, which saves you time, water, and money.

But what if you don't want your garden# to turn into a wild overgrown field?

Don't worry.

A common misconception is that native plants will# make your garden look weedy and messy.

But that's not always the case.

I've enlisted the perfect# guest to help us find some native and Florida friendly lawn alternatives so you can enjoy your# backyard while helping our Florida landscape.

Here we are with Lorna Bravo, Urban Horticulture# Agent at the University of Florida IFAS extension office in Broward County.

She leads the county's# Florida Friendly Landscaping program and Master Gardener Program.

Lorna, thank you so much for# being here.

I'm excited to learn about some of the lawn alternatives that we can grow here in# Florida.

[Lorna] Oh, thank you for having me.

Lorna, for someone that is interested in removing their# lawn, what is the first thing that you would recommend they do?

I think every homeowner#should understand the typ.. they have at home, especially if they're going to# be replacing it.

And then the other things that we want to make sure is that they understand their# sight conditions.

Is this a flat area?

Are there, you know, swales?

Is it sloped?

Does this# area get a lot of sun or shaded?

That's very important.

And also in South Florida, I mean, we# do get the rainy season and is this area prone to get flooded?

So, kind of be a detective first# and assess, you know, all your site criterion, especially if you're going to be introducing# something new.

So, what can you tell me when it comes to removal?

Do we, you know, take it# all as a whole or do we remove it as patches?

It really depends on the volume of turf that you're# looking at.

You know, if you have a small area or a larger area.

Since you are introducing# something new, we usually recommend that you maybe want to think in terms of phases, 1/3 to 1/4# of the area, right?

And then in terms of methods, you can do mechanically remove.

that is you can# hire a professional that can come in and actually cut the sod and then remove.

[Jeannie] Kind of remove#it out for you.

The second one is more like smothering.

That's more of a natural organic way# that homeowner can do.

You kno.. put mulch and cardboard and layer that.

The other# method too that we've seen is also solarizing.

And with that one, you actually have# to select a specific plastic that can tolerate the amount of heat and temperature that we have in# South Florida.

It's not going to crumble or break down.

And the last one will be to use herbicide# and hire a professional that has a license and is able to work in your landscape.

And that one we# also recommend that you follow the label.

Especially for landscape.

So if you're doing# a patch that is next to a body of water, okay, you want to make sure that none of those chemicals# are going to be leeching and impacting our bodies#of water.

I mean, there is a lot of options for# homeowners to decide how to remove if you're interested in removing your lawn.

But I think the# most important key that you mentioned is patches, meaning doing the project in stages because a# big yard can be very costly, especially if you're hiring a professional.

If you are doing it# yourself, you need a lot of material when it comes to if you're doing the solarization or you're# doing the smothering.

So, these are important things to know and these are really cool methods.# It's just finding one that works for you.

So, another thing to consider when you're removing# is what are you going to replace it with?

So one of the really good choices that we can# talk about is this really beautiful perennial that does really well in South Florida.

It's# actually called frogfruit or turkey tangle.

[Jeanne] ohh, turkey tangle.

[Lorna] Yes, it has various# names.

It has a very good wear and tear.

You can actually mow it.

You can actually, you know, walk# on it.

It does a beautiful coverage.

It can spread really nicely.

It likes sun.

Mostly sun.# It can take some shade.

So, it does really well in our South Florida temperatures or climate.

And one# of the cool things about it is that, you know, for those that love to have visitors and pollinators# and bees and birds, you know, it provides food source for a lot of our local butterflies such# as the white peacock and the common buckeye.

If you like the Atala butterflies is a great nectar# source because the flowers are really tiny.

So, it really is an amazing native ground cover, very# easy to maintain.

And if you want to introduce it, I always like to say to um homeowners, you know,# try to introduce it during the rainy season.

And usually from May to October, you know,# because then you get free nonclorinated water and it helps to get it established.

[Jeannie] So, we know that# we can find the frogfruit in local nurseries.

You know, how would I plant this when I take it# home?

[Lorna] Right?

So remember what I told you about understanding your site characteristics.

Now make# sure that you're going to provide the space for it that it's going to thrive, right?

And then also# the actual square footage, the area that you're going to introduce this to.

