HOME HARDENS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 70, 28 March 1949, Page 6

HOME HARDENS

(By J. W. Goodwin, N.D.H. (N.Z.), F.R.H.S., Massey Agricultural College.)

A, good lawn is neat and attractive. It sets house and garden off to finest effect and provides a restful area for play or leisure. Now is the most suitable time to lay down new lawns or renovate the old. There are three main methods of ■ controlling weeds in lawns. The first is by the use of sulphate of ammonia and sulphate of iron, which are most easily applied as lawn sand. This is prepared by mixing five pounds of sulphate of ammonia, half a pound of sulphate of iron and five pounds rather dry fine sand. This should be dusted over the weeds or broadcast where they are too numerous. Apply, 'when the grass is moist with dew, at the rate of one ounce per square yard and repeat two or three times at three or four-weekly intervals during the spring.

The second method is by spraying with one of the selective hormone weed-killers. These sprays are absorbed by the leaves of weeds and slowly cause collapse and death. The grasses remain unharmed, though in young lawns browntop may be damaged by fairly strong applications. The third method of weed control is by spraying with arsenic pentoxide. This substance may be used at strength from one in 200 to one in 80. The weaker solution will burn the grass only lightly, the second more severely, but the.grasses recover in two or three weeks. Onehunga weed is susceptible at the weaker strength whilst daisy, selfheal, cats-ear and most other weeds succumb to the one-in-80 solution.

Removal of Patches Once the weeds have been removed, the lawn may be rather bare in patches, and these will provide homes for weeds if not quickly covered with grass. The grass should be mown short and then scarified with a sharp rake. The best method is to use a rake which has been sharpened on the front side (facing the handle) and tapering to a point; Commence from one side and, working backwards, draw the rake towards you, thus making parallel cuts about one inch deep. Cross-raking will result in patchiness and give an uneven surface. The rough material should be raked off, leaving a series of parallel drills about three-quarters of an inch deep. An application of one ounce per I square yard of a mixture containing two parts of sulphate of ammonia to one part of superphosphate should be applied. Where a particularly fipe turf is desired the proportions may be three to one. If the grass is at all thin a light sowirg of seed may be sown, with a heavier dressing on the bare patches. Finally, a light dressing of seived soil should be applied. This must not be too heavy; say, about three or four barrows full for one hundred square yards. This soil must be free of weeds and may be taken from the vegetable garden or from clean pasture.

Sowing New. Lawns Many readers are now preparing to sow down new lawms. Care must be taken that the sub-soil is not left exposed when levelling high spots. Some of the sub-soil should be removed and placed in the bottom of deep depressions, retainmg a reasonable depth of surface soil' throughout the whole lawn. Levelling should commence at a fixed level, such as the paths or terrace or perhaps the foundation of the house. The uniform slope or level, from there should correspond with the amount of soil available. It is well worth while to use a straight edge and spirit level for the final finish. Space pegs, both lengthwise and. crosswise, at a distance just under the length of the straight edge. The straight edge is placed along the path on the pegs, which should be three inches above the edge of the path. The next peg is tapped down until the spirit level shows level when set on the straight edge. If there is to be a slope, it will be necessary to show a suitable portion of the bead “off-level,” to give a uniform gradient. Once the lawn is finally level and consolidated, the area should be given a dressing of the two-to-cne mixture of sulphate of ammonia and superphosphate at the rate of loz per square yard, or 3001 b per acre. This may be raked in by drawing the rake uniformly across the area, thus leaving drills ready for sowing. The fine grasses (Chewings fescue 2 parts and browntop 1 part) will give the best results and are easier to maintain. They do not re- ! quire as much mowing or manuring \ as ryegrass, which also is untidy ' when out. The seed is fine and a sowing of three-quarters to one ounce per square yard is plenty.