Evening star., 1953-08-23

an established lawn or for start
ing q new one.
The reasons lawns are made at
this season are: Weeds are ma
turing and so will offer little
competition to the new grasses:
the major lawn grasses are cool
weather grasses, that will start
and thrive best under the cool
moist conditions of our falls, and
bluegrass needs nearly a month
to germinate and it should be
sown early enough to have ample
time to grow.
Repairing the lawn after an
unfavorable summer of wet and
hot dry weather as we'll as a
one-sided battle with crabgrass
Is a natural and expected job.
The cool weather grasses that we
depend on for our laWnS-blue-
grass, fescueS and bentS-are
not able to maintain a good leaf
cover during hot muggy weather,
Without foliage the crabgraSs
has no competition and so it
takes over, further weakening
the permanent lawn grasses.
Destroys Weeds.
The first step in repairing the
lawn is to destroy the crabgraSS
and other weeds. This may be
done with several weedkillerS.
One, 2, 4-D, is the most Satisfac-
tory and effective killer for the
broad-leaved weeds like dande-
lion, plantain and buckhorn. Ap-
ply this chemical to the weeds on
. sunny day when temperatures
are above 70 degrees and rain is
unlikely for "a hours. Avoid get
ting this material on desirable
plants and shrubs. CrabgraSS
may be killed with three applica-
tions of potassium cyanate, or
It may be burned off with solium
arSenite. This is probably the
cheaper and more effective
method.
With the weeds and crabgraSs
out Of the way we should, If pos
Sible, loosen the soil. One of the
better ways of doing this is to
use an aerifier which acts as
Subsurface cultivator. This is a
gadget that cuts small cylinders
of soil, loosening the surround
ing soil without disturbing the
surface of the old turf. The soil
plugs removed by the aerif1er
are deposited on the surface and
when mixed with fertilizer and
ground limestone preferably do
lomitic limestone) may be pull
verified and leveled off by
dragging a piece of chain link
fencing or a rubber or wire door
mat over the lawn.
This process of loosening the
soil and feeding and lining the
soil is important to the old as
well as the new grass plants. The
soil is often so packed that air
does not get to the plant roots
and the grass plants suffer &C
cordingly. Then, too, moisture
does not readily penetrate
through a compacted clay soil.
BY tilling the soil with some ma
chine or device. this can be tenn
porarily corrected.
Three Grasses Best.
Following the dragging and
1eveling Of the surface the seed
may be Sown. In the Washing
ton area three kinds of grasses
are recommended: Kentucky
bluegrass may form from one
third to one-half of the mixture;
creeping red fescue from one
third to one-half, and 5 to 10
per cent Colonial bent. This is
for the sunny situation, but will
tolerate light shade. For shady
situations Chewings fesque will
tolerate both shade and dry
soils, but some Kentucky blue
grass should be included. For
moist shady situations the Dan
ish bluegrass (Poa trivialiS) has
long been recommended, al
though it is not as persistent as
Is desired. White clover may be
included if the owner wishes
one-quarter pound to a quarter
acre lot.
The rate of seeding will vary
according to the stand of old
grasses. Generally, one or two
pounds at the most per 1000
square feet will be adequate for
renewing the old lawn. For new
lawns this should be increased
to two or three pounds, eSpe-
cially If the creeping red fescue
Is the larger proportion. Rates
Of seeding above these recon-
mendationS only result in more
grass plants than the soil will
support. Rather than more seed
put more fertilizer onto the
lawn. It's cheaper, too.
Watering May Help.
Do not attempt to bury the
seed. On an old lawn it is often
advisable to let the lawn mower
Jar the seed down onto the soil
and to let the fallen clippings
serve as a covering for the seed.
On bare spots, of course, the
seed will need to be lightly
raked into the soil. And, over
such bare spots, clean straw or
some other light airy material
should be thinly spread as a
mulch.
Following the seeding there
IA a tendencV tn water the lawn