PL PACKET 09212004 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Sunny areas, especially those with sandy or gravelly soils, might be planted with prairie species while shaded areas might be planted with woodland species . Many times these populations of plants grade imperceptably into one another while at other times they can change abruptly. Environmen- tal conditions of the site are the major determining factor. ENERGY CONSERVATION, COSTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY The fine tuning of communities of plants to .their optimum requirements provides us with plantings requiring relatively low energy demands. In fact, virtually no external sources of energy such as lawn mowers, weed trimmers and lawn edgers are needed since maintenance can be performed by hand. This includes removing undesired plants and hand mowing of paths or small turf grass areas . Prairie plantings lend themselves to use in place of lawns . Initial installation of a . prairie planting can be less expensive than either a ,seeded or sodded lawn. The saving is a result of the fact that the prairie planting does not require top soil .. . COSTS FOR 8,000 SQ. FT. ( 80 ' x 1001 ) (1979 PRICES) LAWN PRAIRIE SEEDS $ 96. 00 ( $3 . 00/lb. ) $ 256. 00 ( 5. 5 oz. @ $5 . 75/oz . ) TOP SOIL 600.00 . ($8.00/cu.yd. ) Not Needed $ 256. 00 8. 00 (mowing-first and second growing season ) TOTAL $ 696. 00 $ 264. 00 SOD & PLANTS $1 , 160.00 ( $1. 25/yd. ) $4, 000. 00 ($0. 50/plant) TOP SOIL 600. 00 ($8.00/cu.yd. ) Not Needed TOTAL $1 ,760. 00 $4, 000. 00 NOTES: Site preparation and installation are not includ- ed. Site preparation costs vary according to specific needs of the site (prairies usually need.. less site preparation than lawns ) . Water require- ments for installation may be equal in dry years . Labor and water costs are assumed to be .equal in either planting. Multiply materials by two to three to obtain their installed cost. 3