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Peter Salmeron
Peter X. Salmeron was born in Peru and came to the US in 1971. He attended WSU and KU, earning a BS in Biology. He started Complete Landscaping Systems in 1983, on a part-time basis, and became a full-time entrepreneur in 1987. Today, Complete Landscaping Systems is one of the leading grounds maintenance and landscaping companies in Kansas and recipient of the Department of Commerce Service Company of the Year Award for Kansas in 2001. Mr. Salmeron is former President of the Wichita Garden Show Association and its Board and current Board member, is an executive member of the Board of Directors for Wichita Chamber of Commerce, President of Amigoes de Ser, was named SBA Small Business Person of the Year for 2000, and new Board member of the Wichita Conventions Bureau. You can contact Mr. Salmeron by phone at (316) 832-0061 or by email at petersalmeron@lycos.com
Lawn, Garden & Landscaping
2002-05-01 08:53:00
Different lawn grasses
:  I am planning to replant my lawn. I want the yard to look good, but I would like to conserve water in the summer. Are there native grasses that like the Kansas climate and at the same time make the lawn look good? Is it proper to have two or three different types of grasses planted in a lawn?
Peter Salmeron Question:  I am planning to replant my lawn. I want the yard to look good, but I would like to conserve water in the summer. Are there native grasses that like the Kansas climate and at the same time make the lawn look good? Is it proper to have two or three different types of grasses planted in a lawn?Answer:  If you want a nice yard, the first thing you need to do is to be sure that your soil type has a balanced proportion of nitrogen, potassium and other organic compounds. To find out about your soil, take a sample and send it to your local County Extension office. In Sedgwick County the Extension Office is located at 7001 West 21st Street and their phone number is 316-722-7721. For a small fee they will forward your soil sample to the Kansas State University Research Center. You will get the results in a couple of weeks. Once you know what type of soil you have you can improve it.  For example, you may need to add gypsum, if the soil has too much clay; or, perhaps sand to improve drainage; peat moss to help increase organic compounds. When you are choosing the best grass for your lawn, you may want to use either Zoysia, or Bermuda grass, if you want to conserve water in the summer. These grasses are considered "warm" season grasses and do not require much water. These "warm" grasses are only green from May through late September. The "cool" grasses, such as Fescue or Blue Grass, require more water and turn green in March and will stay green until December. They are, in my opinion, more resistant to certain diseases such as those caused by fungus and are more resistant to certain insects. Another choice is "Buffalo Grass." It requires very little water and it does not need to be mowed very often, however, it takes a couple of years to get established and it does not get as thick as other grasses. Therefore, your chances of having to fight weeds is greater. It is important to remember that so far no scientist has developed "the perfect" grass. They have made substantial improvements recently with new varieties of Fescues that do not grow as fast, require less water and are more disease resistant.It is a good idea to have two or three types of the same variety of grass with different traits, when you are replanting your lawn. This will help to prevent diseases from overtaking your lawn. The word here is "blending!" When you purchase new grass seed, we recommend for example, that you purchase a blend of Fescue seed.
 
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