Y e ar N o. 1 2 5 - PS r/i/ starters get better lawns ! PUT SPRING IN YOUR LAWN THE spring program for your lawn should start early. Several steps can be taken ahead of the full rush of gardening activities so grass can be reaping the benefits, growing greener and thicker, while you work on other phases of landscaping. meal for grass — the breakfast of the season. Broadcast Turf Builder over the whole to provide slowly lawn available nitrogen that makes grass sparkle, the phosphorus that stimulates roots, and the potassium that builds strength into plants. Feeding is easy. Turf Builder can be put on any time in early spring. It can be broadcast by hand, but a Scott Spreader gives the smoothest applica- tion and in no more time than it takes to walk over a lawn. If your lawn has not been fed peri- odically and is run-down, give it a good start in early spring with a double rate application of Turf Builder. For most even distribution set the Scotts Spreader for normal rate and go over the lawn twice — in crosswise directions. When double rate is used follow with a sprinkling to wash the food off the grass and into the soil. Lawns readily respond to early attention while temperatures are still cool and soil still has an ample supply of moisture from winter precipitation. Roots can readily take up nutrients and expand their growth. New blades begin to form. All they need is a helping hand from you. Here is an early spring program that will help get your lawn off to a good start this year: First Second Third Fourth Fifth Mow, if conditions permit. Rake to clean out debris. Fill up low spots with soil. Feed with Turf Builder. A light reseeding. Your lawn needs food. Most important step of all in the program is an early The normal rate is enough for any lawn that is well nourished by a regu- lar feeding program through the year. Dichondra lawns are fed with Turf Btiilder at normal rate. Because the leaves are broad and sometimes funnel- shaped, it is always best to wash ferti- lizers off dichondra with a forceful spray from the hoze nozzle. Spring mowing can be short. The ar- rival of spring is likely to find lawns long and shabby because growth ac- cumulates when winter conditions pre- vent cutting. No particular harm is done in mow- ing close during the spring season. There are even some advantages be- cause it is easier then to rake the turf as described below; also the new seed- lings have less competition in coming up through the old grass. Grass should be cut only when the foliage is dry. Clean out debris. You can use any rake so long as it doesn't uproot the sod. Get rid of accumulated grass clippings, leaves and pine needles so they won't smother the grass. Raking opens the turf so fertilizer and seed make good contact with the soil. Build up the low spots. Depressions that hold water or interfere with mowing should be levelled. Use crumbly soil which won't pack. For small spots, potting soil is good. Spread just an inch so the grass can come up through. If more fill is needed, add it later in the growing season. thin. Worn and Sow seed if lawn scraggly lawns can be made more dense by reseeding them. Seed alone won't do any good however unless there is enough food in the soil to sustain additional plants, so be sure to apply Turf Builder first. If you are using Scotts Lawn Seed you will need only 2 lbs per 1,000 square feet. Five pounds is adequate to take care of the average lawn of 2,500 square If some special situation like sandy or gravelly soil, slope or shade suggests Scotts Special feet. Seed, four pounds should be used on each 1,000 square feet. Bare spots need special attention. First they should be cultivated so the com- pacted or glazed surface will be loosened and allow the seed to lodge securely. Any one of several tools will accomplish this: a spading fork, the edge of a garden spade, a half-moon turf edger, a claw-type hand cultivator, or even an axe. After sowing it by sifting on a little soil or peatmoss — just enough to partially cover the seed — then tamp lightly and keep it moist. Classification of Western Lawns the seed cover Like automobiles, lawns can be described by the adjectives good, better, best — stand- ard, special deluxe. The quality of a lawn is determined by a combination of: Lawn— (a) environment, soil, growing conditions. (b) care given it. (c) materials used, particularly seed. for the picture lawn, the Deluxe ultimate enhancement of the home with reasonably good soil — it is Scotts Lawn Seed. By seed count the component parts are approximately three parts Kentucky Blue- grass, two parts Bentgrass and one part Poa Trivialis, also called Danish Bluegrass. This lawn, with its brilliant color, smooth and uniform texture, is intended primarily for beauty. Good Lawn — Not every home is blessed with the environment and soil required for a deluxe lawn. In such cases the answer to that desire for a good lawn is Scotts Special Seed. This makes a turf with a base of strong Fescue. Other proven grasses, Kentucky Bluegrass, Bentgrass and Poa Trivialis, are added to improve its appearance and sod- forming qualities. The result is a handsome, wear-resistant tolerates a wider range of growing conditions. Utility Lawn — suggested where soil con- ditions are so poor on slopes so steep that the finer turf grasses alone are not practical. Or it may be that a more rugged type of lawn is needed to withstand activities of children and their pets. that turf Thriftee Green, an Edgewood Farms brand, is recommended to provide hardy, fast growing grasses which can take abuse with minimum care. SELECT THE SEED TO FIT YOUR LAWN DELUXE LAWN GOOD LAWN UTILITY LAWN Scotts Lawn Seed Scotts "Special" Seed Thriftee Green Seed Soil Conditions Soil should be reasonably good, not excavation, not sandy or gravelly Will tolerate a wide range of soil including light tex- tured, moderately sandy and gravelly. Add humus to extremely sandy soils for better results reasonably