o % 53 o 4) a o Ü P U B L I S H ED F I VE T I M ES Y E A R LY A ND D I S T R I B U T ED F R EE TO L O V E RS OF B E A U T I F UL T U RF Vol. VII No. 4 August 1934 T HE P R O B L E MS OF S H A D ED L A W NS Some of the problems confronting the person attempting lawn in the shade were discussed In them we attempted deficiency of moisture and plant food, absence of sunlight, and soil conditions. Some other phases of the problem are considered to point out a few of the important in the two preceding to develop a issues of L A WN C A R E. including unfavorable here. factors O t h er F a c t o rs Failure of grass to thrive directly adja- cent to tree trunks may be the result of the heavy wash of water down tree trunks during rains. This is particularly notice- able in winter. The excess water collects in pools at the base of the trunk and may smother the grass, at the same time pud- dling the soil. Such a condition may be overcome by mounding a shallow layer of soil at the tree base to provide immediate carry-off of the excess water. This soil mound should not be deep enough to smother the tree roots. Another solution is to have a culti- vated area at the base of the tree, extend- ing out four or five inches. This should be of fairly light soil which will permit ready absorption of water. This treat- ment is suitable only for use around me- dium sized trees. Rainfall adds still another difficulty in that water collects on tree limbs and falls to the ground in large drops. These tend to wash away the soil and expose the grass roots. This is particularly bad in winter when such exposed roots will be subject to severe heaving. Nothing can be done to prevent falling of these large drops but if a lawn under trees is built and maintained properly the turf de- veloped should be sufficiently thick and solid so that the large drops will not wash the soil. S o il O f t en T o x ic or A c id There are still other unfavorable soil conditions that may interfere with growth of grass under trees. For example, the soil may be extremely acid or may con- tain toxic substances which have been exuded from tree leaves and washed into the soil. Extremely acid soils are im- proved by lime. However, the soil should be subjected to test before lime is added as it is not ad- visable is actually needed. By sending a sample of soil to us or to your own experiment station you can ascertain the actual amount of lime needed. liberal applications of it unless to use it An ordinary surface application of lime does little good as the lime is usually washed off before any benefit results. The lime must be incorporated into the soil. Many folks still think that an early spring "whitewash" of their lawns is nec- essary. Actually it may do more harm COPYRIGHT, 1936, BY O. M, SCOTT ft SONS CO than good because too much lime encour- ages certain types of weeds. Certain Bacteria Essential Enormous quantities of certain types of bacteria must be present in soils if they are to support a good growth of grass. These bacteria break down soil or- ganic matter into humus, at the same time liberating certain chemical food ele- ments to grass roots. So often soils in shaded areas are very unfavorable to the development of soil bacteria. They may be water-logged dur- ing winter and early spring, and exces- sively dry in summer. Or, the soil may be extremely acid. An unfavorable bac- terial environment is another cause of lawn failures in shady places. Remove Leaves W h en They Fall After good turf is established in shade, care must be exercised to prevent losing it when leaves are falling. They should be removed promptly else the grass may be smothered. It is a mistake to place leaves or other materials over grass as a winter covering. They do more harm than good. To keep them from harming grass, leaves should be removed at least once weekly. Certain kinds of oaks and other trees hold part of their leaves all through the winter. This means that some of them are falling during winter months, par- ticularly during heavy rains. If these are not removed frequently they will become packed down against the ground, some- thus times even becoming frozen, and smother grass in spots. By spring the lawn may present a sorry sight. As with other phases of the shade problem, a sturdier stand of turf will be better able to withstand smothering. The turf will hold up the leaves and prevent their packing against the ground. In this issue we have concluded our consideration of what we regard as the most important problems of growing grass in heavy shade. This series of ar- ticles will be continued in September, at which time we will attempt to give some specific recommendations about treatment of shaded lawns as well as the trees caus- ing the shade. Your comments on this subject will be welcomed. O Counsel on W a t e r i ng AFTER office hours Mr. H. LeBaron Sampson, partner in the well-known law firm of Hutchins & Wheeler, 49 Federal Street, Boston, devotes some at- tention to his lawn. Readers of L A WN C A RE are indebted to him for the follow- ing observations: H ow L o ng to Sprinkle last "I have received your issue of L A WN C A RE with suggestions for sprink- ling. I find that a good way to determine the length of time that my lawn sprink- ler should run is to take a small tin can or drinking glass having the same diame- ter at the bottom as at the top and set it within range of the sprinkler. The depth of the water in the can will show the amount of precipitation corresponding to the familiar figures issued by the weather bureau." This is a good suggestion and would prove reasonably accurate if the sprinkler used threw a relatively even spray. To check this point we suggest using several cans or tumblers at various intervals un- der the spread of the sprinkler. The amount of water to apply depends upon many factors. Type of soil, rate of evaporation, wind velocity, humidity, and degree of heat must all be considered. The heavier soils require much less water than sandy or gravelly soils because there is loss from evaporation and percolation. Where golf course fairway watering systems have been installed it has been discovered that, on clay soils, an inch of water applied weekly is sufficient. Two inches proved excessive there but might not on lawns. As a general rule it is bet- ter to make a single weekly application or at the most divide the amount to be applied in two treatments. Frequent