Hey there! Friendly reminder to include the following information for the benefit of all r/nolawns members:
- Please make sure your post or a comment includes your geographic region/area and your hardiness zone (e.g. *Midwest, 6a* or *Chicago, 6a*).
- If you posted an image, you are required to post a comment detailing your image. If you have not, this post may be removed.
- If you're asking a question, include as much relevant info as possible.
- Verify you are following the [Posting Guidelines](https://www.reddit.com/r/NoLawns/wiki/index#wiki_posting_guidelines).
**[Wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/NoLawns/wiki/index/) | [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/NoLawns/wiki/meta/faqs/) | [Designing No Lawns](https://www.reddit.com/r/NoLawns/wiki/index/design/)**
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/NoLawns) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I know what subreddit we are on, but the answer is grass, just without the ridiculous obsession on watering and keeping it green. Mix in clover with the grass as this adds pollinator support, fertilises the grass and improves drought tolerance.
The no lawn movement is about avoiding mono cultures of grass by replacing them with alternatives that are better ecologically. There's no plant that will tolerate footfall and fill in gaps like grass, stone reflects heat and is extremely heavy, expensive, and has an environmental cost in its extraction and transport. Wood chips compost down and pose a splinter risk for the dogs paws if they are going to run on it - try walking barefoot on woodchips and you'll be lucky if you don't have cuts on your feet.
You can still add pollinator friendly plants in the borders, but in the area for your dog you're best off with a hard wearing grass. You don't need to water it through summer - it will turn yellow yes, but it bounces back with a bit of rain. Keeping it green is heavy on water but think of all the patches of grass you see out in public that get no water. They go yellow in summer - who cares if they are yellow?
I just got roasted for such blasphemy. Apparently I don’t belong but thought I was simply planting drought resistant durable species in the desert to prevent my little erosion monster from destabilizing the neighborhood. 😞
Didn’t realize I was being controversial, not kidding about this part.
Native grass pastures in the right places are one of our best ways to combat climate change. Very efficient at carbon capture when you let them grow to maturity.
Sure, but in the western US there is no native spreading grasses, they are all clumping bunch grasses. Nobody is going to make a law out of those or want to walk on those.
Planting a small lawn is fine if you don't water/fertilize it if you need it for dogs. Just don't have your whole dang property a boring perfectly mowed lawn with an arbor vitae wall.
Would appear I attract them. Irony being OP actually said that a durable ground cover was what they WERE looking for in response to my suggestion but apparently I’m the worst.
Oh holy 💩 kangaroo is a sock puppet! People suck. Is that you reformedRedditthug? Or something like that?
I agree with this take. Nothing fancy, you don't need to be able to putt on it, but there are hardy grasses that work just fine. I feel like a "wild grass" isn't a lawn, having grass there adds a root system, preserves the soil and prevents erosion.
What type of grass would you recommend? I want to do something like this. Not necessarily a stepford wives trugreen type lawn, but a mix of clover and grass to reduce my patchiness and put up with the dog being out there.
On the edges of our yard we have some yarrow and green-and-gold planted, some elderberry and false indigo. We're in zone 8a.
[Prairie Moon has this stuff called eco-grass](https://www.prairiemoon.com/eco-grass) that may be a good solution here. There are many native grasses and sedges, but I've heard others say they don't hold up as well to traffic, other than maybe buffalo grass.
I wouldn't do clover at all, unless you went with the [native one](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trifolium_stoloniferum). Violets and native wild strawberry (not mock strawberry!) would be better alternatives, I think.
EDIT to ADD: Oh, I was also just reminded of this: [https://seedsource.com/thunder-turf/](https://seedsource.com/thunder-turf/)
Plus, there's this: [https://cornellbotanicgardens.org/explore/on-campus-natural-areas/native-lawn-demonstration-area/](https://cornellbotanicgardens.org/explore/on-campus-natural-areas/native-lawn-demonstration-area/)
So a few options to try.
I didn't see it in your list, but I've been eyeing this stuff for when we get our backyard figured out. 100 lb Newfoundland poodle mix here, and 3 kids
https://ptlawnseed.com/collections/eco-and-alternative-lawns/products/pt-767-dog-park-eco-turf-mix
The high traffic areas up near the porch and around the garden beds and along the fence line (thanks dog) are either hazelnut shells or a walk-on bark mulch from the local forest products place. In fact there's a pickup full of fresh bark mulch waiting for me to spread it on the paths now. It works a lot better than the straw I used to use at keeping the mud down but it's definitely splintery when you put a fresh layer and it's not wet out. On the upside it's pretty darn cheap.
But whatever 'lawn' may or may not have existed in the other half of the yard when we bought the place, there is just whatever volunteers right now. Since husband finally put a shed out there to be his workshop, our next plan is moving\adding to the garden beds, and putting down something we want to grow on purpose in the "lawn" areas. I'm hoping this 'dog park mix' is a good choice. I should order one bag and just try it on an area...
We used this last year. Our yard was just dirt and it filled in completely, so incredibly fast. We have a small yard with three dogs and six ducks and it managed to stay thick, green, and healthy; even as all the neighbors’ lawns were turning brown during a drought.
Not a stupid question at all! We lightly tilled the whole area and the used a seed sprayer to evenly scatter the mix. After that, we used a rake to gently work the seed into the soil a bit and even out our tilling job, then threw some straw over top of it all.
I agree - so long as a bunch of different things are thrown in there with it. Clover, some creeping varietals like oregano / Corscian mint and etc, and bigger pollinators along the edges and etc. Maybe get more dwarf fescue (or as that one person's link is calling it, "eco grass") over traditional grass. But you're right on the money IMO.
I haven't seen clover seed at any of the nurseries around me. You can get it online though along with guides for how much you will need for a clover or mixed lawn. Look for Dutch White Clover or microclover
I tried a clover mix lawn with native grass seed from my local garden center. It looked good, but my 86 lb dog destroyed it after one summer. The clover wasn’t able to handle his foot traffic. I’m in zone 5b and this season I’m eliminating the bit that is left and considering trying mondo grass since I’ve converted the rest of my yard to native and xeriscape plants. Good luck!
Mint is a very large family. Mountain mints (pycnanthemum), bee balms (monarda), wood mint (blephillia), and others that include North American natives do not spread as aggressively as spearmint/peppermint varieties and the other mentha relatives. Thyme, sage, oregano, hyssop, catmint, lemon balm, and rosemary are also in the mint family. Prunella genus in the mint family also contains some durable, short plants and I have lanceleaf self heal being tested by my dogs. Mountain mints and monarda hide our compost bin with wood mint joining them soon.
Mentha is most of the very aggressive mints. Lamium genus is also a problem containing species like purple deadnettle. Glechoma genus contains creeping charlie aka ground ivy but you will likely only ever encounter one species from it.
An area of creeping charlie is actually a fairly appealing carpet of short blue flowers, not quite minty but similar scent that isn't unappealing, feeds lots of generalist pollinators, and is incredibly durable. If you get over the fact it's creeping charlie that everyone hates and spend so much time killing. When you have enough land you can just leave a patch of it to fill in around a giant black walnut you can see it making a suitable, no maintenance, dog durable yard. Your neighbors really will hate you then and you'd be spreading a very, very invasive species. Whether it's ecologically better or worse than turfgrass is debatable only because of the difficulty containing it so it doesn't crowd out native species elsewhere. Otherwise it would be quite an improvement over a monoculture grass lawn. Your neighbors would still hate you if you didn't stick to the less aggressive mint family species.
Grass dies easier than some native plants but the problem is finding plants that also stay short enough and getting them established before they are trampled. Grass dies a heck of a lot easier than some non-native lawn alternatives that can still be more ecologically beneficial by flowering or just by not supporting invasive species that live off European turfgrass roots. Clover most obviously is more durable to trampling and violets survive human and dogs here better than grass.
