24th Year 114-PS PUBLISHED FIVE TIMES YEARLY FOR LAWNTHUSIASTS T . M. REO LAWN FOOD IS A TURF BUILDER Over the past twenty years L A WN C A RE has regularly stressed the impor- tance of providing turf with frequent, well balanced meals on which to stretch and grow strong and green. With each passing year the wisdom of this simple advice is demonstrated time and again in the letters of happy home owners who write such things as this, "Our lawn was never so thick and radiant until we followed your sugges- tion of putting it on a regular feeding program." Nourishment is a necessity for any- thing that grows and certainly a lawn worthy of the name is very much alive and growing. However, grass plants are not no- madic. They are anchored in one spot which prevents their foraging for food. Either they are served on a platter or they go hungry and deteriorate, even- tually yielding their place to weeds. Nourishment must be kept constantly within reach of their roots. Why Lawns Get Hungry One fertilizing a year is no more ade- quate for a lawn than one meal a day is for a growing boy. Tremendous quantities of food are consumed by grass plants through their roots and translated into growth. To maintain that healthy development the nourishment used up has to be replaced. Frequent applications of a turf building lawn food the year will do it. throughout Some amounts of food are dissolved in drainage water and carried down through the soil where it is lost to grass. It is particularly true on porous soils and with the ordinary water-soluble fertilizers. Nutrients lost in this leach- ing process also have to be replaced. Think of your lawn as a plot on which you are doing very intensive gar- WÊÎÊIÊ The darker, richer color resulted from fall lawn feeding. Note the lighter off-color strips in right background where operator missed with the spreader. PS-648 dening—growing plants at the rate of about 400 per square foot. Consider each mowing as the harvesting of a crop. Then you will begin to see the impor- tance of fertilizing with the right turf builder at frequent intervals. Every lawn should receive a feed- ing in late winter or early spring with repeat applications through the year on a schedule such as this: (1) February- March, (2) May-June, (3) July, (4) August-September. Feed Lawns Early The spreader should be brought out early in the spring. This applies to any geographical snow country the first feeding can be made, and is recommended, even while the ground the grass still dormant. is frozen and location. the In It fertilizer is by use of a precision built spreader that uniform distribution of the is most easily accom- plished. This in turn results in a more uniform growth of the grass. Good spreaders are available for purchase or rent at most garden supply centers. Plan to operate the spreader in the direction of the longer dimension of the lawn. First apply two spreader widths across the shorter sides to provide room for turning around at the end of each of the long strips. Then go back and forth from one "end zone" to the other until the entire area is treated. sure of complete coverage is to main- tain the pivot wheel in position as the spreader is turned to reverse direction. This avoids off-color streaks of unfed turf as illustrated on the first page. Some Lawns Need Lime Under certain conditions, some min- eral elements needed in the grass diet become locked the soil and even though present in sufficient quantities they can not be taken up by the roots. In such cases the lawn literally starves in the midst of plenty. in This situation often exists on exces- the sively acid soils which occur north coastal counties of California and parts of the Northwest. in An overly acid condition can be cor- rected by the use of lime. However, that does not eliminate the need for regular use of fertilizer. SPRING LAWN CARE Many L A WN C A RE readers ask for a specific step-by-step process to apply to their lawns. For them this program is submitted as a guide, but bear in mind that any plan must be flexible to adjust to the varying weather and individual lawn conditions. Lime. If your lawn is located in the areas where the map opposite is shaded, there is a good chance that lime may be beneficial. Here are some of the indications of possible lime deficiencies: (a) failure of grass to respond to fertilizer applica- tions, (b) seeming lack of response to watering, (c) lack of color or vigor when growing conditions appear good. Late fall, winter or early spring are it the preferred lime since penetrates into the soil better then. times to No more than 50 lbs. of raw pulver- ized limestone or 35 lbs. of hydrated lime per 1000 sq. ft. should be applied to a time. Avoid "quick" lime or oxide of lime because it is highly caustic. lawn at any one There should be a delay of a week or two before sowing seed or applying fertilizer and there has then only if Be sure to overlap the wheel tracks slightly as you would with a lawn mower. Perhaps the best way to make retards fertilizer raked and cross-scalping with the mower set close. Then fertilize and reseed. This method, however, only the progress of Bermuda for with warm weather it begins to revive from the roots still in the soil. A thick stand of good healthy grass makes it less objec- tionable but does not eliminate it. Feeding. Spring fertilizing is a must. Use a mild-acting, long lasting lawn food. Every new lawn should have a commercial the seed bed before planting even though manure may have been incorporated. After the lawn is established this supply should be replenished periodically by surface applications. Seeding. It is not necessary to wait for warm weather so sow grass