Continuing Grass Wars - Part II

In The Grass Wars - Part I, I briefly mentioned the on-going unofficial grass wars, as a prelude to trying to help others understand the importance of grass with respect to the well-being of our planet. Now, it's time to take a little closer look at the war zone.

It's a secret little dirty war, that few outside the regions of its battle ground are aware of. Living in the middle of this conflict zone, millions of people happily go about their daily lives without any awareness of the skirmishes between the warring fractions. Tourists come and go, and no doubt send postcards to others back home, bragging about the green green grasses of vacation land.

Often, the only tale-tell reminder of the conflict is found in the familiar obnoxious roar of mowers butch-cutting pristine looking lawns week-after-week. This battle cry is followed by the loud whirl of leaf blowing enemies. Absentee land owners, often continents away, have no clue as to what their hired property soldiers are plotting, for the more often they attack -- the more they get paid.

The majority of the secret soldiers are primarily hired guns of small fortune. Very often their only identifying uniforms are crude and cheap removable metal signs on the sides of their pickups and on the backs of their trailers hauling their mobile forces. Many are renegade soldiers of little fortune, not actually legal.

Then, there are the weekend warriors, some fifty-four million of them rumored to be scattered across the nation at any given time. Each weekend, they consume eight hundred million gallons of precious gasoline and contribute tons of air pollution in their hostile campaigns. Just one of these soldiers and his arsenal, produces the same amount of air pollution as forty-three cars being driven over twelve thousand miles. Yet, few in the war zones, connect the dots, or are capable of identifying the enemy who costs us so much.

Beyond that, the grass war is an issue that has life-altering consequences for all of us -- it's all about one of our most precious resources -- one we can't live without -- water. We have a water shortage (even when it rains every day) in this state (as do many states).

During the building boom of a frenzied and speculative real estate market of a few years ago, all common sense and caution went out of the window. It seems like greed took over the minds of those who approved the many many subdivisions of "luxury homes."

In everyone's quest for the "good life" those pristine awe inspiring golf course-like lawns of non-native grasses (particularly St. Augustine grass) -- became the norm, rather than the exception. In fact, home owner associations (HOAs) went crazy and made the exclusive use of St. Augustine grass. It soon became the law of the lawn land in virtually all communities. People were ordered to plant only that type of grass, no other grass varieties were allowed.

The developers and the real estate professions were also ga-ga over the new green green grass of home -- it was pretty -- and it sold "pretty." While mortgage deals were being cut with new home owners who couldn't and should shouldn't have qualified, and speculative foreigners were trying to get rich quick in fierce bidding wars on American properties -- we were destroying precious resources at a very heavy price.

Now, St. Augustine grass is gorgeous when properly cared for. It's green in the winter when other lawns are brown. It's a delight to homeowners and their children as you often feel like you are walking on a plush carpet of living green. However, it is not native to Florida (and the other parts of the South where it has been extensively planted.

Here's the down-side -- it takes massive amounts of water to keep it looking pristine. Even worse, it takes constant maintenance, meaning it requires more mowing and not just ordinary mowing -- it requires a sharpened blade at all time, mowing at precise times of the day to not injure it. Worst of all, it absolutely needs large amounts of pesticides to keep it free of cinch bugs, white grubs, sod web-worms, ground pearls, brown patch, and gray leaf spot. Additionally, it needs heavy fertilization on a regular basis.

This is not Florida Friendly. This is not even earth friendly. As a result, on July 1, 2009 those with an awareness were successful in passing new state laws regarding Florida Friendly Landscaping. Now, I don't know if it means the war is over -- I doubt it, since home owner developments are slow to recognize any laws but their own. However, one way or another this battle zone needs to be cleaned up.

Meanwhile Here Are Additional Fascinating Grass Facts

Think back on your early childhood or even adult renditions in art when it comes to drawing or painting grass -- most people only depict it as green.

Few consider that it is many other colors -- purples, blues, yellows, reds, oranges are also to be found in profusion in the real world of grass. In fact, of all the grasses in the world, hardly any are truly green at all except when they are very young.

As they mature other colors appear on the blade, stalk, and flowers. They combine to make every clump of grass a thing of beauty, if we have an observant and seeing eye.

The seeds of grasses vary very much in size. In wood meadow grass, for example, there are almost two and one half million seeds to the pound. In a variety of grass called Sheep Fescue there are one and one half million seeds to the pound. Additionally, in familiar Golden Oat grass, there are almost as many as in the Sheep's Fescue.

On the other hand, tall Oat grass, has only one hundred and forty thousand seeds to the pound, and pererennial Rye grass and Meadow Fescue roughly two hundred thousand.

