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   In today’s society, we have adopted a landscaping method that will not withstand the test of nature as the world warms up. Shallow-rooted, cool-season grass is designed by nature to thrive during cool, wet spring, early summer, and fall. When it dries out from summer heat and drought, these cool-season grasses naturally go dormant and turn brown. The

mindset of “That doesn’t look nice,” leading us to water it to keep it green and lush, and to apply artificial fertilizers, is neither sustainable nor healthy for nature. Nature has the answer! Deep-rooted, drought-tolerant plants that thrive when it gets warm and can survive during today’s droughts.

   The top eight inches of the soil can dry out fairly quickly when the rains stop, and this is where these grasses’ roots live. If we think of the soil system as a savings account, we spend more than we save trying to fight nature’s design

   With deep-rooted plants, they create channels for air and water to penetrate and infiltrate deep into the soil system. When someone asks, How much rain did you get? I want to answer, ALL OF IT!

   With these deep roots, they pull nutrients from farther down and bring them to the surface for other plants and creatures to utilize.

   So what kind of plants are we talking about? Trees, shrubs, goldenrod, milkweed, false indigo, lead plant, lucerne, big bluestem, little bluestem, plantain, compass plant, and dandelion. These are just a few of many that can be put into yards and pastures.

But why is diversity important? Not all plant roots are alike. Some have long, jackhammer roots that can penetrate hard soils, while others create large masses that stabilize the system. They all feed life in the soil, and this is key to a healthy system. For more information, please contact Jim Etzel at 218-252-3258 or www.earthisourhome.net

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