light sprinklings are harmful. Water should be applied in a suffi- ciently fine stream so the soil can imme- diately absorb it. Standing water tends tj injure grass roots because it excludes air. Cost of W a t e r i ng For an average dry summer natural rainfall would need to be supplemented with artificial irrigation to the extent of about ten inches for the season. This would be the equivalent of about 850 cubic feet per each 1000 square feet of area. This amounts to a little over six thousand gallons of water which at 30c per thousand gallons would just under two dollars. Such a cost for keep- ing a lawn area of 1000 square feet green during the summer months could hardly be considered excessive. It would be much less than the expense of replacing a burned-out lawn. figure A p p r e c i a te L a wn Ca re "I appreciate your March-April bulle- tin on shaded lawns as I have a 40 x 100 area on which are two beech and three oaks 15 inches in diameter, over 50 years love these trees and old, I judge. We we also love our sloping lawn beneath them. Have a fairly good stand of grass from your from weeds— started in the fall of 1930—getting bet- ter each year. seed—free in. Then 50 "I give it in March about a ton mix- leaves and soil which I ture of rotted lbs. of your Turf rake Builder in April, and 50 pounds in Au- gust. Have to cut grass twice a week up to July 1 and once a week thereafter."— C O L. FLETCHER A G N E W, 64 Woodland Rd., Bloomfield, N. J. in late A n ts A c t i ve A g a in in combating THE dry weather spring started ants on a rampage. Letters seeking help them, how- ever, were not much more numerous than those telling how victories had been won. From Mr. I. G. Amsler, 818 Warring- ton Avenue, Pittsburgh, comes the fol- lowing: "In your recent issue of L A WN CARE I notice what Mr. F. G. Bee says about the extermination of ants and thought my remedy might be of some use. I use Tartar Emetic (Antimony and Potas- sium Tartarate) 1 ounce and of pow- dered sugar 8 ounces. Mix these thor- oughly and then put a small amount on each ant hill. The grass is not disturbed and the ants disappear. I had consider- able trouble with ants but this formula turned the trick." Another faithful reader of L A WN CARE offers this suggestion: is, as I understand "I think I have found a satisfactory remedy for ant hills in the lawn. *Ever- it, a green,' which pyrethrum extract, mixed according to directions and used in an ordinary water- ing pot, stops them from working, im- mediately and usually permanently. The grass is not injured. If, as occasionally happens, they start again after a few weeks, a second application can be used. The cost, if one buys the six ounce can, is about twenty-five cents for each ant colony." A more drastic destroyer is proposed by Mr. Ralph Oceti of Ithaca, New York, who digs deeply around the bur- rows, pours it. This he reports, not only kills the ants but the eggs as well. e in kerosene and burns "Would like to add does a marvelous it"—C. I'm all for Builder lawn. Henning, Minn. that your Turf job on my L. BARKER, H o m e - M a de W e ed Killer "I want to thank you for the papers on lawn care and I notice some articles on ridding lawns of dandelion and buck- horn so I will explain how I rid my lawn of these pesky things. thousand in a inches, about 30 I took a piece of % First, I took a piece of steel angle iron % by % inches long, and by grinding the back on one end until it leaves two prongs or tines like an old fashion boot-jack, this makes a fine tool to pull the roots out of the ground. But I found that after I had pulled out several few weeks in many places where the roots would break off I had two plants grow- ing where there had been one before. Then I tried another and best one yet, as follows: inch galvanized pipe about 30 inches long and threaded both ends and placed a regular pipe cap on each end. Drill a small hole in pipe near one end as a vent, in the other pipe cap drill a hole to fit the stem of an old inner tube, place a small gasket on top and bottom of cap and screw down with the regular nuts found on inner tubes. Grind off about % inch of the end of valve stem in order to let the small needle air release stem extend out of end of valve stem, and then fill the pipe with gasoline and it is ready for It is an easy way to walk over action. your instrument as a cane and every time it is placed on the top of the plant with just a slight touch the valve releases just a drop or if more pressure and time it will release a quan- the tity of gasoline into the hearts of In a day or two, examine weeds. the treated and I have found very plants stubborn buckhorn plantain that were down in the ground six or eight inches on the third day black and de- cayed."—CHAS. C. DAWSON, Coshocton, Ohio. lawn using this roots Endorsement "As you know I rebuilt a large shaded lawn last fall using your Shade Mixture and Turf Builder exclusively. It went through the winter very well and after a spring application of Turf Builder it is becoming very beautiful indeed. "When building the lawn I left a small area without Turf Builder and found to my satisfaction that this spring the grass that had been fed with Turf Builder was much stronger and growing much more vigorously."—JOHN C. GOODWIN, 1115 Audubon Road, New Castle, Ind. © K n o c k- O ut Drops for W e e ds Here's an idea for chronic dandelion stabbers: "If one must spear weeds with a stick dipped in acid, the acid to use is nitric, not sulphuric or hydrochloric as previously suggested. Nitric acid is not only more potent, but the by-products are all solu- ble nitrates, of real utility in promoting plant growth."—PHILIP GILBERT, 425 Oakwood Ave., Wester Groves, Mo. Previous Issues of L a wn Care There have been thirty previous issues lawn of L A WN CARE and the following pests have been discussed: Plantain, Crab Grass, Dandelions, Moss, Grubs and Beetles, Chickweed, Buckhorn, Ground Ivy, Yarrow, Earthworms, Heal- all, Ants, Speedwell, Creeping Buttercup, Sod Web-Worms, Moles, Knot-Grass, Sorrel, Quack-Grass, Spotted Spurge, Yellow Trefoil,, Goose Grass, Nimble Will, Krawell, Shepherd's Purse, Chinch Bugs, Sedge, Terraces, and the Shade Problem. For the complete series please allow 10 cents to cover mailing costs. For 50c postage paid you may secure a ring binder containing a full set of bul- letins and with adequate capacity for is- sues of the next five years.