The amount of hay that different grasses produce also varies considerably. Cocksfoot grass has yield twenty-eight thousand pounds per acre on rich sandy loan, which when dried becomes twelve thousand pounds. Whereas, Timothy grass will yield forty thousand pounds (seventeen thousand pounds when dried). Another example is perennial Rye grass which only gives about eight thousand pounds of seed an acre (dwindling down to thirty-five hundred pounds when dry). So, as you can see grass seed yields vary greatly depending upon variety.

When the hay is cut and the grass is lying on the ground, give up its moisture, the odor is sweet beyond words. No wonder the perfumers of old tried to capture the secret and labeled it "new-mown hay." Of course, this is comical to anyone who has spent a lot of time around hay fields because they will not be deceived. The scent contrived by the chemist may imitate, but there is something in it that he cannot and has not ever caught.

In the fight for life, grasses rapidly overcome other plants, as can often be seen on neglected garden paths and disused roadways. Various plants, like dandelions and buttercups, appear first, but in the course of time - grass will always cover the whole area if left alone.

The shafts of grass, by reason of their pointed and narrow shape and their hard texture, are able to fight their way up through any soil and sometimes even man-made paving.

Grass dried in the sun and wind is hay, and this provides a nourishing winter food for animals. However, if the grass, after being cut, lies too long exposed to sun and wind, the food value, fragrance, and color are all diminished.

The fragrance is important, as it makes the fodder palatable to the animals for whom it is intended.

Grass to be used as hay should be cut in full vigor and bloom before any woody fiber or seed has developed.

Rain falling on the cut grass does harm, as it washes out some of the soluble parts such as sugar, gum, and albumin. If cut grass has been wet for long, fermentation sets up and the sugary matter is turned into alcohol.

From the earliest times grass has been the basis of livestock production, but it has been more than a useful friend to man. It has clothed the earth with beauty. It has softened the ravages of tempest and earthquake, and war. It has been a symbol of peace and quiet restfulness.

A famous writer, John James Ingalls said:

"Grass is the forgiveness of Nature -- her constant benediction. Fields trampled with battle, saturated with blood, torn with the ruts of cannon, grow green again with grass, and carnage is forgotten. Streets abandoned by traffic become grass-grown like rural lanes, and are obliterated. Forest decay, harvests perish, flowers vanish, but grass is immortal."

In the order ot which the grasses belong, there are two plant families. One of them is the grasses themselves, and the other are the sedges.

Sedges are very much like grasses in appearance, but the two plant families may be distinguished by their stems.

The grasses have stems that are round or flattened in the section, while the stems of the sedges are three-cornered or triangular.

Furthermore, the stems of Sedges are usually neither swollen at the nodes where the leaves grow out, nor hollow like the grass stems.

The sheaths of the grasses, too, are open and though gripping the stem -- can be unfolded without fracture, they are not like Sedges. In Sedges, the edges are fastened so that the whole forms a complete tuber.

Two or three thousand species of Sedges are known. The papyrus of Egypt, which was used to be prepared for manuscripts, is a Sedge. Sedges have been of little use to man compared to grasses. A few provide pasture, but it is poor in comparison. So, it would seem that Sedges must provide their own excuse for existence. Wonder who among us will figure out its true place in the grand scheme of Nature's wisdom?

One variety of grass that deserves special mention is Sorghum grass. While it might not be a household name in the United States, it is one of the top five cereal crops in the world.

A native of Africa, known since ancient Egypt to man, few in this country could tell you what it looks like. It still is a cultivated plant in Africa and parts of Asia, along with being grown in this country. A tall grass, it can reach heights of over six feet.

Crop wise it's like growing corn in appearance, and today in this country most varieties grown are dwarf and self fertilized. It's a fast growing grass, that pollinates itself in less than ten days after the flowers appear. It has it's own internal clock for doing so, usually during the same six hours -- from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

It has a need for a relatively warm soil temperature of over sixty degrees. It takes ninety to one hundred days for harvest from seed.

This drought tolerant grass is very hearty and will grow under a variety of severe conditions. There are a number of varieties but Sweet sorghum is an often choice of sweetener and made into a syrup.

Here in the U.S. we mainly use it for animal feed for livestock. It is also used in paper and adhesives. Additionally, those with celiac disease often have it in their gluten free diets. Vegetarians like it as it is similar to tofu in it's many uses in cooking. It's a healthy choice of fiber, iron, and starch. It also has uses in distilling alcohol.

In times past, it was known to Southern cooks as a staple in the kitchen and was thought to be introduced by African slaves.