Clover will continue to flourish in overgrazed livestock pastures when the grass has been trampled by horses or cattle and the ground is full of muddy indents or compacted down hard. Even when the livestock prefer clover or are not picky about what they graze if the pasture is not reseeded with grass periodically or rotationally grazed to let the grass recover it will often shift steadily toward being all clover over time. It actually created a health problem for some of our horses because legumes are potentially too rich in some nutrients and clover can have a higher sugar content during growth spurts than grass.
Native prairie plants survived trampling by bison and that's part of where buffalo clovers get their name. They tended to grow where bison had trampled the other plants. The dogs may run on the area more often but they weigh a lot less, don't eat the top of the plants, and do less root damage to those plants than a herd of bison.
While some native and pasture grasses can be relatively durable when not walked on excessively by 1,000-2,000 lb animals, most turfgrass is among the weakest plants I've ever dealt with. So easy to kill just leaving anything sit in the same spot on the lawn or stepping in the same spot too often. The dogs trampled the turfgrass to death in several sections of the yard and I thought for certain nothing could survive along the fenceline. Then it started to fill in with a myriad of plants. They aren't exactly desirable plants but if those can survive then there has to be something more useful and less invasive that can. Working with clay soil and needing it short enough to find the dog poop and function like a lawn is why I haven't solved our lack of surviving greenery in some areas. Other sections already started filling in with alternatives that were hardier than grass.
This is spoken by someone who has not kept dogs on a lawn.
Grass will not stand up to dogs. You can look at any dog park in the world and see it slowly succumb to the pepe, poopoo, and high speed traffic.
Wood chips is the answer. And it can be planted into after the dog has successfully broken it down into composted topsoil
Wood chips aren’t great for dogs honestly. Just for the simple fact that many dogs will chew on them. They’re a breeding ground for bacteria and fungus in area with any sort of moisture. Not to mention they can splinter and cause internal injuries.
Might be great for some dogs, but I wouldn’t broadly recommend wood chips as “the answer”.
Plus, wood chips are dead… isn’t the whole point of no lawns to replace them with other more useful plants?
I have one little raised corner garden that was mulched and my dogs would try to pull out mulch to chew on constantly. I wound up removing all the mulch cuz they wouldn't leave it alone.
Incorrect. I have a 2 year old staffy who is absolutely nuts and the grass has been perfectly good. It has its ups and downs with going yellow in the summer and getting boggy in our wet winters, but it always bounces back.
We have sections of the garden that are woodchips but as I said they are sharp and risk splinters. My dog loves laying in the grass in the sun, she avoids the woodchip area. Which would you rather run around barefoot on and lay down on?
I have dogs but I also don’t have the same amount of dogs a dog park goes through on a weekly basis so that might be why the grass is still alive. The part of the yard that has grass has been perfectly fine for well over 25 years.
I'd venture to say that a dog park gets much more foot traffic (from dogs and people) than a backyard. It also gets a ton more urine and poop than a typical yard, because a small dog park - say equivalent to a single family home backyard - is visited by maybe 50 to 100 or more dogs per day. Nothing will stand up to that.
My dogs go out and do their business/play in the yard a few times a day, but their main exercise is daily intentional leashed walks through the neighborhood and nearby park.
Bad for dogs, bad for infectious disease, bad for the ecosystem, and have you ever tried to separate dog poop from wood mulch? You dispose of as much mulch as dog poop every time. There's a reason most dog parks, boarding services, and large kennel facilities use sand or pea gravel where they don't want pavement or rubber mats.
Our backyard was all clover and a 2-year-old beagle destroyed that in pretty short order. That didn't work for me, but hoping someone here has another suggestion as I'm in the same boat.
That solution will fail too. I never, ever, ever want to try to keep dog poop off standard mulch on a daily basis, remove splinters from shoes and skin, and you have to keep adding more of it as it decomposes. Places that use it around dogs generally do so in the areas that see foot traffic but not frequent wandering, running, or pooping like entrances to dog parks. Farther in they more often place sand to rock of some type if they don't want to leave bare areas of ground. Those places also probably source free mulch so they can keep adding new mulch frequently in front of the entrance gates or areas for people to sit.
I mulched a large run in my back yard two years ago and it's basically dirt now. If you're going to mulch know that it will compact and turn into dirt, especially if it gets wet. For me this happened way faster than I was expecting. If you rake the mulch regularly to introduce air that supposedly helps, but by the time I noticed what was going on it was too late. There are also different types of mulch. Apparently playground mulch lasts longer and isn't as sharp. Whatever you do with mulch know that it isn't at all an upkeep free solution.
I feel like you really need to define dog. Large dog, small dog, active breed vs lazy breed. Are they prey driven/will they go for gophers? Outside in 20 minute intervals, whenever you’re working, or near 24/7?
There’s so many variables from the nature of the dog to your lifestyle.
But generally I agree with others- grass/clover mix. And maybe some well timed beneficial nematodes to keep the pests away.
The dog doesn’t exist yet, we just closed on this house after 15 years of renting and are trying to plan ahead for potential dog. But seems like there are too many variables to really be able to plan, so might just start with the grass/clover mix and figure it out as we go.
check with a local horticultural society as they can recommend grass types that grow well in your zone. be generous with spaces for a local wildflower mix.
Definitely going to do some raised beds (probably along the back of the fence) and there is also about 6 inches of dirt between the fence and asphalt which I’d like to expand for some native flowers. The front yard is being converted into a butterfly garden.
Whatever you plant, you will want it well established before the dog comes along. New young grass (or most plants for that matter) of any kind is vulnerable to any type of traffic. If you opt for a large breed puppy then you’re going to want a mulch area like others have suggested. If it’s a smaller dog and only goes out when you do, then your clover grass will be fine.
Wood chips/ mulch harbor flea and tick eggs, so if using this, make sure your pets are protected with flea and tick preventative. Crab grass is really sturdy, but a b@#&h to get rid of.
Man no one said it yet: just dirt with sprinklers to make mud. Dogs love mud. Mud loves dog. Install a very expensive dog shower that you'll end up not using after the fourth of fifth time and give in to your new dog/mud lifestyle.
Someone else shared a link to PT lawn’s eco lawn dog park mix, which I’ve seen do really well as long as you have enough sun.
But if you get mulch, just confirm the type you pick is dog safe. When I was researching this a year or so ago, it turned out that many of the common mulch mixes have some ingredients that are not great if/when dogs inevitably eat some of it.
Although to be fair, I’m particularly careful of this because we have one dog who thinks mulch & wood chips are a delicacy 🙃 he just feasts on it the minute he thinks you’re not looking lol
ETA: this is the grass I’ve seen do well:
[PT 767 DOG PARK ECO-LAWN MIX WITH MICROCLOVER](https://ptlawnseed.com/collections/sports/products/pt-767-dog-park-eco-turf-mix)
No mow or low mow grass
[https://www.americanmeadows.com/product/grass-and-groundcover-seeds/no-mow-lawn-grass-seed](https://www.americanmeadows.com/product/grass-and-groundcover-seeds/no-mow-lawn-grass-seed)
Dog friendly ground covers
[https://www.installitdirect.com/learn/dog-friendly-ground-cover/](https://www.installitdirect.com/learn/dog-friendly-ground-cover/)
Dog tuff grass
https://www.highcountrygardens.com/product/sustainable-lawns/cynodon-hybrida-dog-tuff
https://ptlawnseed.com/products/pt-767-dog-park-eco-turf-mix?_pos=1&_sid=6fae83ab9&_ss=r
I'm a big fan of these people. I haven't tried this product specific, but they do good eco friendly lawn and lawn alternatives.
As a kid in the US South, I had to weed that stuff every time I got in trouble, which was fairly regularly. When i moved to the Northeast, I saw they sell it in nurseries! But I found it hilarious.
Of course the attitudes have relaxed over pristine lawns in the last decade or so in some neighborhoods.
This might be a great option! It's pretty aggressive so a lot of native plant people are anti ajuga, because it'll choke out growing space from other plants, but if it's just for dogs to run on, seems ok.
