The Way to Better Southern Lawns GOOD LAWN CARE is basically the same wherever grass can be grown. In the South, however, the varieties that thrive during the hot summer months become brown and dormant in the winter. Conversely the grasses that remain green through the cooler seasons will usually succumb to the South's summer heat. There are two broad categories of lawn grasses for the United States: 1. Heat Loving Grasses are those that thrive in spite of consistent week after week temperatures in the nineties or above, but which turn brown in late fall and remain so until summer weather returns. This group includes Bermuda, Carpet, Centipede and St Augustine grasses. they will revive 2. Cool Season Grasses may suffer dur- ing protracted periods of very high temperatures. If the heat is not too extreme in cooler weather and stay green through most of the winter. Included in this cate- the perennials, Kentucky gory are bluegrass, fescues and bentgrasses, and annuals such as- ryegrass. These cool season grasses are sometimes seeded in September-October to give bright green turf when the hot weather species are dormant. The accompanying map shows the area of heat-loving grasses — the land of live oak, cotton and palms. The change to a cooler transitional climate is not abrupt and there is the climate modifying effect of higher elevations in the South. As the upper limit for the definitely southern grasses is reached, northern grasses compete strongly in the cool months and ascendency of the warm season varieties is delayed. Hot Season Grosses Bermuda Grass is the "workhorse" southern grass and succeeds most every- where there is a frostless March to October and not too severe winters. Bermuda does not tolerate much shade unless it falls in the early or late part of the day. Properly maintained, Bermuda can provide attractive turf in hot weather. The grass spreads by wiry, trailing runners to form an aggressive and solid turf. The leaves are fine to medium textured, usually less than a quarter inch in width. Stems may present a scraggly appearance unless topdressed Copyright 1954, O M Scott & Sons Co occasionally or renovated by heavy rak- ing and close mowing. Carpet Grass is of broad distribution in the deeper South. It makes a coarser turf than Bermuda, having short stubby leaves up to a half inch wide. It seems to cut unevenly, especially when trou- blesome seed heads form. Carpet Grass is especially susceptible to injury from chemicals used for weed, insect and disease control. It is most at home in moist, mucky lowland soils. Centipede Grass, introduced from the Orient about 30 years ago, thrives even on the poorer sandy soils of the Coastal Plain. It has texture intermediate be- tween Bermuda and Carpet Grasses, and tolerates conditions of shade better than either. It can make an attractive low-growing turf, with the thick creep- ing stems and flat-lying leaves sugges- tive of a centipede. St Augustine Grass resembles Carpet Grass though having an unusual twist to the leaf blade and fewer seed spikes. It is usually limited to within one hun- dred miles of the Coast, but has done well in the Dallas-Ft Worth area. Like Carpet Grass it is quite touchy to chemical applications. Grosses for Cooler Zones Higher elevations in the South enjoy cooler summers but colder winters also. The heat-loving grasses may not do so well in the mountains, except on the southern slopes. In many locations, the northern grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass, bentgrasses and fescues can be maintained in attractive green con- dition throughout the year. Even in the lower altitudes, these grasses may sur- vive southern summers where they are protected from the hot mid-day sun by shade from trees or buildings. • Florida Speaks . . . Quite a while ago your company sent some Scutl to the Department. I checked it for control of Crabgrass in a young centipede lawn. This material gave good control and did not damage the c e n t i p e d e. T A Y L OR R A L E X A N D ER Chrm Dept of Botany, University of Miami M The Summer Program 1. Feeding to stimulate better color, texture and strength 2. Weed control to reduce blem- ishes caused by a J grass-type weeds/ or bj other weeds Insect control to reduce grass injury, increase pleasure of lawn use 3. 4. Mowing — Do it often 5. Watering — some soils may others need daily sprinkling, occasional heavy watering lawn program will be more easily The summer accomplished with a Scoffs Spreader. See page 4. Feeding A full course meal for lawns — appetizer, entree and dessert — is sup- plied in Turf Builder, the specific lawn food. It's easy and inexpensive to wheel out the spreader, serve up the meal in a quick walk over the lawn. Turf Builder furnishes the needed elements of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash in the right ratio for balanced growth of roots and leaves. Make application when the grass is dry. For extra safety and early avail- ability, wash in well. Set the sprinkler to run fifteen minutes at least. This will freshen the grass as it washes off the particles of plant food that might cause burn. Mow Frequently Cutting the lawn is not the chore it used to be. Modern mowers make it easy and LAWN CARE suggests frequent mowing. Grass should be cut before it reaches sky- ward too much. Delayed mowing that chops off a high percentage of green foliage will cause shock to the grass and major loss of food producing leaves. A good rule for al- most all grasses and situations is to mow as soon as the turf has put on an additional half inch of growth. The popular hot weather grasses can be mowed fairly close, Bermuda and Centipede no more than an inch, Carpet and St Augus- tine slightly higher. Kentucky Bluegrass should be cut at two inches or so in hot weather. the Run Crabgrass on NOT ALL HEAT-LOVING GRASSES make desirable turf. Some of the worst lawn weeds are grasses, as Crab- grass, Goosegrass and Dallisgrass. These species pop up in the early summer, grow rapidly into clumps or patches, muscling aside desirable grasses. It is easy enough to control Crab- grass. It succumbs to regular dosages of