seed. Lawn professionals often frozen ground for alternate freezing and thaw- ing helps to bury seed naturally. The earlier it starts the more advantage it gets from soil moisture before artificial watering becomes necessary. seed on into This is particularly vital on recreation areas that have to be used for play the following fall. Early sown grass has more chance to mature and develop a substantial root system before being subjected to heavy wear. Good seed of the desirable perennial turf grasses can be sown much thinner than mediocre seed. The reason is there are more seeds per pound so that using 2 or 3 pounds of the right seed will produce as many or more plants than 5 pounds of ordinary seed. Even a good established lawn should be lightly overseeded each spring. For a medium sized lawn of 2500 square feet, 5 pounds is ample. It will reinforce the turf and give added resistance to weed invasion. On most lawns, a spring feeding and light overseeding are all that is required. The same precision spreader used lawn food can be used for sowing the seed thinly yet evenly. Rolling. It is a mistake to use a roller to flatten soil irregularities. That com- pacts the ground and results in a poor growing condition. A light rolling after to distribute the Shaded areas indicate areas where soils lime content. may be of medium or low U.S.D.A. Bulletin No. 1845. rain or intervening heavy been an watering. Bermuda Grass. Also called Devil Grass and Wire Grass. It is a sub- tropical perennial sometimes seeded for lawn purposes. Cold weather turns it brown and dormant. Even in southern California, Arizona and New Mexico it where becomes objectionable the winter months. To many folks it is a weed just as much as Crabgrass. is most often planted, in it Unlike Crabgrass, however, there is no chemical known which can be used to selectively remove these blemishes to otherwise attractive lawns. In summer Bermuda is difficult to spot by the uninitiated because it is green like other grasses. But in winter and early spring it stands out so that is a good time to go after it. Most satisfactory method is to remove the sod in patches and also the soil for a depth of 3 or 4 inches to get rid of the fleshy roots. Then new soil is sub- stituted, seeded with desirable grasses. fertilized and Large areas may be renovated by vig- orous cross-raking with a garden rake it grows enough seeding of newly prepared ground presses soil around the seed and hastens germination. Mowing. It is a good idea to cut the lawn whenever to yield V2 to % inch clippings. Mowing in cool weather should be fairly short to reduce matted growth and give newly seeded grass a better chance to come up through the old turf. Cutting higher is advised as the weather gets hotter. Weeding. locations coarse annual weedy grasses sometimes appear during the rainy season. It is impractical these and to hand pull pock-marks the surface of lawn. the Mowing eventually eliminates most of them. In mild winter However, if broad-leaved weeds like dandelions, plantain, burr clover and wild morning glory are numerous, then trot out the spreader again and make a quick, easy application of 4-XD weed control or the combination weed con- trol and lawn food. ALGAE ON LAWNS The slimy, green scum that appears on the soil in warm weather is due to the growth of Algae, one-celled plants that sometimes coat the surface of the ground and seem to smother grass. When the algae die they turn black and harden into a parchment-like film. The presence of this growth is an indication of excessive surface moisture aggravated by the absence of sunlight. It is most pronounced on heavy, compact soils. Such soils drain slowly and lack aeration, both of which discourage the vigorous growth of grass. Folks are sometimes both surprised and dis- turbed to find it forming on the surface of a new it may have been induced by excessive surface moisture, applied to start the new seeding. lawn. Here again Easing up on the watering for a while may retard it. Some report partial success from dusting with hydrated lime which has a ten- dency to dry out the growth. The real answer, however, is to correct the cause by improving drainage. Making deep perforations with a spading fork will help to aerate the soil in localized spots. Spreader Servicing instructions As announced in L A WN C A RE 1 1 3, a service bulletin on Scotts Spreaders is available for the asking. This carries easy for overhaul, gives prices of repair parts. Since conserva- tion is again the order of the day, those who are fortunate enough to own a spreader are urged to get the service manual and follow the suggestions to put their machines in top condition. Just address a penny postal to Scotts, Palo Alto, California. FREE INFORMATION On Western Lawns Any of the separate, previously pub- lished bulletins of L A WN C A RE are yours without cost if you have a lawn prob- lem and need help. Here are some of the subjects covered which may apply to your particular problem: 1. Lawn Soils 2. Correct Lawn Mowing 3. Liming Acid Soils 4. Grass in Shade 5. Control of Weeds 6. Control of Crabgrass 7. Lawn Moths and Grubs 8. Starting New Lawns of L A WN C A RE bulletins right up Lawn Care Books If you want to own a complete set to date they are avail- able in a heavy p a p er cover f or o n ly 2 5 c. T he same set of bulle- tins in a g r e en leather style ring binder with room for saving future bulletins is only $1.00. See your local Scott dealer or mail coin, stamps or check to Scotts at Palo Alto, California. O M SCOTT & SONS CO. (Scota}} M A R Y S V I L LE - - O H IO EVERY PACKAGE OF SCOTTS LAWN CARE PRODUCTS BEARS THIS TRADE - MARK AND IS SEALED FOR YOUR PROTECTION