Eco-Turf

Eco-Turf is a different, greener, more sustainable approach to having

a lawn. And, Hortech/Premium Plants is pleased to offer the very
best options for home, commercial, and golf course applications. All
of Hortech’s Eco-Turf options have been grown Earth Friendly, using
biocontrols and integrated pest management instead of conventional
pesticide-based growing methods.
Eco-Turf options include the remarkable Bella Dwarf Bluegrass, and
the outstanding Legacy™ and Prestige™ buffalo grasses that were
specifically developed for turf applications.
Eco-Turf options are environmentally appropriate alternatives to
conventional turf grass. They may be mowed for a manicured sports-
friendly surface or left un-mowed for a natural look. Each selection
requires far less water and fertilizer than conventional turf and each is
resistant to diseases and pests.
  Dark, green alpine color
 Reduce mowing 50%–80%
 Excellent heat and drought tolerance
 Very good wear and injury recovery

Bella has a dazzling dark, alpine green color and lush

appearance. It features excellent heat and drought
tolerance and with rapid horizontal growth, Bella can
quickly repair from damage. But its hallmark feature is its
minimal vertical growth. Bella only grows 3” to 4” in
height, meaning the end user will mow 50% to 80% less.

For more information, visit sodsolutions.com

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BELLA BLUEGRASS™................................................................................................... Zone 4
(Festuca BELLA BLUEGRASS™) Patent Pending.
Unauthorized Sale or Production prohibited.
3”-4”; full sun to light shade. Developed at the University of Nebraska, and tested a full 10 years
at Todd Valley Farms in Nebraska, BELLA BLUEGRASS is quickly redefining the standard for what
a bluegrass lawn can be. BELLA is the first and only truly dwarf blue grass, requiring 50% to 80%
less mowing. It displays excellent heat and drought resistance, and its dark alpine green coloration
is held better during the winter months. BELLA is soft to the touch yet very tough, and makes a
great surface for home, commercial, golf, and sports surfaces. Resistance to pets and diseases is
excellent, and maintenance is minimal.
BELLA is established by planting vegetatively propagated plugs on 8 to 12 inch centers, and
cultivated like a ground cover until it fills in (typically less than one season). It reaches a maximum
height of 3” to 4”, and while maintenance is recommended at 2 to 3 inches, it can be mowed shorter
with either a rotary or reel mower for special applications such as a patio or rooftop putting green.
BELLA grows beautifully in clay as well as sandy soils, and because it is non-flowering, it dedicates
its energy to a deep root system, and therefore requires considerably less irrigation than a typical
blue grass lawn. Use BELLA today and help your customers save water, time, and the environment.
Blooming Time: Nonblooming

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 Legacy® Buffalo Grass.............................................................................. Zone 4
(Buchloe dactyloides Legacy®)
Protected by US Patent #11194. Unauthorized Sale or Production is prohibited by Law.
4”-6”; full sun to light shade. Winner of the Green Thumb Award, Legacy® is a premium quality turf variety buffalo
grass. Developed at the University of Nebraska, for cold climates ranging from Chicago and north, Legacy®
buffalo grass is a female clone bred to duplicate the lush look of traditional bluegrass turf, while retaining the
exceptional hardiness, drought tolerance, and disease and insect resistance of buffalo grass. Propagated
vegetatively, Legacy® is hypoalergenic, essentially pollen free, rich green with quick springtime greenup, and
withstands heavy foot traffic.
Legacy® helps define the term ECO-TURF, fitting perfectly with the concept of xeriscaping (low water
landscaping), and reduces irrigation up to 75% compared to traditional lawns. In fact, compared to a typical
Kentucky bluegrass lawn, which requires over 48 inches of water per growing season (2”-3” of water per week),
one can save as much as 245,000 gallons of water per 1/4 acre annually! During extended hot dry spells, it is
recommended that Legacy® be watered only every other week as the roots of Legacy® go several feet deep, and
can extract water over a greater period of time than conventional turf.
Legacy® is very easy to care for as well. It saves not only time but gasoline and therefore limits carbon dioxide
emissions. During the summer months, Legacy® need only be mowed every 2 to 3 weeks for a manicured look
and not at all for a natural look. Regardless of preferred appearance, Legacy® should be mowed once each spring
to tidy it up after winter. While Legacy® likes nitrogen, it need only be fertilized during late spring and again in fall.
Legacy® is planted from vegetatively propagated plugs on 8 to 12 inch centers, and cultivated as ground cover.
Once it fills in, typically during one growing season, it becomes very dense and weed excluding. Ongoing weed
control can be conducted using typical methods for weed control in lawn areas. Blooming Time: July

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Prestige™ Buffalo Grass............................................................................Zone 4
(Buchloe dactyloides Prestige™)
Protected by US Patent# 11373. Unauthorized Sale or Production is prohibited by Law.
4”-6”; full sun to light shade. Prestige™ buffalo grass brings you all of the same benefits as Legacy™, but is best
adapted to warmer/hotter conditions. In fact, it outperforms all other varieties of buffalo grass from mid-Indiana
southward.

Newly Planted

2 Months

4 Months
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 Lily-turf – Unlimited potential for
low maintenance landscaping
Creeping Lily Turf ..................................................Zone 4
(Liriope spicata)
4”-6”. Full sun to moderate shade. Creeping lily-turf is a marvelous
turf-like option for those who do not wish to mow, or have a site
too shady for survival of any true grass species. Creeping lily-turf
displays attractive semi-evergreen foliage, a high degree of disease
and insect resistance, and tenacious spreading habit. In regard to
drought resistance, lily-turf is unparalleled, and gets its extreme
drought resistance from small underground potato-like tubers.
These store water when available and release it during extended dry
periods. Once established, it is very possible to do without irrigation
all together, or at least reduce it only to protracted periods of hot dry
weather.
Creeping lily-turf flowers during early fall with tiny but attractive violet
flowers. It typically overwinters dark green, then turns brown after
snowmelt. At that time, it may be mowed to tidy it up, and unless it
is going to be used for foot traffic (lawn games, parties, etc.), it can
go the rest of the year without another mowing. If a utilitarian surface
and more manicured look is desired, then mowing once per month is
adequate. Similarly with fertilizer, a good application of slow release
fertilizer during spring is typically all that is needed for a full season.
Blooming Time: September

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 Six good reasons to plant or replace
your lawn with Creeping Lily-turf
Environmentally better.
1. Mowing seldom if ever needed. Did you know that mowing
for 1 hour pollutes the same as driving 40 cars for one hour?
2. Water conserving. Requires little if any irrigation once
established.
3. Beautiful. Like a coarse-textured version of a traditional lawn.
4. Durable. Feels like grass under foot, and holds up to lots
of activity.
5. Time Saving. Enjoy your leisure time instead of mowing
the lawn.
6. Grows Great in Shade as well as Sun!

Barren Strawberry........................Zone 4
(Waldsteinia ternata)
2”; full sun to moderate shade. Low, tufted,
herbaceous, rhizomatous, and mat forming, this
lovely, relatively slow spreading ground cover is
attractive in or out of flower. During midspring, its
vibrant yellow strawberrylike flowers are borne
upon short stalks slightly above the foliage. Once
they fade the stage belongs to the shiny evergreen
foliage. Broad, wedge shaped, and lobed, the
leaves are durable, hold up well throughout the
season, and in fall take on lovely shades of bronzy
purple. A good general ground cover for small,
medium, or large sized areas — particularly among
open shrubs and small trees. Blooming Time: May

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 P.O. Box 533
Spring Lake, MI 49456
1-800-875-1392
www.premiumplants.net