well Will do that on most a n y t h i ng passes the better the soil the better the lawn for soil, but Sunlight Lime Needs Feeding Watering Mowing Type of Mower Remove Clippings SCUTLing Weed Controls Full sun to moderate shade Full sun to dense shade Full sun to moderate shade Tolerates mild soil acidity but lime is usually benefi- cial in the humid coastal regions of western Oregon a nd W a s h i n g t on a nd northern California Tolerates most acid soils. However, lime will prove beneficial in all cases of extreme soil acidity Lime not required except on extremely acid soils in northern humid areas Spring, Summer and Fall Spring, Summer and Fall Once or twice a year Soil should be kept rea- sonably moist throughout growing season soils Tolerates dry but quality of turf will be im- proved by regular water- ing during prolonged dry periods Will thrive on minimum amount of moisture after grass is established s p r i ng Cut short (1 inch) during c o ol f a ll m o n t h s, a nd m e d i um height (1 y2 inches) during hot weather a nd Cut short (1 inch) in the cool months and gradually raise inches) for hot weather to high (2 Cut at medium height ( ] y2 inches) fall and raise to high (2 inches or more) in hot weather spring and Reel type, sharp, well ad- justed Reel type, sharp, well ad- justed Reel, rotary or cutting bar Yes, unless cut frequently so the clippings are not obvious Optional but to remove them tall when cut it is better if grass Seldom necessary unless grass quite tall when cut As n e e d ed to c o n t r ol Crabgrass, otherwise one series in Late Spring-Early Summer to control disease Use as needed, usually once a year in spring or fall after well established lawn As n e e d ed Crabgrass to c o n t r ol Series of treatments may be needed on new lawn to keep Crabgrass within bounds A p p ly w h e n e v er b r o a d- leaved weeds are objec- tionable A p p ly w h e n e v er b r o a d- leaved weeds are objec- tionable Color of Grass Brilliant green throughout growing season if properly fed and watered. Holds color good in winter Good deep green spring and fall and holds color well in hot weather when properly fed and watered. Good color spring and fall. Fair in hot weather Wearing Quality Fair, if lawn has recovery period after abuse Good. Wear resistant turf when well established. Cut higher if lawn has to take regular beatings Excellent. Recovers rapidly from abuse, especially if fed regularly and watered during hot, dry weather Moss and Green Algoe It will come as good news to readers of LAWN CARE that moss and algae can now be controlled with SCUTL. Under certain conditions one nor- mal rate application of SCUTL will control either one of low forms of plant life. Sometimes a second application is required. these Although ScuTLing does a good job in checking these growths, it is only a temporary measure because it does not correct the conditions which encourage their development. Since moss and algae are closely associated with excessive surface moisture, poor aeration these should be corrected to permanently solve the problem. fertility, low and Grubs Attract Moles Early spring is an active time for the grubs of June Beetles. These white, curled-up larvae feed on grass If roots just below the lawn surface. present they damage the grass so that it turns brown in irregular shaped patches. in sufficient numbers Grubs as well as ants and other turf insects are checked with Lawn & Turf Pest Control. This can be applied any convenient time. Since moles are especially attracted to grubs the best ways to get rid of them is to destroy their source of food. Spreaders Make Good Lawns Easier In this day and age, being without a good lawn spreader is like being without a washing machine. You may wonder at the frequent reference in LAWN CARE to Scotts Spreaders. It's hard to talk about good lawns without including them. They do so many things so easily that time formerly spent in maintaining a lawn is now available for enjoying it. Hand broadcasting, which was the old fashioned method, was arduous. It was also inaccurate and wasteful. By saving both time and materials, a Scotts Spreader soon pays for itself. In less than 10 minutes a thousand square feet of turf can be fed, or seeded. Just as quickly weeds can be controlled with 4-XD or sod web worms checked with Pest Control. In many neighborhoods two or three homeowners get a spreader in partner- ship. It's a good idea — at least until you can get one for your very own. (ED. — a Scotts Spreader is an ideal gift for that man-around-the-lawn.) Those who have a Scotts Spreader are urged to keep it in first class condi- tion. How to do this is explained in the new Spreader Service Manual. It's free for the asking. Coarse Grasses The west coastal states abound in wild coarse grasses which grow rapidly during the rainy winter and early spring. Mostly they consist of Wild Oats, Bar- leys and Bromes. Their seeds are widely distributed and are present in most soils. While there are no chemicals which will selectively remove these wild grasses from a lawn, they are not bothersome for long. Most of them are winter annuals and so are short-lived. They succumb to regular mowing, particularly when cut short. Rak- ing ahead of mowing stands them up so more is cut off. This hastens their dis- appearance. • Sirs: Congratulations upon the occasion of your twenty-fifth year of excellent service. You have known the "Grass Roots" prob- I have No 1 of Vol 1 — August, lems. 1928, and all subsequent numbers. It is with appreciation the staff "Happy Returns" and best wishes for a weed-free future. that I wish My wife tells me I keep everything valu- able and otherwise. Your "Lawn Care" has always been considered valuable by one of your charter members. H W SHEPHERD Prof of Landscape Architecture (with University of Calif since 1922) O M SCOTT & SONS C O. (Sce&i) 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 £/ P S - 5 37 2 - 1 2 - 53