This product is available to wholesale customers only.
Magic Valley Turfgrass is pleased to introduce Montane Mix™: a mix of four native kinds of grass in a commercially available sod. Montane refers to “of the mountains,” or specifically, the ecosystem that lies between the foothills, high desert plain, and the sub-alpine zone. Plants tolerant of extreme temperature variations and arid conditions characterize the Montane zone, including some trees, shrubs, forbs, and grasses. The native grasses selected for the Magic Valley Turfgrass Montane Mix™ are native to the mountain and steppe areas of Idaho and much of the Intermountain West.
Montane Mix™ is netted in the field to provide sod strength for harvest, transport, and installation. Once established, Montane Mix™ can serve as a low maintenance lawn tolerant of infrequent mowing, limited fertility, and limited irrigation. Allowed to naturalize completely, Montane Mix™ can serve as an attractive transition between the maintained landscape and surrounding natural plant communities. In such a transition area, Montane Mix™ can be mowed at 4 to 6 inches to provide a fire break when conditions are warranted.
Regrowth to a more natural state can occur as threats of fire abate. Montane Mix™ can be used on steep slopes during construction in natural areas to minimize soil erosion and weed encroachment.
As with any sod, Montane Mix™ will require irrigation during establishment to develop a strong root system capable of withstanding drought conditions during limited precipitation periods. Daily watering is recommended for the first few weeks after installation and then bi-weekly irrigation during the first season of establishment. Mowing is subject to the desired look of the property owner.
Frequent mowing will encourage the native fescue to dominate, while less mowing at higher heights will enable the other native grasses to flourish. Montane Mix™ is also tolerant of broadleaf weed herbicides if weed control becomes necessary. A half-rate application of starter fertilizer may be warranted on very impoverished soils to facilitate a more vigorous establishment.
