Evening star., 1933-04-02
THE HOME GARDENER
LAWN CARE.

! Speaking before a gathering at the
Takoma Park branch of the Public Lii
brary, Charles R. Enlow, grass specialist
in the United States Department of
Agriculture, outlined to members of the
! Takoma Horticultural Club on Monday
evening program for ridding the lawn
of crab grass and keeping the desirable
| grasses in good condition throughout
| the Summer months.
washington was said by Mr. Enlow
! to lie at about the southern limit of the
| Kentucky blue grass area. This desirable
! special makes its maximum growth in
June, declining to an almost complete
| rest in Midsummer with another squirt
| in late Fall. Crab grass, on the other
hand, reaches its maximum develop
ment in August, when blue grass is
weak negatively
Experiments now in progress by the
Department of Agriculture give evidence
that by fertilizing the blue grass in
March and September and not cutting
it below two inches in height from the
time crab grass terminates in late May
until September the blue grass can be
kept in excellent condition. Mr.. Ehlow
said that crab grass cannot endure
shading and that beneath the cover of
blue grass the crab grass seedlings die
or lead only meager existence. Fur
thermore, crab grass seems to thrive
under the plan of close clipping and
watering, such as is practiced by the
average gardener in desperate attempt
to grow good lawn. Grab grass is an
annual and. if kept from forming seed,
must gradually disappear.
Concerning fertilizers Mr.. Enlow sug-
gested the desirability of mixed mate
rails containing all three of the usual
elementS-namely, nitrogen, phosphor-
GUS and potash. He recommended using
IN this region a 6-8-4 mixture or its
equivalent, meaning thereby material
containing in each 100 pounds of bulk
6 pounds of nitrogen, pounds of phos-
phoric acid and pounds of potash.
Although nitrogen alone favored rank,
green growth, the plants were not as
we'll rooted or as strong as those re-
ceiving the mixture. For the lawn of
only average fertility, the use of Is
pounds of the above mixture per 1000
square feet of surface, about the middle
OF March, and is pounds again in the
middle of September is not too much,
he said. Lime was considered useful
II used at intervals of four or five years.
The practice of annually coating the
lawn with lime was deplored with the
pointed suggestion that the money
might better go for fertilizer In re-
sponSe to a question as to the value of
cottonSeed meal, Mr.. Enlow said that it
was valuable, especially if mixed with
sUlphate of ammonia or nitrate of soda
in the proportion of three parts to one
and applied at the rate of 1915 pounds
per 1000 square feet of lawn.
Bermuda and quack grasses, two
other lawn weeds of considerable worry
to home owners, were briefly discussed
with the suggestion that digging them
out is about the only practical solution
except seeding the lawn to hoed crop,
such as soy beans. for a season, ad-
mittely an unpopular treatment.
For grass seed, Mr.. Enlow favored a
mixture by weight of parts of Ken
lucky bluegrass, parts of Chewings
1eScue and parts of colonial bent
Early October was considered the most
favorable seeding date in this vicinity
because blue grass terminates so slowly
that Spring seedlings are often unable
to compete with weeds and droughts.
Chewings fescue was described as by
far the best species for growing under
close shade, but that for ordinary shade
the seed mixture before mentioned was
perhaps best. Italian rye grass was
described as an excellent temporary
grass to sow in Spring when one
planned to rework the soil and sow
permanent species at the optimum Fall
date.
Weak lawns. unless containing large
bare spots, often respond very favorably
to the mixed fertilizers mentioned, but
If gone too far, must necessarily be
spaded and reseeded. Clippings of blue
grass may advantageously be left where
they fall, but on bent grass lawns clip
pings must be removed to prevent
diseases getting hold
That home gardeners are keenly in
terested in lawn management was
evinced by the large number of ques-
tions propounded by the speaker.
Farmers Bulletin No. 1877, Planting
and Care of Lawns" by H. L. Westover
and c. r. Enlow and published by the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture, is suggested as reference read