These articles are written to apply to the northeastern
corner of Illinois. Problems and timing may not apply outside of this
area. |
Avoid Monoculture Landscape Plantings
Popular plants can be overplanted in the landscape. Planting lots of
one specific plant not only gets monotonous, but also it can lead to problems.
Monoculture plantings consisting of mostly or all of one species should
be avoided, primarily because if a major pest or problem develops, all
the planting may be wiped out.
Diverse plant populations, created through mixing species and varieties
(or cultivars) of the same species, can withstand insects, disease, and
environmental problems better than a single type of plant can. Planned
properly, diverse plantings are also much more attractive to view.
Dutch elm disease and the decline of the American elm makes a classic
example of why not to plant the same tree over and over again. Rows of
American elms were planted along streets throughout the country. Along
came Dutch elm disease, a fungus that kills elms very rapidly and readily
spreads from tree to tree. Once the disease got started, little could
be done except watch one mature elm shade tree after another die. Streets
that were lined with excellent shade trees were suddenly barren.
Similar disease and insect problems could occur if the same planting
ideas are repeated. Plantings of various types of trees would not be subject
to this devastation, as different trees are prone to different problems.
Keep this in mind when planning landscapes and windbreaks.
These same principles apply to lawns. Mixtures of turfgrass species,
such as Kentucky bluegrass with fine fescue and/or perennial ryegrass,
can adapt better to varying conditions on a site. Even more important
is the use of turfgrass blends. A blend is the combination of different
cultivars (or varieties) of a single species. For example, most quality
packaged bluegrass seed contains 3-4 cultivars. Using mixtures and blends
when seeding turf areas helps assure a diverse population that withstands
most problems or stresses that may occur. When planning vegetable and flower gardens, groundcovers, and other landscape
plantings, keep these ideas in mind. There are significant differences
in weather stress tolerance and disease resistance in all types of plants. |