City looking to get lucky with clover

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This article was published 16/06/2022 (1265 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In an effort to cut down on mowing, the City of Winnipeg could soon test the idea of replacing grass with other vegetation on new boulevards and in parks.

A motion suggests the city study whether planting clover or other plants over new sod could reduce mowing.

The frequency of mowing grass hasn’t kept up with the need in recent years, suggests Matt Allard, council’s public works chairman.

“There are many (grass) replacements that vary in popularity, clover probably being one of the more popular ones. Many of them don’t require mowing because they generally respect the esthetic that people are expecting,” said Allard, noting some types of clover are 15 to 30 centimetres tall.

While grass would still be preferred as a sturdier option to handle high-traffic areas such as soccer fields, the St. Boniface councillor said other plants would require less maintenance at less-travelled areas.

“We could save a lot of time… and we could focus mowing in (other) places,” said Allard.

He is calling on the public works committee to order a staff report on a potential pilot project on grass alternatives at new boulevards and parks, along with a maintenance map that highlights areas where grass mowing could increase so grass doesn’t grow too long.

The changes could reduce greenhouse-gas emissions (from lawn mowers) and support pollinators, Allard said.

“If there were more plants, then there would be more opportunities for different species to thrive and that would be good for biodiversity,” he said.

Despite a common belief municipal mowing has declined in recent years, the city says it still mows parks and boulevards once every 10 to 14 days, which has been the standard for more than a decade; grass is cut more often at regional parks and athletic fields, said city spokesperson Ken Allen.

Wet weather delayed the start of the mowing season this year, which may be why Winnipeggers see more tall grass right now, he said.

“This year has presented many challenges for turf maintenance due to weather and we are currently more than halfway through our first mowing cycle. We have suspended accepting new service requests to 311 related to tall grass on public land until after June 20,” wrote Allen.

The 10- to 14-day mowing cycle has sparked concern in the past, at one point leading city staff to ask council to add $2.8 million to the budget for mowing parks and boulevards in 2017.

“If the recommendation is not adopted, the park grass maintenance service level will continue to decrease as new park and boulevard mowing inventory is added from new developments. Weeds are more likely to become established, and the health of the turf will continue to decline,” a public service report noted at the time. “Customer dissatisfaction will likely continue to increase over time.”

Council did not approve the budget increase.

The city is open to testing grass alternatives but grass has proven the most effective and lowest maintenance ground cover so far, Allen said.

“Clover is a more sensitive ground cover than turf, and, as a result, would be more difficult to grow particularly on boulevards exposed to de-icing salts,” wrote Allen.

The Riel community committee will cast the first vote on Allard’s motion on June 22.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga