19th Year No. 90 PUBLISHED FIVE TIMES YEARLY FOR LAWNTHUSIASTS T I ME F OR A L A WN I N V E N T O RY FIXING up lawns in the fall has been advocated by L A WN C A RE for many years. All turf authorities agree on the wisdom of this principle. Many people ask, "What do you mean by fall? When does it start and when does it end?" Perhaps as good a starting indicator as any is the begin- ning of heavy dews, usually around late August or early September. The sea- son continues until heavy frosts. Sometimes a hot dry period is en- countered when the calendar says it is time to get busy with the lawn. The question then arises whether to proceed as planned or to wait until the dry period passes. The answer is to go ahead for there is nothing in the fall lawn program that will be rendered ineffective by drouth. Seed, grassfood and weed control will all react satis- factorily with the advent of sufficient moisture. If the program is postponed, ensuing rains may continue for so long that the work is prevented. Late Summer, Early Fall Best Fall sown grasses root deeper; they stool out and form a more compact, weed resistant sod. They get the benefit of the usual lazy fall rains which cause less washing than do the dashing spring showers. A clinching reason has always been that grass sown at this time gets the jump on weeds. So while we confess that most lawn seed is still sown in the spring, as a (Continued on next page.) Grass Seed Crop Suffers Near Miss During the past four critical years, Mother Nature broke all production records of important food crops. This year the outlook is again bright and we should all be grateful. Strangely enough, growing condi- tions that produce record food crops have been unfavorable for the produc- tion of grass seed. Not since 1937 has there been a big grass seed harvest. Since then the yields of important vari- eties have been successively less until this year they approached the vanish- ing point in some of the largest pro- ducing areas. It was exactly such vagaries of Na- ture that the Government recognized when it exempted grass seed from price ceilings in the very beginning of OPA. Meanwhile, turf needs have increased by leaps and bounds. During the war (Continued on page 4.) matter of habit, the facts have always shown that fall is the better time. Insti- tutions with large investments in seed sow in the fall. rains Fall also offers advantages as a season for feeding lawns as well as seeding them. The soft, deep- soaking take the grassfood down into the soil where it is available to the reaching root tips of established grass and where it attracts the new roots of young grass. Warm days and cool nights, combined with ample quantities of food, result in a strong growth of grass that anchors it for the winter months ahead. Weeding is another job that can be done in late summer. The lawn looks cleaner and without the competition of weeds the old grass will have a better chance to thrive. The new grass will get a stronger start. Weed, Feed, Seed The three major steps in the fall lawn program are usually executed in this order—Weed, Feed and Seed. sequence There is no reason, however, why this order need be adhered to, if some other is more convenient. Turf Builder can be applied any time before or after the weed treatment, and either before or just after seeding. It is better if seeding is done some time after weeding, though both can be ac- complished the same day. By the end of summer, lawns are likely to be infested with either or both types of weeds: (1) the grass-like type such as Crabgrass, and (2) the broad- leaf type like Buckhorn, Plantain and Dandelion. Weeds of the Crabgrass type are dif- ficult to control because there is no sat- isfactory chemical that will kill them the desirable without killing lawn grasses. However, they can definitely be eliminated by persistent, properly timed cultural control methods as de- scribed in L A WN C A RE N O. 7 0. In brief, the process is to cross-rake and cross- mow, at the same time catching and removing the clippings. Broadleaved weeds which used to require day after day of back breaking labor with a spudding knife are now a pushover. They can be sprayed away with Scotts 4-X. Very little time is required and no fuss or muss. The de- sirable grasses are not even discolored. Almost everyone recognizes Buck- horn, a common occupant of lawns at this time of year. It is the rosette form- ing weed which sends up a single tall stem bearing the seed head. The mower merely pushes these stems over and they snap back up without ever getting caught in the mower reel. Other weeds prominent this year are Plantain, a broad leaved cousin of Buck- horn, Yellow Trefoil, which has a leaf like clover but a small yellow blossom, and Purslane, a fleshy, creeping annual. All of these weeds and many others disappear in two or three weeks' time if treated with Scotts 4-X. Spraying is better than using a sprinkling can because it delivers a finer spray so the solution stays on the foliage. Where weeds are not thick enough to require spraying the whole lawn, they can be quickly spot treated by using Scotts 4-X in a little hand spray, like a flit gun. Weeds can be sprayed any time they are growing, right up freezing weather. Nevertheless, "the sooner the better" applies here just as it does with most early fall lawn work. to Good Food Brings Good Color Feeding a lawn in the fall accom- plishes at least two things that make it very much worthwhile. It brings NUMBER 90 back the bright green color that makes healthy lawns such a pleasant sight in the spring. It also replaces much of the grass food which has been drained out of the soil by the growth of weeds, by tree roots, and by the many grass mowings all summer long. A good lawn has to have lots ol nourishment if it is to remain good. A poor lawn needs feeding before there is any hope of improvement. In shaded areas where grass has to compete with the millions of hairlike tree roots, feed- ing