21st Year No. 99 PS PACIFIC STATES EDITION REG U S PAT OFF WESTERN LAWNS PROGRAM GETTING a lawn oil to a good start has a tremendous influence on its behavior in later life. Without proper "upbringing" it can easily develop into a problem child that ceases to be the intended source of pride and pleasure. Thousands of new lawns will be constructed in the west this year as new homes near completion. A few will grow to become the envy of their neighborhoods but many will remain mediocre simply because they started on the wrong foot and a few basic principles of turf culture were violated. First take a glance ahead and bear in mind that the approaching season is one that is generally short on natural moisture. In many areas it is also a season of high temperatures, often above the limit tolerated by desirable lawn grasses. In these areas particu- larly, subtropical grasses like Bermuda have their inning in the summertime and quickly liquidate weakling grasses. The objective in new lawn building, then, should be to get the new grass as solidly established as possible—well anchored and hardened—before it must contend with adverse conditions. The more time allowed, the better will this be accomplished and that is one reason for getting an early start. It takes time for grass roots to grow deep. Deep rooting is desirable to lessen the danger of damage from later moisture shortage. Under most condi- tions soil dries out first from the sur- face and shallow roots in the surface layer may be injured before the lack of water becomes obvious. Damaged spots in a lawn are weak and they are an open door to weeds. It is true that grass can be planted any time of year. Lawns have been suc- cessfully seeded on a blanket of snow or during midsummer droughts. But G a r d en tractors w i th p l ow a nd disc attach- ments a re useful in l a wn soil p r e p a r a t i o n. 2 Scott Spreaders insure easy and even applica- tion of seed and lawn food. They can be bought or rented. SCOTTS LAWN CARE further fining is necessary before it is ready to receive the seed. A heavy hoe and garden type rake or garden culti- vator are needed to adequately pulver- ize the top two inches. Dragging a plank or flexible steel door mat over the ground will help to level it and break up the lumps. PROVIDE NOURISHMENT During this final preparation of the seed bed is the time to stock the soil with food to nourish the new grass as it begins growth. Distribute the lawn food on the surface, then rake it lighdy into the top inch or so. these are not the times to choose if you have a voice in the matter. You are more apt to have an optimum soil moisture if you plant in early spring. It is important to distribute fertilizer evenly so that growth will be as uni- form as possible, and it is wasteful to put it on heavier than necessary. TELLABLE SOIL Sandy soil can be worked much earlier than heavy soils. Adobe should not be worked when saturated with water. Under those conditions the mi- nute particles which make up its mass adhere in clods which bake hard as rock. On the other hand, if allowed to dry too thoroughly before working, it is just as hard and is capable of snap- ping even the steel teeth of power driven cultivators. Between these two extremes there is a period when the seed bed can be pre- pared with a minimum of effort. Get acquainted with your soil, try it out and discover when this best time is. Initial breaking of the soil on aver- age size lawns is done by means of small power cultivators or by hand spading. Whatever tool is used, care should be taken not to turn under good topsoil and bring less desirable subsoil to the top. Except on sandy soils this step leaves the ground in a lumpy condition and This is one place where a well de- signed spreader is a time and labor saver. By adjusting the spreader at the proper mark the fertilizer will be de- posited evenly and at the recommended rate. A spreader engineered for both feeding and seeding can also be used for sowing seed to equal advantage. Spreaders can be bought or rented at many garden supply stores. SOWING THE SEED Much has been written about the exercise of care in selecting the seed for your lawn. This is a good caution to observe for while several factors are in- volved in the construction of a good lawn, it will be no better than the seed which is sown. As pointed out in LAWN CARE 9 8, few folks have the time to keep thor- oughly informed on all the intricacies of seed formulations. But they can select a trustworthy source of supply and seed that has won its laurels. Buy- ing on the basis of price alone is likely to procure a lawn of annual grasses NUMBER 99 PS instead of the more costly perennial grasses. After all, the seed is the small- est investment in a lawn and is no place to pinch pennies. Actually good seed goes enough farther in sowing to make it cost less in the end. Using a good quality seed, free from bulky chaff, four to six pounds on each 1000 square feet is ample. It is best sown with a spreader, though hand seeding is satisfactory if done carefully. Especially where hand broadcasting is done, it is advisable to divide the seed in two equal parts. Then sow the second half in a direction