Grass Along Roads Isn’t Always Greener
By John David Sutter, The Oklahoman
May 12–The grass along Broadway Extension in north Oklahoma City looks like a marsh. Water pools up in the dirt, while dwarf grass blades barely shade the earth in fuzzy green.
Rain that has poured down on the city in recent days is making vegetation across the street grow wooly. However, a chemical the city government sprays on the grass it maintains, along Broadway Extension and elsewhere, stunts plant growth — saving the city money, officials say, but creating some concerns for the environment and for looks.
The treated grass is styled in an eternal buzz cut. It still grows, but slowly enough for the city to be able to keep trimmed the 6,200 acres of land it mows, said Wendel Whisenhunt, the city’s parks and recreation director.
“With the vast areas that we have (to maintain) and the square mileage of Oklahoma City, travel time to and from those areas is our main nemesis,” he said. “We’re not cutting any grass while we’re traveling.”
The city sprays the chemical three times per season, Whisenhunt said. The first treatment this year was on April 1, and the city has been using the chemical for about five years.
The state Transportation Department does not use a similar treatment, according to an agency spokeswoman.
The change is a big money saver for the city, officials said.
Before the chemical was applied, he said, the city mowed nine times a year, as compared to three now.
The chemical — called “Journey” — is approved by the federal government, Whisenhunt said. It must be applied by licensed workers and requires a special pesticide permit, he said.
He said the treatment is not used on city parks because of health and safety risks. It is used along city rights of way and in green spaces in medians and along some highways.
Dennis Martin, a turf grass specialist at Oklahoma State University, said the idea for stunting the growth of grass to reduce mowing time has been around for about three decades.
Initial attempts mostly were unsuccessful because treated plants also died and made them susceptible to diseases.
The chemicals worked too well. However, the process of slowing grass growth has become more understood. It remains fairly expensive, though, and hasn’t taken off for individual homeowners, he said.
Martin said a number of risks must be balanced with benefits of changing how plants grow.
Weeds are one. The chemicals generally work on a specific plant type. So if you spray a field of Bermuda grass with a growth regulator, weeds might poke through with greater drama and visibility, like massive cowlicks on the manicured turf.
Reactions Some area residents expressed shock at the city’s practice of altering the growth rate of its vegetation.
“I think it’s horrible,” said Becky Rycroft, 41.
“I think it’s bad because they’re messing with the environment, you know what I mean?”
David Simpson, 57, said he is concerned about animals that may eat the grass.
“I want it growing fast because it makes it healthier.”
However, Kari McKay, 27, said as long as health and environmental issues have been addressed, it sounds like a good idea.
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Copyright (c) 2007, The Oklahoman
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