Dichondra lawn Pros and Cons

When you wish to maximize your lawn's potential, ground covers are fantastic alternatives to grass. When planted, some alternatives, like clovers, work better than other kinds of turf and remain green throughout the year.

Dichondra is a well-manicured alternative to grass that thrives in settings conducive to its growth and is widely used as a ground cover. If you have a small lawn with little or no foot activity, it's the perfect shade of green.

Dichondra is a fast-growing summer annual substitute for grass. It is a member of the same family as the morning glory plant, which is called Convolvulaceae.

Dichondra grows slowly and looks like a mat, which gives your lawn a beautiful green carpet look. Because of its lesser growth above the soil, which only reaches a maximum height of two inches, it is mostly utilized for aesthetic reasons and ornamental purposes in landscaping.

Even though it can tolerate some shadow, dichondra grows best in full sun and appreciates soils that drain well and are rich in nutrients. It can tolerate the cool, coastal climate zones 7 to 11.

The leaves have a kidney-like appearance due to their broad, circular shape and the presence of a stalk that appears at the border of the leaf. It has smooth leaf blades that are lime green. 'Silver Falls' Dichondra has silver-gray leaves. The leaves are silky and feel pleasant underfoot, but they are readily destroyed by heavy foot traffic. Although the grass partially recovers from foot movement, it is not ideal for high-traffic locations. Dichondra can be grown from seeds or plugs. It can resist high summer temperatures, but not extended droughts.

Dichondra lawn Pros

• Dichondra requires very little maintenance to survive and thrive.
• Dichondra, unlike turf grasses, does not need to be mowed on a weekly basis.
• If you really need to mow, do so every 2 weeks.
• Dichondra also requires sporadic deep watering.
• This ground cover is an excellent option for homeowners who wish to reduce the amount of time, money, and effort spent on maintaining their lawns because it requires infrequent watering and little to no mowing at all.
• Dichondra does well even when it's grown in parts of the lawn that are hard to mow or have bare spots.
• Even though it has the potential to grow quicker than the grass, it does not suffocate or take over the lawn.
• The plant stays quite close to the ground, reaching a maximum height of two inches.
• It looks like a mat and develops white to greenish-white flowers, which make it more appealing and improve the look of your lawn.
• Dichondra is a fantastic erosion-control ground cover.
• It does best in well-drained soils, and when planted in these kinds of locations, it will grow low to the ground in order to cover any bare parts that are prone to soil erosion.

Dichondra lawn Cons

• Dichondra is not the ideal ground cover substitute for grass on lawns where there is heavy foot activity.  Dichondra deteriorates rapidly and recovers only partially.
• Some of the most prevalent diseases found in lawns with dichondra are leaf spots, botrytis, and southern blights. In order to treat these diseases, fungicides are typically applied. Limiting the frequency of watering is the best way to heal leaf spots.
• Dead areas in Dichondra lawns are caused by pests such as the Dichondra flea bug and caterpillars. To treat a serious pest infestation, use pesticides.
• Dichondra is viewed as a weed and a burden by some people but loved and cultivated by others as a substitute for grass in their lawns.
• The shallow roots of Dichondra are incapable of penetrating far into the soil water level in order to draw more moisture for the plant. As a result, it suffers during prolonged droughts.