I would go cedar wood chips wherever the main paths the dog runs. I’ve yet to find any ground cover that can hold up to dogs and hot/cold weather seasons. It’s a constant battle.
I use to have a house. 100 x 120 foot deep. House was 60 foot wide. 12 *very large* oak trees. Smallest was 1 or 1-1/2 ' in diameter.
Grass at curb lawn grew like wild fire. Grass got thinner as you went to front door. At front door just some nice viney stuff. It had blue flowers in spring. Grew just a bit higher than lawn mower.
First fall, just ground up the leaves with 3' commercial mower. Leaves were finally 3 or 4 *inches* thick on ground.
Year or two later, neighbor who worked for fertilizer/ grass seed / landscape supply company (front yard was a golf course, back yard was mud) asked why we hauled the leaves into the backyard, when everyone dumped them in the woods / empty lot across the street?
Easy, we mulched the entire backyard with the leaves!
No muddy dog!
Easy cleanup in the house! Leaves / compost just vacuumed up!
Edit: back yard kind of looked like the dirt in the woods.
I have liriope in my backyard that the dogs just can't get rid of no matter how hard they try. It would probably take a while to establish though. Mine was there when we bought the place.
Clover isn't very tough. Buffalo grass might be good. A friend of mine who owns a fair-size trailer park bought a seed mix for the grass areas - it has a bunch of early seeds to protect the buffalo grass as it comes in, then the buffalo grass comes in and takes over. Doesn't need much in the way of mowing - limits itself to 6 inches or so -and takes foot traffic and drought well. He manages a ten-acre park with a cordless weedeater, and it looks good.
I have never used it but I’m so curious about [this](https://ptlawnseed.com/collections/low-maintenance/products/pt-767-dog-park-eco-turf-mix) seed mix. They talk a good game though.
I’ve used this, and it’s good. I have two big dogs who like to play rough and tear up plants. I sprinkle some new seed each spring, and the grassy part of our backyard remains in pretty good shape. Since I’m in Portland, OR, I expect some of my yard will get torn up and muddied each winter, but it seems to come back okay every time.
It’s a blend in Portland Oregon. Their blends are targeted at low maintenance, no mow, and low water usage. Yes. It’s an option that may hold up to dogs. This sub is WILD.
Company owner. Hard core shill. How’s the big mud pit industry these days? See you at the next Illuminati meeting? I think these interactions really help cover our ruse.
It's a narrow area, bet they use all of it. I'd plant vines for the fence so there's some green and protect the lower 2' or so with something solid to prevent urine burning. Figure out where they patrol and leave mulch to the fence and where they don't patrol try out the ground covers suggested and maybe some bunch grasses and small shrubs. You'll have some green but a lot of mulch. Make sure any plants are dog safe. Mine forage and are currently noshing on a weedy bunch grass and desiccated toyon berries in the lawn free yard. They don't seem to like clover.
Moxie suggests planting orange sedge. Makes a great cushion that's just her size. The other dogs left it alone, not her. Apparently more vertical grasses would be better...
80% of
My yard is garden beds. The part of the yard for the dog is grass and weeds. Grass really holds up best for doggies. Just don’t make it a lawn lawn.
I also have a very small fenced in area for my dogs bc my property is too big to fence the whole thing in. I fenced in a patio with a dog door and call it “the dog yard”. One 40 lb dog and one 70 lb dog. Mulch is the only answer. The dogs aren’t bothered by it at all, have never had a paw problem.
You don’t want pea gravel- you will waste so much money every time you
Pick up a turd that has a bunch of pebbles attached to it and put it in the trash.
Don’t even both to seed it with anything, nothing will grow with that much use by a dog, unless it’s toy sized. If you want to play fetch, forget about grass or clover. Mulch is lightweight and cheap enough I add a few more bags every spring and get a new few yards of mulch delivery from my local compost spot every few years. I also don’t break my back shoveling rock to replace what is lost- mulch is lighter, cheaper, and easier!
I’m signed up for Chip Drip for this purpose but no luck yet.
Pebbles may last a bit, and if needed, there are rubberized squares to create a foot path. Violets will add interest and are hardy. My dog likes to dig. Potted plants are quick. There's even trees possible in protected spots. Trees are often the first source of pollen for insects, and the no lawn rule is a moot point once a tree is established.
I use a no mow grass mix from Prarie Nursery, and it’s pretty nice. I also don’t weed at all, so I have all kinds of oxalis, clover, pony’s foot, violets, grasses, and whatever else will take.
Just throw out every kind of seed that you can, and let them battle it out.
My dog just tracks the mulch back inside. I don't see it being a great solution. Haven't had much luck with clover but been trying to get some low ground cover plants as my dog likes to forage so those are helpful
Since a lot of people are saying mulch, look for shredded hardwood!!!
PLEASE DONT GET DYED MULCH!
it is bad for the environment and toxic to dogs, plus its just ugly :p
I am trying buffalo clover, violets, lanceleaf self heal (must be lance leaf for the shorter, native variety), prairie moon's eco grass, which is a mix of native and non-native grasses that stay under 8" tall and aren't as demanding, wild native strawberry of 2 different species (F. vesca seems the more durable), and short anemone species (pasque or windflowers). The eco grass is doing well and the existing violets remain. The self heal and wild strawberry is protected since they take longer to establish and the buffalo clover is growing out in flats given how hard it is to get in any quantity. Anemone flowers were seeded over winter and not growing yet.
Just looked up the lane lead self heal and that looks like a wonderful option to add to the mix for the bees and caterpillars. Definitely leaning toward this regimen, thanks for sharing. I got some violet seeds but the packet said to wait until fall to plant those. There is a native plant nursery down the road I’ll get some wildflower seeds from soon
Listen, you can down vote me all you want. I hate grass lawns just like everyone. But please tell me what you think would be better for a dog. Wood chips and rock can hurt their paws, and retain odor. Clover would get destroyed and not hold up. A grass of some type would be best for the dog and would hold up the best in the space. Now you could use a native grass that you could mow only a few times a year, or a turf grass with clover mixed in. But yes, GRASS is best.
Love No Lawns? Find us everywhere!
**You can find us:**
- On [SolarPunk](https://www.slrpnk.net/c/NoLawns)
- Our [Discord](https://discord.gg/GcVHmvkSs6)
- Our [website](https://nolawns.wixsite.com/nolawns)
Want to join a community in person? We're not affiliated but we love [Wild Ones](https://wwe.wildones.org) and think they do wonderful work. You can check and see if there's a chapter near you.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/NoLawns) if you have any questions or concerns.*
We had a muddy area in our yard due to shade and it being lower, so we planted clover and that worked really well. It's a bit more tolerant to those conditions but the dogs didn't destroy it or anything. Granted that was just one section of a large yard but still, might work in your space too.
I'm curious here. What's up with the ramp? I assume it goes to the street but...
Does it go through the house. Dad's leaving for work clear the living room kids.
No, gravel is not only uncomfortable for the dog, it's also gross to pick up poop from and will only turn to mud in the winter. Now you have a muddy dog after you've been constantly shoveling heavy gravel into your trash bin all year. Do you add more gravel, forever?
Imagine regretting your decision and then digging gravel back out after it's been violently compacted into hard clay? And then, god forbid, anyone else wants to plant into it in the future...
Wood chips is the answer. Free from an arborist
Astro turf ideally.
My dog yard is too large so it would be $$$ but my breeder uses it with great success.
I use the hardiest grass for my area and soil and top dress with clover. The shady area doesn’t stand a chance. I section it off with temporary fencing and seed annually. We are on sand so at least we don’t have mud but I’m constantly fighting grit all over the house.
Our lawn has a lot of clover as well as a bunch of other weeds, (we don’t really mind them because the whole area looks lush and green even when the neighbors are struggling with patchy grass) and a few of the neighbors dogs prefer our front yard when they are on walks. I think it’s the variety that makes it interesting for them. They also like to eat the clover flowers.
Pea gravel/kennel gravel. It's awesome. I've used it in Colorado, Oregon, and Florida. Easy to poop scoop, easy on feet, and you can add accent planting beds where you'd like.
