Evening star., 1948-09-12

Early fall 10 the best time to re-
work a tired old lawn or plant q
new one, because there is less COM
petition from weeds, the weather is
cooler and rainfall Is usually sufi-
eient for grass growth. Fall-sowr
grasses become well rooted before
the following summer.
Most Washingtonians think OF
lawns in terms of just plain grass
DR.. Fred v. Grau. director of the
green section of the United States
Golf Association, has different ideas
He is quite positive that there are
two types Of lawns-one that is
kept clipped very close, about "a to
a inch, the other the tall ~ to 2
inch lawn. You can have your
choice, according to DR.. Grau, but
the choice should be made before
you buy grass seed.
This is a new slant to the lawn
problem, one that should interest
every home owner in the area who
wants decent looking grass plot
surrounding his home.
New Bermuda Soon Available.
Some grasses need to be clipped
closely If they are to remain in good
condition. The bent grasses, for in
stance, are subject to diseases If al
lowed to grow tall q inches. A
new strain of Bermuda grass U-3
which soon will be available to the
home owner needs close clipping to
keep 1t firm and fine df left alone
or cut high it becomes much less
desirable). The combination OF the
two, bent and Bermuda, provides a
summer growing grass in the Ber-
muda, and a good fall and winter
grass in the bents., Close clipping,
however. goes hand in hand with
liberal fertilization, something the
average home owner commonly
omits.
Then there are the grasses which
do not withstand close cutting. The
Kentucky blue grass, our standby
for many years, is good example.
Alta fescue is another and the two
are believed to offer a happy COM
bination for the Washington area.
Bluegrass goes more or less dormant
during the summer and needs a
companion that will take over when
1t is resting. The Alta fescue Is a
newcomer but one that promises to
do the job satisfactorily. Both
kinds need to be cut high-about 2
inches-for best growth.
OF course, it is possible to use
other combinations. Say, Bermuda
for summer growth and kept cut
low, with Kentucky bluegrass for
winter during which period the
lawn mower Is raised to the desired
height. Or we may use combina-
ton which includes a red fescue,
such as Chewings (Illahee and Penn
State Chewings are the best, with
Bermuda and Kentucky bluegrass.
Another good combination is Co.
lonial bent, Kentucky bluegrass and
red fescue.
U.s. Is a Hardy Bermuda.
You may say Bermuda is not
hardy in this area. But 1t Is;
at least, DR.. Grau has strain-the
U-3-which has demonstrated its
ability to Withstand climates more
severe than that of the Washington
area. No seed is available. 1t must
be propagated by stolons.
OF the bent grasses, the varieties
of Astoria Colonial or Highland Co.
lonial are the best. Avoid Seaside
bent in this area. And, even with
the recommended strains, 1t Is de-
sirable to limit them to not more
than 10 per cent of the mixture.
For the shady lawn one of the
red fescues mentioned above, Illahee
or Penn State Chewings might we'll
be included. Poa trivialis danish
bluegrass is another shade lover
that prefers moist situation. Either
one or both might we'll be included
in the mixture, which will have
Kentucky bluegrass as a major por-
ton.
In reseeding the old lawn It is
ue1I IN r1ip tho Orocc rofl1er cIoSo1y