And then based on# the size, you know, you can be able to purchase 20 30 of the plants and space them because eventually# they're all going to grow together.

I love frogfruit, but is there another option?

Absolutely.#So we have another beautiful perennial, native perennial.

Um, it's called Sunshine Mimosa.

It# spreads really nicely.

Also, it is from the legume family.

It's actually nitrogen fixer, so it's a# really nice thing to introduce and invite into your landscape.

One thing though is that you're# definitely going to want to be mindful of where you're going to place it.

It can spread really# fast.

So, if you define the boundaries, you know, that one is one of those that you're going to have# to, you know, carefully place it and be mindful.

Put in a border.

And then again understand your# climate and your area and your confinements.

One cool thing about Sunshine Mimosa is also a# host for the little sulphur butterfly.

It's really beautiful and you know it just it adds a really# beautiful touch.

I mean you have these little pink flowers you know that when the sun hits it,# it looks absolutely beautiful.

It does like sun, okay?

And uh it can spread.

So if you're starting# to want to again introduce it invited, you can buy four plants, okay, and then introduce them and see# because they do spread.

[Jeannie] And I have experience with#mimosa.

So I was one that probably purchased like# two or three of them in a relatively large area and that's all I needed.

Is this a species# that can, you know, basically run into your#neighbor's yard?

It could.

It spreads it.

So you# want to define some borders.

So another option is perennial peanut.

The University of Florida# considers it a Florida friendly option.

It's not native.

It actually was introduced in Florida# in 1930.

It's actually from South America and it was intended for soil erosion.

Now, you know,# we do see a lot of properties and even in the public areas, in the mediums being introduced.

The# perennial peanut, it does require specific, you know, site criteria.

So, you know, I always like# to think about make sure that you're choosing the right plant for the right place.

It doesn't do# very well with a lot of foot traffic, okay?

And, you know, if it's introduced in an area that# might not thrive, you're probably going to see it fade out in a period of 2 years.

[Jeannie] Okay.# So, it starts to change color.

It's not always#green.

We talked about the alternatives.

Are# they mowable?

So, the frogfruit is pretty#resilient for mowing.

It does come back really#well, but I would be a little more careful about sunshine mimosa and perennial peanut.

What#can we say about cost related when it comes to these and using these options to replace our lawn?

Yeah, and that's why we recommend that when you're starting and introducing some of these native# ground covers or Florida friendly that you start small.

Okay.

To make sure that you know you go# through the whole process and you feel comfortable and uh and then you can then replicate that.

So# that is saves time and money And then also once it gets properly established,# they are native.

They're going to thrive in South Florida.

So we use rainwater, which is a free# source that we have in South Florida, so they should be acclimated and reduce the amount of# maintenance and oversight, which does equal money.

You bring up a good point because I think when you# start small, it gives us the opportunity that you can test these species out in these spaces because# we don't want to remove our whole lawn and then realize that it's just not going to work.

Is there# other options that we can consider um to bring more diversity into our yard space?

Absolutely.#I mean one of the things that you want to make sure is that you understand the space of your# landscape, the functions of your landscape that you separate the high traffic areas, you know, the# pathways.

Important is to understand your existing irrigation system, your watering.

The Florida# Friendly landscaping program is wonderful in the sense that we have so many resources depending on your# region, you know, central, north, south Florida, and we have over 400 plant palletes that homeowners# can take a look at depending on what it is that they want.

You can introduce wild flowers.

You# can introduce grasses.

You can also do a lot of landscape beds.

And then also, you know,# privacy.

If you want to create some privacy and hedges.

Don't forget trees.

You know, you want# to make sure that you introduce trees.

They do so much for us.

Shading, you know, they provide# energy efficiency and also they're really good for making sure that you know if you have a#flooded area, they're going to help you to#take care of that.

You mentioned the Florida#Friendly Landscape Program.

Tell me more about#this.

It's one of my favorite things to talk# about.

Okay.

So, the Florida Friendly Landscaping Program was established in 1993.

So, it's a little# over 30 years.

We're celebrating 30 years.

Can you believe that?

Um, and it is a funded project# by Florida Department of Environmental Protection and we collaborate with the resources that# they have and the University of Florida and the extension services and the master gardeners to be# able to share all the resources that the program have.