takes on added importance. Not only must a supply be provided for the tree but also for the grass. For informa- tion on tree feeding, see L A WN C A R E. Any effective grassfood may burn if enough of it sticks to the foliage. Therefore, it is advisable to make appli- cation when the grass is dry. In the fall when dews are heavy, grass may not dry out sufficiently until afternoon. Don't Waste Seed The third step in the fall program is seeding. For many people, this is the only step practiced but seeding without weeding and feeding is wasteful. feet square Wasteful also is the practice of sowing seed more heavily than needed. This is no year to be careless with seed. Even on bare ground, five or six pounds per thou- sand is ample for it provides about seventy seeds on each square inch of ground. too heavily may crowd the plants and cer- tainly fungus disease. Many new plantings made last spring were severely damaged by fungus, en- couraged by too heavy seeding and excess moisture. Those plantings should be repaired this fall instead of waiting until next spring. it encourages Sowing seed 3 If the ground is dry, new seed will lie dormant for many weeks without injury and sprout whenever enough moisture develops. If germination is hastened by sprinkling, the ground must not be allowed to dry out before the grass is well rooted. Otherwise, some of the seedlings will succumb as they have only shallow roots which cannot reach out very far for moisture. Where new grass is sown to thicken up a lawn, the old grass must be kept mowed in order not to smother the young grass coming up through it. This requires care in mowing, particu- larly at the turns, in order not to dis- turb the seedling plants. Shaded Lawns This is, by far, the best time of all the year to take inventory of tree shaded improve them. lawns and plan to One reason why shaded lawns thin out in summer is that the turf does not have a sturdy root system. The main effect of shade is to reduce root growth so it is important to give the grass every chance to develop rootwise, when the shade is not so dense. New seedlings will have that opportunity as the trees lose their leaves this fall and before they leaf out next spring. Leaves should be removed from If allowed to mat they will the grass and make pock lawns. smother marks in the lawn. Unless the ground is very soft, it is not harmful to walk on young grass in order to sweep up the leaves. One of the light-weight bamboo, steel or new aluminum broom rakes will not dam- age tender plants if used with a reason- able degree of care. • Since seeds respire, they will not ger- minate unless they have a sufficient supply of oxygen. If buried too deeply, they do not get needed air. Blame Leaf Spot suffered lawns Many this spring leaf spot. the damage. They from a disease known as ( L A WN C A RE N O. 4 1 .) Like an epi- demic of measles, it descended upon lawns to a much greater extent than is customary. Folks thought that what- ever they had been doing to their lawns just before the Leaf Spot attacks had caused suspected over-feeding, over-watering, or perhaps the spraying for weed control. Leaf Spot was in most instances the culprit. This disease kills grass right down to the roots. It doesn't often take whole lawns, usually it attacks limited areas of poor drainage or other unfavorable conditions. Here is what to do if the same trouble drops in next year: (1) mow your lawn high, or not at all until the disease has subsided; (2) fer- tilize; (3) water to hasten fertilizing action; (4) hope for the best. from page 1.) SEED SHORTAGE (Continued years, many new factory lawns were seeded, thousands of acres of turf were required by the Government at mili- tary camps and on the country's new airfields. This exhausted all reserve supplies of seed. With consumption going up and production going down, the crop fail- ure this year sent market prices to an all-time high. Therefore, sharp price advances are a necessity this fall if quality is to be maintained. There may be enough curtailed buy- ing to make the short crop go around. So if you need seed, don't hesitate to buy it but don't waste it by sowing on poorly prepared ground or without adequate plant food. O. M. S C O TT & S O NS CO. Sirs: feet long I read in one I bought feet wide and 75 smaller patches over feet. in L a wn Care about covering Crab- grass for a week to ten days, but my area was solid 65 growth with another 4,000 square several rolls of slater's felt and covered the large area, hold- ing the felt down with stones and boards. On the twelfth day, I found Crabgrass about like dry hay. I removed covering and watered, lawn grass came back in a short time but no visible Crabgrass. Last year at Crabgrass time, in the I worked over my little over a entire season half peck of Crabgrass lawn now has such vigorous growth that I hope to harvest lawn carefully and I hand picked a little Crabgrass seedlings. My this year. Very truly yours, A. L. H U D S O N. Hudson, Ohio Sirs: My infested lawn had been badly fo * years with Plantain and hand digging proved impossible. After reading No. 88 L a wn Care I decided to try your new weed spray. Within the 48 hours Plantain of all thousands began sick a nd now, after a month, they have completely dis- appeared. sizes and by to curl and look I am more than pleased and have a wonderful weed control as killed Poison Ivy. think you it also L A W R E N CE W. W H I TE 157 School Street Milton, Mass. Lawn Care Binder T h is durable loose leaf binder with all issues of a nd L A WN C A RE capacity for five more years will be sent for $1.00. The same, in stiff paper binding is 25c. G O OD L A W N S — C o m p l e te infor- mation on building new lawns and improving old ones. Just the thing for prospective home owners. Free. M A R Y S V I L LE ^ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ - - O H IO EVERY PACKAGE OF SCOTTS LAWN S E ED B E A RS THIS TRADE-MARK AND IS S E A L ED FOR YOUR PROTECTION