Evening star., 1943-09-05
That NewLawn in September

This Is hardly the time of year to
expect the average gardener to dis
play much enthusiasm over rebuild
Ing his lawn. But this is the best
time to do it. Bluegrass, which is
the mainstay of local lawns, thrives
best in COOL moist weather, the kind
to be expected here in the late fall.
Most weeds are either dormant or
dead in the late fall and so do not
compete with the young grass plants
for food and moisture Bluegrass
will have ample time to become we'll
! rooted, condition that does not
exist in the spring.
Experimental results have long
pointed out that fall is the ideal
time to start the new lawn, and yet
hundreds = yes, thousands - of
pounds OF grass seed are sown each
spring with the hope of starting a
worthwhile lawn. Probably more
grass seed Is sown in the early spring
than in the fall in spite of this ad-
vice. This, even though we all know
and expect the hot, dry spells which
kill the tender young seedlings be-
fore they are well enough rooted to
Withstand heat and dry weather.
For several years now home owners
have been content to buy so-called
bluegrass sod to cover their yards
No doubt some good bluegrass sod
was laid on local lawns, but in most
cases it was mixture of timothy,
weeds and bluegrass. In many
cases 1t would have developed into
desirable lawn had the soil been
properly prepared, but in most cases
it was laid over freshly-graded
surface of subsoil and had little
chance to become well started. Lo-
cal residents seem to have very little
sympathy with the idea that grass
needs soil that is as carefully pre-
pared as for a flower border.
The idea of working into the soil
humus, quantities of humus, is not
welcomed, for it costs money. One
of the best bluegrass lawns in this
area had stable manure trenched
into it to depth of foot or more.
That lawn, on high clay bank,
withstood the competition of tree
roots, excessive drainage and
hard, impervious clay and thriyed
throughout the summers for many
years until the humus was finally
exhausted. This would seem to indi-
cate that we cannot work too much
humus into the soil before sowing
the seed.
Humus does much to insure good
grass growth, and it cannot be too
strongly emphasized here that some
form of decayed vegetable matter
should be provided in order that the
soil may support a good stand of
grass. Humus loosens up the soil
so that the grass roots can penetrate
1t in search of food and moisture.
Humus in decaying liberates the
plant foods that are locked up in
the soil. Humus stores moisture
and thus Is reservoir during
periods of dry weather.
The kind of humus to be mixed
into the soil is unimportant; the
quantity is all important. The bet
ter the lawn that is desired the
more humus should be secured and
mixed into the soil. Rotted straw,
leaves, weeds, manure, peanut hulls,
peatmoss, ETC., are all forms that
should be investigated and the
cheapest obtained. Chop the one
chosen into the soil or spade and
rake 1t into the soil. 1t should be
mixed thoroughly to give the best
results.
With the soil well prepared it
should be leveled as carefully as DOS
sible and allowed to settle for sew
eral days, preferably for two or
three weeks. A further leveling is
then desirable, since after the grass
seed is once sown there is little op-
portunity to smooth the surface ex-
cept by filling.
With the soil we'll leveled the seed
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