The mission of the program is really to protect our water resources, our water quality and our natural resources.

What are some of the#key components of the Florida Friendly program?

So, the program has nine principles, and# these are principles or guidelines for a homeowner that just needs help.

Uh, and it's going to guide# you to how to introduce all those nine principles in your landscape.

The goal is to maintain it# in a very effortless way with all the resources.

It's all research-based information,# right?

And out of the nine principles, there's one overriding one and that# is right plant right place.

[Jeannie] That's a really good principle and I have experience with the with# the Florida Friendly program because it was my guide when I decided to take this journey and make# sure that I make really good choices for my space.

I didn't know where to go.

I didn't know what to# do.

I didn't know what plant to buy.

I didn't know how much water I needed.

But I used the the# Florida Friendly program as an opportunity to educate myself and to really make my yard Florida# friendly.

Many people don't have the freedom to be able to choose some of these alternatives that# we've provided because they live in HOA.

What are some of the recommendations or tips that# you have for them?

We always recommend for the homeowner that is in an HOA community that they# first understand their H.. or what is it that is expected of them# in their landscape and then the other thing is that that homeowner also understands the nine# principles from the Florida Friendly landscaping program, right?

And so that you understand what's required# and you understand what you can do with some of the information that the program offers, right?# And then also uh make sure that then you then will be ready to have those conversations with# your HOA.

Um get involved, attend those meetings, you know, connect with other uh people in your# community and just have those discussions.

I think that's a good point because I think many of us# we're afraid to have those discussions.

You know, just by attending those meetings and introducing# a program that has scientific background, especially like the Florida Friendly Landscaping# Program, it's a good way to communicate and start those conversations.

[Lorna] Absolutely.

That's where the# University of Florida Extension Services can come in.

We have 67 counties.

We have a help desk# that is run by Master Gardener volunteers and it's open Monday through Friday and people# can come in, they can call us, and we have tons of information and resources for them.

What are#some of the common questions that you hear come in at the Master Gardener volunteer help desk when it# comes to lawn or removing our lawns?

Yeah, we get a lot of questions.

A lot of homeowners seeking# answers as to why is my turf looking brown?

why does it look dead?

Or what's eating my turf?

Right.

So there's a lot of insect problems or there could be fungus problems,# right?

But I have to say that usually is that they might have introduced a specific turf of a# variety in a place that is not going to thrive or they're overwatering.

So we're seeing that# a lot of people are not really asking us about removing the turf, rather just I want to keep my turf# and I want to be able to#maintain it.

There are so many#options that one can look at when you're thinking about you know removing your lawn, redesigning# your space.

Is there any tips or anything that you would love to share about a process in a# journey like this?

Yeah, I think start small.

Don't be afraid.

Have fun.

You can start with# three plants and I guarantee you, uh, if you introduce them and their butterfly plants,# the moment you start seeing them at home, you're going to get super excited and then you're going# to start asking questions and then you're going to connect with other gardeners or people that you# know can help you along the way.

Don't be afraid to fail.

Start small.

That's a good message#because I think it's okay to try something.

I love to try new plants in new area and if I notice# the plant is not doing well, I'd be like, "Okay, we're going to move you and we're going to try# you somewhere else."

And don't be afraid because I think plants are very resilient.

It'll go# back to that principle which is right plant, right place.

And that's how you know the plant is pretty# happy because it basically says to the gardener, I'm okay.

I can take care of myself.

I love#that, Jeannie.

I know that we all want to be more eco-friendly when it comes to our lawns# and I think these are really easy steps that we can take to get started.

If you're looking# for more recommendations, definitely call your county's IFAS extension.

Plus, I've left some# resources in the description below.

Everyone's no-lawn journey looks different.

You can have a# yard that your kids can run on.

Hey, slow down.

You can build a pollinator garden that's a# little more wild, or you can do both.

Hey, why not?

Do what works best for you.

I personally# have been wanting to remove my lawn for years, and as you can see, it might be very overwhelming.# But I hope everything you've learned today will help you on your journey.

Remember, when# you plant native, you're not just gardening, you're helping Florida thrive.

Stay rooted.# I'll see you next time.

To keep building your#native plant garden, check out the video below.#Yes, click right here.

I see you, right here.