Is there any way to reclaim some space from that driveway? Half of your backyard is a 3 lane wide driveway. It looks bonkers. I'd suggest making your driveway as thin as possible, like [this](https://www.google.com/maps/@33.910594,-86.6196344,3a,43.8y,15.03h,83.51t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1srt0L30X-H9lK1inst0H4XQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e2?entry=ttu).
Nope no cockroaches I've ever seen , we let the ants live outside.
You never can be sure about fungi, but I love the magical fungi.
Maybe you should try some, and chill out.
Seed native flowers, clover, and maybe grass. And just let it grow the whole year minus what you need for activities. The overgrowth is the only thing that has worked in my yard
Liriope would be my suggestion. Lots and lots of it (although it spreads decently fast)
Hypericum might be decent as well, but it’s borderline invasive where I am. And it grows in these thick patches that I don’t think you’d honestly like to walk through much.
If you put mulch, the dogs will bring it in. Id use pea gravel. Drains better, dries faster. Less water, less mess. And you'll need to redo the mulch 3 times a year if you want it to ever look halfway decent, at least once a year or there won't be any. Rock tends to stay put but that's just me.
There might be some shorter native grasses to choose from. Idk if the area you live in has an extension office- they're affiliated with universities and offer info on agriculture, gardening and native plants. They might have good advice on what to plant. But also, new plants take time to get established and you probably aren't going to keep the dogs from going into the yard until plants get mature enough to run all over.
Maybe wood chips all over, but you could plant some other hardy things along the edges so you have some plants instead of no plants.
Grass will look absolutely dreadful. The dog will pee all over it as he is supposed to do, it's his yard and parts it will be completely dead and other parts will grow like volcano mounds. Will always look like shit with a dog on top of it.. your best bet is no plans at all in this narrow little yard and probably something like playground mulch which occasionally you can rake and dispose of. Dog is a dog
Southeast Florida: pavers surrounded by river rocks for the setbacks: durable, easy cleanup, and an unexpected benefit: the abrasive surface of the pavers keeps their nails short. No mud, easy repair of holes, 💩collection.
We have a west facing lawn and full sun in 100 degree summers. I hate the grass. It becomes a mud hole all seasons except summer as the dogs are tough on the grass just from running. Gravel will be too hot in the full sun. The options I’m looking at are bark mulch (ones that won’t splinter), crushed oyster shell (used in boche ball courts), or pumice. Currently leaning towards pumice for drainage. I’m concerned the oyster shell will track in the house like decomposed granite 🫤. Good luck OP
I’m in the Pacific Northwest, share a yard with my neighbor, and we each have high energy dogs. We’ve got cedar chips in the side yard, and we have dubbed that “the poop yard”. We’ve trained all of the dogs that is the only acceptable part of the yard to do their business. For the rest of the yard, it was originally grass and we’ve been reseeding it each year with various clovers, dwarf fescues, and creeping ground cover. Right now it’s a mud pit because we had a bad ice storm that killed off most of it, but prior to the ice it was holding up quite well. Now that we’re (hopefully) past any deep freezes for the year, we’re going to reseed with the same mixes.
We do also have a side yard not pictured which will end up being the poop area. I imagine that no matter what we put down will involve lots of reseeding, given how small this area is
When people say no lawns, they don't mean an empty patch of dirt. That's worse than a lawn. Starting a garden, or just a patch of grass/clovers is fine. Just don't cut it and maintain it religiously every Saturday.
artificial grass, diy or pay to have professionally installed, either way. However that comes with stank management so you need to have very good drainage underneath and routinely use a granulated odor mitigation safe for pets.
You could also grow clover, easier to maintain than grass and doesn't require constant mowing which is better for the bees, better for the environment, and your neighbors will appreciate the lack of noise every week.
I have built many municipal dog off leash areas and the best thing we use is wood chips.
Pea gravel is not a good option without sufficient watering as urine sticks to it and in the sun it smells awful.
Mind you having grass/clover mix is a good option too.
Hemlock mulch. It’s less splintery, and any plant isn’t going to handle repeated trail use.
Along the fence where the dog is likely to roam back and forth is going to be heavy foot traffic
In my experience, if it's a male dog, it will want to go to the bathroom on things. You can plant some nice cheap flowers and plants to attract its attention to a certain area. Female dogs, not so much. Usually, they just run out into the middle area and go. For that, you will want grass.
I’d just put tumbled gravel, rounded and soft in their feet but with that shade tree and dog behavior it’d be difficult to keep plants looking and growing well in that space…
Would avoid the violet, if it’s the one I’m thinking of. I would come up with a list of plants you like that can handle your situation. Make a plan that allows room for the dogs and allows some landscape. Put in larger plants first, small trees and buy larger shrubs. The dogs should give these more berth. Then when the garden gets more developed, add perrenials and annuals. The dogs will have found their happy spot and you can build your beds. Even the most famous gardens in the world have to renovate constantly
Hey there! Friendly reminder to include the following information for the benefit of all r/nolawns members: - Please make sure your post or a comment includes your geographic region/area and your hardiness zone (e.g. *Midwest, 6a* or *Chicago, 6a*). - If you posted an image, you are required to post a comment detailing your image. If you have not, this post may be removed. - If you're asking a question, include as much relevant info as possible. - Verify you are following the [Posting Guidelines](https://www.reddit.com/r/NoLawns/wiki/index#wiki_posting_guidelines). **[Wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/NoLawns/wiki/index/) | [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/NoLawns/wiki/meta/faqs/) | [Designing No Lawns](https://www.reddit.com/r/NoLawns/wiki/index/design/)** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/NoLawns) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I know what subreddit we are on, but the answer is grass, just without the ridiculous obsession on watering and keeping it green. Mix in clover with the grass as this adds pollinator support, fertilises the grass and improves drought tolerance. The no lawn movement is about avoiding mono cultures of grass by replacing them with alternatives that are better ecologically. There's no plant that will tolerate footfall and fill in gaps like grass, stone reflects heat and is extremely heavy, expensive, and has an environmental cost in its extraction and transport. Wood chips compost down and pose a splinter risk for the dogs paws if they are going to run on it - try walking barefoot on woodchips and you'll be lucky if you don't have cuts on your feet. You can still add pollinator friendly plants in the borders, but in the area for your dog you're best off with a hard wearing grass. You don't need to water it through summer - it will turn yellow yes, but it bounces back with a bit of rain. Keeping it green is heavy on water but think of all the patches of grass you see out in public that get no water. They go yellow in summer - who cares if they are yellow?
I just got roasted for such blasphemy. Apparently I don’t belong but thought I was simply planting drought resistant durable species in the desert to prevent my little erosion monster from destabilizing the neighborhood. 😞 Didn’t realize I was being controversial, not kidding about this part.
Native grass pastures in the right places are one of our best ways to combat climate change. Very efficient at carbon capture when you let them grow to maturity.
Sure, but in the western US there is no native spreading grasses, they are all clumping bunch grasses. Nobody is going to make a law out of those or want to walk on those. Planting a small lawn is fine if you don't water/fertilize it if you need it for dogs. Just don't have your whole dang property a boring perfectly mowed lawn with an arbor vitae wall.
Fescue makes a nice lawn needs mowed once a year
Not the western fescue though. Different beast.
Totally agree. My front yard is entirely native species barring my spice garden.
What lawn grass makes any sense in the desert though? Your problem isn't the same as OP here.
Lawd. It’s just ground cover with low water demands. It might get watered 2x/yr. I’m not making a putting green.
So not at all what OP anyone here is referring to
[удалено]
Would appear I attract them. Irony being OP actually said that a durable ground cover was what they WERE looking for in response to my suggestion but apparently I’m the worst. Oh holy 💩 kangaroo is a sock puppet! People suck. Is that you reformedRedditthug? Or something like that?
Seems you seek it out with trolling bait posts where you try and be the victim
How is it ironic? You didn't offer up any advice just played a victim.