at right angles to the first half. This lessens the chance of any spots being missed. TUCK SEED IN The food and moisture bearing soil should be on all sides of the seed. To accomplish this, bury the seed by a very light raking—just a scratching. Too heavy raking will re-distribute the seed unevenly and may cover it so deeply that germinatiotn will be retarded. Properly done, some of the seed will still be visible on top of the ground. Though not generally practiced, a light rolling after seeding is well worth the trouble. It firms the soil in contact with the seed so the first tiny root sent out immediately comes in contact with both food and moisture. An empty water ballast roller is best but in most neighborhoods these are scarce items. On small areas a board or light weight tamper can be substituted. Lawns planted in pre- vious years and already established should get their introduction to early spring by a thor- ough raking. ESTABLISHED LAWNS A stiff-tooth garden rake, rather than a flex- ible leaf rake is needed to penetrate the vegetation and reach the ground surface. This raking re- moves leaf pieces, grass clippings, and a surprising amount of other undecayed debris that harbors the spores of vari- ous turf diseases. It also reveals thin and weak spots in the lawn that should by all means receive seed for reinforcement. It opens the turf and aerates it, also scarifies the soil surface to receive the re-inforcing seed. By adjusting the wooden roller of the mower upward or downward, regu- late the height of cut to about one inch. This is the distance between the side- walk and the edge of the bedknife. This is ordinarily too short to cut lawns and should not be practiced dur- ing the hot, dry months. It is, however, desirable for the spring renovation. OLD GRASS IS HUNGRY, TOO After the mowing, give the grass a feeding. Turf must have food to grow on. This is a primary axiom of good lawn culture. Even a fertile soil can be deficient in the nutrients needed for such intense farming as is practiced in the maintaining of a home lawn. The spring feeding does double duty. (1) it gives new color and vigor to established grass plants. Winter rains have leached many nutrients out of the soil. Winter growth has consumed ad- ditional quantities. These must be re- FINISH Hand seeding in two directions to insure even coverage 4 placed. (2) It provides a ready supply of nourishment for infant grass. Just any old fertilizer will not do. Some are prepared for use in gardens where the development of vegetables is the goal. Others are prepared for use in flower gardens or on certain shrubs where blooms are the desired objective. Special foods for lawns are designed to produce healthy green grass of spark- ling green color and such should be used in your lawn maintenance. lawns regularly, at least three times a year, is an easy bit of care which cures many ills and pays big dividends in lawn beauty. Feeding OVERSEEDING It is much easier to keep a good lawn looking good than to let it run down and then build it back up periodically. This is a strong argument for putting your lawn on a program of regular feeding and seeding. Re-seeding requires only a small amount of good seed and early spring is the time to sow it. Use only 2 or 3 pounds on each 1000 square feet. This replaces the normal expectancy of plant casualties resulting from dis- ease and insects and reduces the possi- bilities of vulnerable thin or bare spots. It retards the inroads of Devil Grass and other weeds and very definitely postpones the necessity of rebuilding. The only way to expect a permanent lawn is to sow perennial grasses. It is not uncommon to find mixtures con- taining 50% or more of annual grasses that won't last, no matter how carefully they are nursed. Annual grasses are sometimes used in mixtures because SCOTTS LAWN CARE they are low in cost and enable mixing to meet a price instead of meeting the requirements of beautiful, lasting turf. There is no use buying weeds with your grass seed, either. Weeds are ex- pensive even when given away and there is no point in paying for the privilege of sowing more. SIRS: I have a Scotts lawn in front of my home and I agree with my neighbors that it is the most beautiful on the block. Redwood City, Calif. HARRY HARLICK Lawn Know-How LAWN CARE is a free bulletin service that western lawn enthusiasts are find- ing a trustworthy friend and wise coun- selor on matters pertaining to lawn making and maintenance. Delivered to your home several times yearly, it brings you timely hints and new ideas on what to do for your lawn. As one reader expressed it, " L A WN C A RE has been worth its weight in gold to us. T h a nk you, and please keep it coming our way." An up-to-date digest of informa- tion previously appearing in LAWN CARE bulletins is available in paper binding for 25c, or in a green leather style ring binder for only $1.00. Every western home library should include this handy volume. Write to- day to O. M. Scott & Sons Company, Palo Alto, California. O M SCOTT & S O NS CO, [ S c S t tÙ M A RY SV I L L E- - O H IO EVERY PACKAGE OF SCOTTS LAWN CARE PRODUCTS BEARS THIS TRADE - MARK AND IS SEALED FOR YOU R PROTECTION