Scutl, a clean granular compound, applied dry as it comes from the pack- age. The phenyl mercury content of Scutl also helps control various fungus diseases of grass. The action of Scutl is selective in that applications which prove the undoing of Crabgrass, leave other grasses unharmed. Unfortunately Goosegrass and Dallisgrass escape as well as desirable varieties. Crabgrass has different names in various localities, for the members of the genus Digitaria. Other common names are wire grass, water grass, finger- grass. If in doubt whether your problem is Crabgrass, send a specimen for identi- fication to Scotts at Marysville, Ohio; Cranbury, New Jersey; or Palo Alto, California. Wrap in foil or wax paper to prevent drying but do not moisten. Although sprouting of Crabgrass may take place soon after peach-blos- soming time, it does not make vigorous growth until rambler roses have bloomed and summer seems definitely at hand. As the spreading and branch- ing phase of Crabgrass gets under way, the series of Scutl treatments should be started. Four or five applications with the Scotts Spreader will be needed at intervals of 5 to 7 days. Scutl acts through the Crabgrass leaves, so its benefit is diminished if washed off within 24 hours. The turf should have been mown fairly recently so it's not more than 1 !/2 or 2 inches tall. In climates of high winds that would knock Scutl particles off the grass, application is better made to dew-wet grass or to grass dampened with a fine mist from the hose. While final Crabgrass control with Scutl is dramatic, the early action is almost subtle. There is a slight yellow- ing then gradual fading to a wisp of nothingness in succeeding weeks. Once started, treatment must be continued at the prescribed intervals, or benefits from earlier treatments will be lost. 'Precaution of chemical weed controls. Application when the temperature is apt to break over 90 can harm desirable grass. Try degrees to treatments when the weatherman schedule predicts moderate or declining temperatures, perhaps as a high-pressure area moves in to end a sultry interval. spp - Digitaria DALLISGRASS - Paspalum CRABGRASS It is difficult to distinguish between Crabgrass and Dallisgrass in southern lawns. The former has trailing runners, rooting at the joints while the latter is usually rooted in one clump. Crabgrass leaves usually appear more slender, over 4 inches, the edges rough to the touch. As Dallis matures it tends to develop coarse lateral shoots that may become a foot or more long if they escape mowing. The seeding spikes shooting up in late summer are distinctive as shown by the illustrations. The seeds of Dallis are round, almost bead-like, in contrast to the smaller lance-shaped " s e e d s" of Crabgrass. leaf blades are stocky, seldom over 3 long. Dallis inches dilatatum Other Weeds Weeds other than grass types may be fighting for lawn space and compet- ing for nutriments. Perhaps lawn de- spoilers have already gained a foothold, such as Plantain (Buckhorn or Broad- leaf) , Wild Buttercups, Dock, members of the Black Medic and Hop Clover group, or intruders of the Daisy and Dandelion family. These can be put to rout with one or more applications of a 2,4-D weedicide such as Scotts 4-XD. Knotweed, Carpetweed, Purslane, Nut- grass, Spurge and Sedges are tougher customers as they mature but may be subdued with repeat applications. The ready-to-use Scotts 4-XD is a dry, granular formulation easily applied with the Scotts Spreader. Weed & Feed serves double duty, providing a grass- booster feeding along with weed con- trol. Since the "double action" can in- tensify injury risk, it is suggested for summer use in cooler climates. Insects Should Go SUMMER BRINGS MANY BUGS, some just a nuisance but others that will chomp on the lawn grass if not on the owner himself. The relatively new chemical Chlordane can provide a pro- tective blanket over the lawn and about the house, against insects and allied pests. Scotts Lawn & Turf Pest Control is the easy way to lay down this blanket. Some insects actually damage grass, as for example, Chinch Bugs. The tiny Chinch bugs, hardly as large as a pencil point when fully grown, lay eggs on the base of the grass plants. In hot sun and dry weather the eggs hatch into myriads of swarming young, each of which must suck grass juices to grow. When enough bugs attack, the grass browns, first in irregular spots, then spreading out into large patches. Other insects also harmful to grass, including Webworms, Beetle grubs, Ci^worms and Armyworms can be cur- tailed with Scotts Pest Control. lessen Some insects don't harm grass di- rectly but either disfigure the lawn with their workings, or the pleasure of its summer use. These cul- prits include Chiggers, Ants, Mole Crickets and Centipedes. One or two treatments with Pest Control should take the itch out of lawn-loafing, also keep ants and the like from moving indoors. Using Pest Control a couple of times in the summer will be good insurance for more enjoyment and better grass. Lawn Spreader A Must THE SCOTT-IT-YOURSELF lawn pro- gram isn't work, it's fun and re- laxation, a good investment of time and funds. The two-wheeled spreader with accessible hopper and handy rate and on-off controls is the key to the fun-instead-of-work lawn tending outlook. *** With this in mind, all Scott products have been designed for quick, easy application by spreader. Spreader mod- els suited to all size lawns make precision spreading of lawn f o o d, weed controls, seed or granu- lar pesticides merely a mat- ter of a pleasant stroll back and forth on your own lawn, at a time of your choosing. Thanks to Lawn Care I got a hint last year that SCUTL might help rid a lawn of fungus. I tried it and for the first time in several years fungus did not get the better of the yard during the fall. You are to be commended on your information services in Lawn Care. Austin Texas Miss BERTHA CASEY O M SCOTT & SONS CO. SS-112 5654 M A R Y S V I L LE - - O H IO E V E RY P A C K A GE OF S C O T TS L A WN C A RE P R O D U C TS B E A RS T H IS T R A D E - M A RK A ND IS S E A L ED FOR Y O UR P R O T E C T I ON