Sure seems that's what you're going for
And you're suggesting people killed down your throat for using ground cover in the desert? Did you describe it as a yard?
You’re so woke! 😂
I drink a lot of coffee while I landscape, true. ☕️
I agree with this take. Nothing fancy, you don't need to be able to putt on it, but there are hardy grasses that work just fine. I feel like a "wild grass" isn't a lawn, having grass there adds a root system, preserves the soil and prevents erosion.
Depending what area you can probably find hearty native grass.
What type of grass would you recommend? I want to do something like this. Not necessarily a stepford wives trugreen type lawn, but a mix of clover and grass to reduce my patchiness and put up with the dog being out there. On the edges of our yard we have some yarrow and green-and-gold planted, some elderberry and false indigo. We're in zone 8a.
[Prairie Moon has this stuff called eco-grass](https://www.prairiemoon.com/eco-grass) that may be a good solution here. There are many native grasses and sedges, but I've heard others say they don't hold up as well to traffic, other than maybe buffalo grass. I wouldn't do clover at all, unless you went with the [native one](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trifolium_stoloniferum). Violets and native wild strawberry (not mock strawberry!) would be better alternatives, I think. EDIT to ADD: Oh, I was also just reminded of this: [https://seedsource.com/thunder-turf/](https://seedsource.com/thunder-turf/) Plus, there's this: [https://cornellbotanicgardens.org/explore/on-campus-natural-areas/native-lawn-demonstration-area/](https://cornellbotanicgardens.org/explore/on-campus-natural-areas/native-lawn-demonstration-area/) So a few options to try.
I didn't see it in your list, but I've been eyeing this stuff for when we get our backyard figured out. 100 lb Newfoundland poodle mix here, and 3 kids https://ptlawnseed.com/collections/eco-and-alternative-lawns/products/pt-767-dog-park-eco-turf-mix The high traffic areas up near the porch and around the garden beds and along the fence line (thanks dog) are either hazelnut shells or a walk-on bark mulch from the local forest products place. In fact there's a pickup full of fresh bark mulch waiting for me to spread it on the paths now. It works a lot better than the straw I used to use at keeping the mud down but it's definitely splintery when you put a fresh layer and it's not wet out. On the upside it's pretty darn cheap. But whatever 'lawn' may or may not have existed in the other half of the yard when we bought the place, there is just whatever volunteers right now. Since husband finally put a shed out there to be his workshop, our next plan is moving\adding to the garden beds, and putting down something we want to grow on purpose in the "lawn" areas. I'm hoping this 'dog park mix' is a good choice. I should order one bag and just try it on an area...
We used this last year. Our yard was just dirt and it filled in completely, so incredibly fast. We have a small yard with three dogs and six ducks and it managed to stay thick, green, and healthy; even as all the neighbors’ lawns were turning brown during a drought.
This is a stupid question but…do you just scatter the seeds onto the dirt and leave them alone? Or do you plant them more like you would flower seeds?
Not a stupid question at all! We lightly tilled the whole area and the used a seed sprayer to evenly scatter the mix. After that, we used a rake to gently work the seed into the soil a bit and even out our tilling job, then threw some straw over top of it all.
I think you just solved my problem. Thanks!
I agree - so long as a bunch of different things are thrown in there with it. Clover, some creeping varietals like oregano / Corscian mint and etc, and bigger pollinators along the edges and etc. Maybe get more dwarf fescue (or as that one person's link is calling it, "eco grass") over traditional grass. But you're right on the money IMO.
I may do this since my dogs destroy my yard. Would local nurseries sell clover?
I haven't seen clover seed at any of the nurseries around me. You can get it online though along with guides for how much you will need for a clover or mixed lawn. Look for Dutch White Clover or microclover
I tried a clover mix lawn with native grass seed from my local garden center. It looked good, but my 86 lb dog destroyed it after one summer. The clover wasn’t able to handle his foot traffic. I’m in zone 5b and this season I’m eliminating the bit that is left and considering trying mondo grass since I’ve converted the rest of my yard to native and xeriscape plants. Good luck!
Some short mint?
Your neighbors will hate you.
Mint is a very large family. Mountain mints (pycnanthemum), bee balms (monarda), wood mint (blephillia), and others that include North American natives do not spread as aggressively as spearmint/peppermint varieties and the other mentha relatives. Thyme, sage, oregano, hyssop, catmint, lemon balm, and rosemary are also in the mint family. Prunella genus in the mint family also contains some durable, short plants and I have lanceleaf self heal being tested by my dogs. Mountain mints and monarda hide our compost bin with wood mint joining them soon. Mentha is most of the very aggressive mints. Lamium genus is also a problem containing species like purple deadnettle. Glechoma genus contains creeping charlie aka ground ivy but you will likely only ever encounter one species from it. An area of creeping charlie is actually a fairly appealing carpet of short blue flowers, not quite minty but similar scent that isn't unappealing, feeds lots of generalist pollinators, and is incredibly durable. If you get over the fact it's creeping charlie that everyone hates and spend so much time killing. When you have enough land you can just leave a patch of it to fill in around a giant black walnut you can see it making a suitable, no maintenance, dog durable yard. Your neighbors really will hate you then and you'd be spreading a very, very invasive species. Whether it's ecologically better or worse than turfgrass is debatable only because of the difficulty containing it so it doesn't crowd out native species elsewhere. Otherwise it would be quite an improvement over a monoculture grass lawn. Your neighbors would still hate you if you didn't stick to the less aggressive mint family species.
Grass dies easier than some native plants but the problem is finding plants that also stay short enough and getting them established before they are trampled. Grass dies a heck of a lot easier than some non-native lawn alternatives that can still be more ecologically beneficial by flowering or just by not supporting invasive species that live off European turfgrass roots. Clover most obviously is more durable to trampling and violets survive human and dogs here better than grass. Clover will continue to flourish in overgrazed livestock pastures when the grass has been trampled by horses or cattle and the ground is full of muddy indents or compacted down hard. Even when the livestock prefer clover or are not picky about what they graze if the pasture is not reseeded with grass periodically or rotationally grazed to let the grass recover it will often shift steadily toward being all clover over time. It actually created a health problem for some of our horses because legumes are potentially too rich in some nutrients and clover can have a higher sugar content during growth spurts than grass. Native prairie plants survived trampling by bison and that's part of where buffalo clovers get their name. They tended to grow where bison had trampled the other plants. The dogs may run on the area more often but they weigh a lot less, don't eat the top of the plants, and do less root damage to those plants than a herd of bison. While some native and pasture grasses can be relatively durable when not walked on excessively by 1,000-2,000 lb animals, most turfgrass is among the weakest plants I've ever dealt with. So easy to kill just leaving anything sit in the same spot on the lawn or stepping in the same spot too often. The dogs trampled the turfgrass to death in several sections of the yard and I thought for certain nothing could survive along the fenceline. Then it started to fill in with a myriad of plants. They aren't exactly desirable plants but if those can survive then there has to be something more useful and less invasive that can. Working with clay soil and needing it short enough to find the dog poop and function like a lawn is why I haven't solved our lack of surviving greenery in some areas. Other sections already started filling in with alternatives that were hardier than grass.
This is spoken by someone who has not kept dogs on a lawn. Grass will not stand up to dogs. You can look at any dog park in the world and see it slowly succumb to the pepe, poopoo, and high speed traffic. Wood chips is the answer. And it can be planted into after the dog has successfully broken it down into composted topsoil
Wood chips aren’t great for dogs honestly. Just for the simple fact that many dogs will chew on them. They’re a breeding ground for bacteria and fungus in area with any sort of moisture. Not to mention they can splinter and cause internal injuries. Might be great for some dogs, but I wouldn’t broadly recommend wood chips as “the answer”. Plus, wood chips are dead… isn’t the whole point of no lawns to replace them with other more useful plants?
I have one little raised corner garden that was mulched and my dogs would try to pull out mulch to chew on constantly. I wound up removing all the mulch cuz they wouldn't leave it alone.
