5 Per Sqft!

Hang Onto Your Stolons! LADWP Gifts LA 67 Percent More Cash for Grass

 
November 2022. By Kirk Aoyagi: There is a certain visceral satisfaction in pulling out a seemingly endless Bermuda grass stolon – greater still in sifting through soil free of them! You may not understand these obsessions, but I think you might enjoy the results of them.
 

 
LADWP is making it a little easier to find out – Cash for Grass rebates have increased from $3 per square foot to $5 a square foot. This isn’t the only notable shift in incentives. Smaller spaces and a greater range of native foliage, including California native grasses, are eligible. There is also a more generous maximum.

The gift is far greater than just the boosted incentives. There are few in-garden actions that can have a greater impact on day-to-day life than pulling out a boring, thirsty lawn and installing something that will work for you. Those that can shake free of their stolons will find they:

  • Gain weekends free of lawn-associated chores like mowing, edging, fertilizing, reseeding and obsessing
  • Feel better for not inhaling the fumes and hearing the roar of gas powered landscape equipment
  • Save water while still enjoying the occasional shower
  • Save money associated with high water use, fertilizers, pesticides, reseeding, dump fees, gasoline for equipment
  • Delight in actually enjoying a (nearly) chore-free outdoor space

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    Allen's Hummingbird rests its wings and clings to the edge of a Sugar Sumac leaf. Photo by Gordon Ownby Photography

    Photo by Gordon Ownby Photography


     
    As if that weren’t enough, the gift keeps giving… Those receiving rebates give LA wildlife the gift of fragrant, delicious, lush and leafy habitat.

    (Now if you took the leap years ago, there is no need to feel jealous of the slow-movers’ good fortune! Remember that for each lawn-free year, you have racked up around $3500 in pre-inflation savings.)
     
     

    More Information

    If you are thinking of taking the leap to lawn freedom, here are some perspectives that may help you prepare:

  • Along with many other LA-based experts, I shared lawn removal tips with the LA Times this summer – check them out if you are considering a DIY removal.
  • Clients who have long lived lawn-free discuss how it’s impacted their lives.
  • Our IdealMow lawn+meadow gallery showcases grasses that can provide a low-water lawn-like feel.
  • Our IdealMow lawn+meadow resources cover everything from return on investment to the tradeoffs between native grasses, turf grass, gravelscapes, pools, and other alternatives.