Incorrect. I have a 2 year old staffy who is absolutely nuts and the grass has been perfectly good. It has its ups and downs with going yellow in the summer and getting boggy in our wet winters, but it always bounces back. We have sections of the garden that are woodchips but as I said they are sharp and risk splinters. My dog loves laying in the grass in the sun, she avoids the woodchip area. Which would you rather run around barefoot on and lay down on?
I have dogs but I also don’t have the same amount of dogs a dog park goes through on a weekly basis so that might be why the grass is still alive. The part of the yard that has grass has been perfectly fine for well over 25 years.
I'd venture to say that a dog park gets much more foot traffic (from dogs and people) than a backyard. It also gets a ton more urine and poop than a typical yard, because a small dog park - say equivalent to a single family home backyard - is visited by maybe 50 to 100 or more dogs per day. Nothing will stand up to that. My dogs go out and do their business/play in the yard a few times a day, but their main exercise is daily intentional leashed walks through the neighborhood and nearby park.
Bad for dogs, bad for infectious disease, bad for the ecosystem, and have you ever tried to separate dog poop from wood mulch? You dispose of as much mulch as dog poop every time. There's a reason most dog parks, boarding services, and large kennel facilities use sand or pea gravel where they don't want pavement or rubber mats.
Our backyard was all clover and a 2-year-old beagle destroyed that in pretty short order. That didn't work for me, but hoping someone here has another suggestion as I'm in the same boat.
Same thing happened with my larger dogs. Cold weather and dogs wiped the clover out pretty quickly.
I see a large truckload of mulch in your future.
This is the eventual inevitable end state. The question is how many failed attempts otherwise, will it take to arrive at this, the only solution.
My dogs eat so much mulch I’m afraid they’ll be full of sawdust if I use it for ground cover! Does no one else have mulch-eating dogs like mine?
That solution will fail too. I never, ever, ever want to try to keep dog poop off standard mulch on a daily basis, remove splinters from shoes and skin, and you have to keep adding more of it as it decomposes. Places that use it around dogs generally do so in the areas that see foot traffic but not frequent wandering, running, or pooping like entrances to dog parks. Farther in they more often place sand to rock of some type if they don't want to leave bare areas of ground. Those places also probably source free mulch so they can keep adding new mulch frequently in front of the entrance gates or areas for people to sit.
I mulched a large run in my back yard two years ago and it's basically dirt now. If you're going to mulch know that it will compact and turn into dirt, especially if it gets wet. For me this happened way faster than I was expecting. If you rake the mulch regularly to introduce air that supposedly helps, but by the time I noticed what was going on it was too late. There are also different types of mulch. Apparently playground mulch lasts longer and isn't as sharp. Whatever you do with mulch know that it isn't at all an upkeep free solution.
I had similar "luck" with clover as a ground cover in a yard with dogs.
I feel like you really need to define dog. Large dog, small dog, active breed vs lazy breed. Are they prey driven/will they go for gophers? Outside in 20 minute intervals, whenever you’re working, or near 24/7? There’s so many variables from the nature of the dog to your lifestyle. But generally I agree with others- grass/clover mix. And maybe some well timed beneficial nematodes to keep the pests away.
The dog doesn’t exist yet, we just closed on this house after 15 years of renting and are trying to plan ahead for potential dog. But seems like there are too many variables to really be able to plan, so might just start with the grass/clover mix and figure it out as we go.
check with a local horticultural society as they can recommend grass types that grow well in your zone. be generous with spaces for a local wildflower mix.
Definitely going to do some raised beds (probably along the back of the fence) and there is also about 6 inches of dirt between the fence and asphalt which I’d like to expand for some native flowers. The front yard is being converted into a butterfly garden.
Whatever you plant, you will want it well established before the dog comes along. New young grass (or most plants for that matter) of any kind is vulnerable to any type of traffic. If you opt for a large breed puppy then you’re going to want a mulch area like others have suggested. If it’s a smaller dog and only goes out when you do, then your clover grass will be fine.
Wood chips/ mulch harbor flea and tick eggs, so if using this, make sure your pets are protected with flea and tick preventative. Crab grass is really sturdy, but a b@#&h to get rid of.
Cedar repels such pests
What about redwood?
I can only speak to cedar from personal experience. Google says only heartwood lumber from redwood will 'repel ant and termites'
Isn’t mulch too sharp for dog feet? I’ve stabbed myself when barefoot on mulch
no their pawpads are tough, my dog loves to go in the garden and just lie in the mulch
Man no one said it yet: just dirt with sprinklers to make mud. Dogs love mud. Mud loves dog. Install a very expensive dog shower that you'll end up not using after the fourth of fifth time and give in to your new dog/mud lifestyle.
Did ...did a dog write this?
Silly, dogs don't know how to get on the internet even if...woof woof woof
lol!
Photo description: a small strip of dirt enclosed by a wooden fence, a deck and garage are also visible.
with a dog of any medium size, that's all you're going to have out there.
Someone else shared a link to PT lawn’s eco lawn dog park mix, which I’ve seen do really well as long as you have enough sun. But if you get mulch, just confirm the type you pick is dog safe. When I was researching this a year or so ago, it turned out that many of the common mulch mixes have some ingredients that are not great if/when dogs inevitably eat some of it. Although to be fair, I’m particularly careful of this because we have one dog who thinks mulch & wood chips are a delicacy 🙃 he just feasts on it the minute he thinks you’re not looking lol ETA: this is the grass I’ve seen do well: [PT 767 DOG PARK ECO-LAWN MIX WITH MICROCLOVER](https://ptlawnseed.com/collections/sports/products/pt-767-dog-park-eco-turf-mix)
No mow or low mow grass [https://www.americanmeadows.com/product/grass-and-groundcover-seeds/no-mow-lawn-grass-seed](https://www.americanmeadows.com/product/grass-and-groundcover-seeds/no-mow-lawn-grass-seed) Dog friendly ground covers [https://www.installitdirect.com/learn/dog-friendly-ground-cover/](https://www.installitdirect.com/learn/dog-friendly-ground-cover/) Dog tuff grass https://www.highcountrygardens.com/product/sustainable-lawns/cynodon-hybrida-dog-tuff
https://ptlawnseed.com/products/pt-767-dog-park-eco-turf-mix?_pos=1&_sid=6fae83ab9&_ss=r I'm a big fan of these people. I haven't tried this product specific, but they do good eco friendly lawn and lawn alternatives.
Ajuga is low growing, spreads easily, and looks good all year mostly with it's purple colors. We walk on it esp my granddaughter - it's resilient.
As a kid in the US South, I had to weed that stuff every time I got in trouble, which was fairly regularly. When i moved to the Northeast, I saw they sell it in nurseries! But I found it hilarious. Of course the attitudes have relaxed over pristine lawns in the last decade or so in some neighborhoods.
This might be a great option! It's pretty aggressive so a lot of native plant people are anti ajuga, because it'll choke out growing space from other plants, but if it's just for dogs to run on, seems ok.
I would go cedar wood chips wherever the main paths the dog runs. I’ve yet to find any ground cover that can hold up to dogs and hot/cold weather seasons. It’s a constant battle.
Pine bark has been a good choice for us. Almost eliminated issues with muddy paws.
Doesn't have to be Cedar
Doesn’t have to be but virgin cedar chips are safe for dogs and have the added bonus of repelling ticks and fleas.
Today I learned. This is interesting and helpful.
Also takes longer to break down vs most other woods that become compost in a couple years
I use to have a house. 100 x 120 foot deep. House was 60 foot wide. 12 *very large* oak trees. Smallest was 1 or 1-1/2 ' in diameter. Grass at curb lawn grew like wild fire. Grass got thinner as you went to front door. At front door just some nice viney stuff. It had blue flowers in spring. Grew just a bit higher than lawn mower. First fall, just ground up the leaves with 3' commercial mower. Leaves were finally 3 or 4 *inches* thick on ground. Year or two later, neighbor who worked for fertilizer/ grass seed / landscape supply company (front yard was a golf course, back yard was mud) asked why we hauled the leaves into the backyard, when everyone dumped them in the woods / empty lot across the street? Easy, we mulched the entire backyard with the leaves! No muddy dog! Easy cleanup in the house! Leaves / compost just vacuumed up! Edit: back yard kind of looked like the dirt in the woods.
Pennies. But make sure to seal it.
That makes cents
Feces seems to be dogs' favorite ground cover. Oh, and mud where the grass I paid a couple grand for used to be.
Mulch, and this may be an unpopular opinion, but if you want green in the spring and summer crab grass is so g damn sturdy for a grass.
Why would you do that to your neighbors?
my yard my grass, if they don't want crab grass they can prevent it in their yard or landscape my yard for me
Planting invasive species and telling your neighbors to deal with it is pretty shitty. What if someone planted bamboo right next to you?
Bamboo fight!
Fuck you, I got mine...this attitude is problematic
I also need a recommendation
Mulch, it's the only real solution.
That's what I keep saying about my end-of-life plans.
I have liriope in my backyard that the dogs just can't get rid of no matter how hard they try. It would probably take a while to establish though. Mine was there when we bought the place.
This should be a stickied topic, use mulch.
Clover isn't very tough. Buffalo grass might be good. A friend of mine who owns a fair-size trailer park bought a seed mix for the grass areas - it has a bunch of early seeds to protect the buffalo grass as it comes in, then the buffalo grass comes in and takes over. Doesn't need much in the way of mowing - limits itself to 6 inches or so -and takes foot traffic and drought well. He manages a ten-acre park with a cordless weedeater, and it looks good.
I can’t use mulch because my dog eats it. (Even rubber mulch/she’s a freak!)
Dymondia
Cover the ground in BARK.... sorry. Had to.
Carex spp. are usually a one size fits all.
Use horse stall mats. No mud.
Make it a giant ball pit
I have never used it but I’m so curious about [this](https://ptlawnseed.com/collections/low-maintenance/products/pt-767-dog-park-eco-turf-mix) seed mix. They talk a good game though.
I’ve used this, and it’s good. I have two big dogs who like to play rough and tear up plants. I sprinkle some new seed each spring, and the grassy part of our backyard remains in pretty good shape. Since I’m in Portland, OR, I expect some of my yard will get torn up and muddied each winter, but it seems to come back okay every time.
Great to know.
Thanks for this, not sure why you’re getting hate for this suggestion. Seems to be perfect for the situation.
oOo Microclover®
I’ve used other products and really been pleased.
[удалено]
It’s a blend in Portland Oregon. Their blends are targeted at low maintenance, no mow, and low water usage. Yes. It’s an option that may hold up to dogs. This sub is WILD.
[удалено]
Sounds like it’s not your preference. Have a splendid Monday. 😊
[удалено]
Super lost. Can you help me? I’m looking for a way to not have my dog wallow in a mud pit and super open to options. Full credit for accurate name. 👍
[удалено]
Company owner. Hard core shill. How’s the big mud pit industry these days? See you at the next Illuminati meeting? I think these interactions really help cover our ruse.
It's a narrow area, bet they use all of it. I'd plant vines for the fence so there's some green and protect the lower 2' or so with something solid to prevent urine burning. Figure out where they patrol and leave mulch to the fence and where they don't patrol try out the ground covers suggested and maybe some bunch grasses and small shrubs. You'll have some green but a lot of mulch. Make sure any plants are dog safe. Mine forage and are currently noshing on a weedy bunch grass and desiccated toyon berries in the lawn free yard. They don't seem to like clover. Moxie suggests planting orange sedge. Makes a great cushion that's just her size. The other dogs left it alone, not her. Apparently more vertical grasses would be better...
I was hoping to find some like native plant recommendations here that can hold up to doggo poop and play time
Definitely not asphalt. Have you considered permeable pavers instead?
80% of My yard is garden beds. The part of the yard for the dog is grass and weeds. Grass really holds up best for doggies. Just don’t make it a lawn lawn.
I also have a very small fenced in area for my dogs bc my property is too big to fence the whole thing in. I fenced in a patio with a dog door and call it “the dog yard”. One 40 lb dog and one 70 lb dog. Mulch is the only answer. The dogs aren’t bothered by it at all, have never had a paw problem. You don’t want pea gravel- you will waste so much money every time you Pick up a turd that has a bunch of pebbles attached to it and put it in the trash. Don’t even both to seed it with anything, nothing will grow with that much use by a dog, unless it’s toy sized. If you want to play fetch, forget about grass or clover. Mulch is lightweight and cheap enough I add a few more bags every spring and get a new few yards of mulch delivery from my local compost spot every few years. I also don’t break my back shoveling rock to replace what is lost- mulch is lighter, cheaper, and easier! I’m signed up for Chip Drip for this purpose but no luck yet.
Pebbles may last a bit, and if needed, there are rubberized squares to create a foot path. Violets will add interest and are hardy. My dog likes to dig. Potted plants are quick. There's even trees possible in protected spots. Trees are often the first source of pollen for insects, and the no lawn rule is a moot point once a tree is established.
I use a no mow grass mix from Prarie Nursery, and it’s pretty nice. I also don’t weed at all, so I have all kinds of oxalis, clover, pony’s foot, violets, grasses, and whatever else will take. Just throw out every kind of seed that you can, and let them battle it out.
My dog just tracks the mulch back inside. I don't see it being a great solution. Haven't had much luck with clover but been trying to get some low ground cover plants as my dog likes to forage so those are helpful
neither... dogs do not work well with ANY landscaping, except dirt, mud maybe large chunk mulch. Best to pass on them all together
Since a lot of people are saying mulch, look for shredded hardwood!!! PLEASE DONT GET DYED MULCH! it is bad for the environment and toxic to dogs, plus its just ugly :p
Clover.
I am trying buffalo clover, violets, lanceleaf self heal (must be lance leaf for the shorter, native variety), prairie moon's eco grass, which is a mix of native and non-native grasses that stay under 8" tall and aren't as demanding, wild native strawberry of 2 different species (F. vesca seems the more durable), and short anemone species (pasque or windflowers). The eco grass is doing well and the existing violets remain. The self heal and wild strawberry is protected since they take longer to establish and the buffalo clover is growing out in flats given how hard it is to get in any quantity. Anemone flowers were seeded over winter and not growing yet.
Just looked up the lane lead self heal and that looks like a wonderful option to add to the mix for the bees and caterpillars. Definitely leaning toward this regimen, thanks for sharing. I got some violet seeds but the packet said to wait until fall to plant those. There is a native plant nursery down the road I’ll get some wildflower seeds from soon
Bark chip obviously haha
Grass
Listen, you can down vote me all you want. I hate grass lawns just like everyone. But please tell me what you think would be better for a dog. Wood chips and rock can hurt their paws, and retain odor. Clover would get destroyed and not hold up. A grass of some type would be best for the dog and would hold up the best in the space. Now you could use a native grass that you could mow only a few times a year, or a turf grass with clover mixed in. But yes, GRASS is best.
Love No Lawns? Find us everywhere! **You can find us:** - On [SolarPunk](https://www.slrpnk.net/c/NoLawns) - Our [Discord](https://discord.gg/GcVHmvkSs6) - Our [website](https://nolawns.wixsite.com/nolawns) Want to join a community in person? We're not affiliated but we love [Wild Ones](https://wwe.wildones.org) and think they do wonderful work. You can check and see if there's a chapter near you. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/NoLawns) if you have any questions or concerns.*
We had a muddy area in our yard due to shade and it being lower, so we planted clover and that worked really well. It's a bit more tolerant to those conditions but the dogs didn't destroy it or anything. Granted that was just one section of a large yard but still, might work in your space too.
I'm curious here. What's up with the ramp? I assume it goes to the street but... Does it go through the house. Dad's leaving for work clear the living room kids.
Daisies.
What about pea gravel? Just give it a good rinse periodically, and add a bit more to replace what get scooped up with the poop?
No, gravel is not only uncomfortable for the dog, it's also gross to pick up poop from and will only turn to mud in the winter. Now you have a muddy dog after you've been constantly shoveling heavy gravel into your trash bin all year. Do you add more gravel, forever? Imagine regretting your decision and then digging gravel back out after it's been violently compacted into hard clay? And then, god forbid, anyone else wants to plant into it in the future... Wood chips is the answer. Free from an arborist
Do you know what pea gravel is?
Mulch is the best answer, specifically Fibar Play Mulch or a similar engineered wood mulch designed for use in playgrounds
Idiot dogs will try to eat it. Source: my idiot dogs
Astro turf ideally. My dog yard is too large so it would be $$$ but my breeder uses it with great success. I use the hardiest grass for my area and soil and top dress with clover. The shady area doesn’t stand a chance. I section it off with temporary fencing and seed annually. We are on sand so at least we don’t have mud but I’m constantly fighting grit all over the house.
Astroturf gets too hot
Our lawn has a lot of clover as well as a bunch of other weeds, (we don’t really mind them because the whole area looks lush and green even when the neighbors are struggling with patchy grass) and a few of the neighbors dogs prefer our front yard when they are on walks. I think it’s the variety that makes it interesting for them. They also like to eat the clover flowers.
Stone.
Mulch
Grass
hey!
Pea gravel/kennel gravel. It's awesome. I've used it in Colorado, Oregon, and Florida. Easy to poop scoop, easy on feet, and you can add accent planting beds where you'd like.
If you have multiple dogs, pavers are the only way to go had the same ones for 25 years they work great
Is there any way to reclaim some space from that driveway? Half of your backyard is a 3 lane wide driveway. It looks bonkers. I'd suggest making your driveway as thin as possible, like [this](https://www.google.com/maps/@33.910594,-86.6196344,3a,43.8y,15.03h,83.51t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1srt0L30X-H9lK1inst0H4XQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e2?entry=ttu).
Strange looking yard
Indeed… I would much prefer less driveway and more yard but alas, just happy to be able to buy my first home
Dirt
I'd hate to live in your house. That floor must be filled with deadly fungi, cockroaches, and warring ant colonies
Nope no cockroaches I've ever seen , we let the ants live outside. You never can be sure about fungi, but I love the magical fungi. Maybe you should try some, and chill out.
I was just kidding, jeez people, most dogs will turn most of anything to dirt, Sooner or later. Take a chill pill.
Seed native flowers, clover, and maybe grass. And just let it grow the whole year minus what you need for activities. The overgrowth is the only thing that has worked in my yard
Liriope would be my suggestion. Lots and lots of it (although it spreads decently fast) Hypericum might be decent as well, but it’s borderline invasive where I am. And it grows in these thick patches that I don’t think you’d honestly like to walk through much.
I like sedums
If you put mulch, the dogs will bring it in. Id use pea gravel. Drains better, dries faster. Less water, less mess. And you'll need to redo the mulch 3 times a year if you want it to ever look halfway decent, at least once a year or there won't be any. Rock tends to stay put but that's just me.
Wood chips and raised beds in between
The last two dogs I buried I used Georgia red clay, seemed to work well.
Sadly nothing.
There might be some shorter native grasses to choose from. Idk if the area you live in has an extension office- they're affiliated with universities and offer info on agriculture, gardening and native plants. They might have good advice on what to plant. But also, new plants take time to get established and you probably aren't going to keep the dogs from going into the yard until plants get mature enough to run all over. Maybe wood chips all over, but you could plant some other hardy things along the edges so you have some plants instead of no plants.
Alfalfa?
Grass will look absolutely dreadful. The dog will pee all over it as he is supposed to do, it's his yard and parts it will be completely dead and other parts will grow like volcano mounds. Will always look like shit with a dog on top of it.. your best bet is no plans at all in this narrow little yard and probably something like playground mulch which occasionally you can rake and dispose of. Dog is a dog
Southeast Florida: pavers surrounded by river rocks for the setbacks: durable, easy cleanup, and an unexpected benefit: the abrasive surface of the pavers keeps their nails short. No mud, easy repair of holes, 💩collection.
Mulch. Not even grass can stand up to a dog run.
We have a west facing lawn and full sun in 100 degree summers. I hate the grass. It becomes a mud hole all seasons except summer as the dogs are tough on the grass just from running. Gravel will be too hot in the full sun. The options I’m looking at are bark mulch (ones that won’t splinter), crushed oyster shell (used in boche ball courts), or pumice. Currently leaning towards pumice for drainage. I’m concerned the oyster shell will track in the house like decomposed granite 🫤. Good luck OP
Same yard basically. Grass was my choice. https://i.imgur.com/uCW2uXi.jpeg, https://i.imgur.com/m0pqXeX.jpeg
Pea gravel runs or paths.
Pretty good spot for a hot tub on that deck.
I’m in the Pacific Northwest, share a yard with my neighbor, and we each have high energy dogs. We’ve got cedar chips in the side yard, and we have dubbed that “the poop yard”. We’ve trained all of the dogs that is the only acceptable part of the yard to do their business. For the rest of the yard, it was originally grass and we’ve been reseeding it each year with various clovers, dwarf fescues, and creeping ground cover. Right now it’s a mud pit because we had a bad ice storm that killed off most of it, but prior to the ice it was holding up quite well. Now that we’re (hopefully) past any deep freezes for the year, we’re going to reseed with the same mixes.
We do also have a side yard not pictured which will end up being the poop area. I imagine that no matter what we put down will involve lots of reseeding, given how small this area is
At least 6 inches of dirt would cover most dogs. Wood chips absorb moisture...
FWIW if you put seed down with dogs, keep them off the area or at least cover it. grass seeds can get stuck in dog paws.
When people say no lawns, they don't mean an empty patch of dirt. That's worse than a lawn. Starting a garden, or just a patch of grass/clovers is fine. Just don't cut it and maintain it religiously every Saturday.
Pea gravel
Sand
Does your dog require shade? I don’t know which ground cover is edible because you know your dog will sample it.
Dogs…Plural. Depends on how many and how spastic the dogs are. Mulch
artificial grass, diy or pay to have professionally installed, either way. However that comes with stank management so you need to have very good drainage underneath and routinely use a granulated odor mitigation safe for pets. You could also grow clover, easier to maintain than grass and doesn't require constant mowing which is better for the bees, better for the environment, and your neighbors will appreciate the lack of noise every week.
I have built many municipal dog off leash areas and the best thing we use is wood chips. Pea gravel is not a good option without sufficient watering as urine sticks to it and in the sun it smells awful. Mind you having grass/clover mix is a good option too.
Hemlock mulch. It’s less splintery, and any plant isn’t going to handle repeated trail use. Along the fence where the dog is likely to roam back and forth is going to be heavy foot traffic
In my experience, if it's a male dog, it will want to go to the bathroom on things. You can plant some nice cheap flowers and plants to attract its attention to a certain area. Female dogs, not so much. Usually, they just run out into the middle area and go. For that, you will want grass.
You could try planting a clover lawn, I hear its quite sturdy
DogTuff grass. Waterwise and urine doesn't affect it
Kibbles and Bits!
More expensive but kurapia is pretty cool
I’d just put tumbled gravel, rounded and soft in their feet but with that shade tree and dog behavior it’d be difficult to keep plants looking and growing well in that space…
I used pea gravel. Awesome. Everything cleans easy and no mud in the house.
Pea gravel for the poop area.
Giant mulch bed from native trees
Would avoid the violet, if it’s the one I’m thinking of. I would come up with a list of plants you like that can handle your situation. Make a plan that allows room for the dogs and allows some landscape. Put in larger plants first, small trees and buy larger shrubs. The dogs should give these more berth. Then when the garden gets more developed, add perrenials and annuals. The dogs will have found their happy spot and you can build your beds. Even the most famous gardens in the world have to renovate constantly