SOWING DOWN A LAWN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 September 1940, Page 9

SOWING DOWN A LAWN

THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT. The site should have been dug over deeply during the autumn and early, winter and left exposed to the action of frost and air to get a good surface tilth. It should now get a dressing of ground lime at the rate of 2oz to the square yard, this being worked into the surface during the levelling and raking. After- levelling roughly, tramp all over to find out the loose places, and level again. If a large lawn is to be sown, rolling will take the place of tramping, which would be too tedious. Next rake over the surface, removing all stone and rubbish and breaking up all lumps. To secure even distribution, it is better to divide the lawn into strips of three feet, with strings, and to divide the grass seed into two lots, sowing one cne way and the other across the first row or strips. A calm day is essential, and if the soil is at all loose and sticky boards should be.laid down to walk on. v If the lawn is a small one, it is better to buy a good lawn grass mixture from the seedsman, with or without ryegrass. The advantage of ryegrass is that it germinates quickly and grows quickly, making quite a good sward the first year, and it also provides shelter for the finer grasses, which are slower at coming away and spreading out. The ryegrass, though said to be perennial, disappears after the first year or two, but its place is taken by the finer varieties by then. The seed is sown at the rate of lioz to 2oz to the square yard, and after sowing is raked in with a steel rake. If the soil is a litte bit rough, it is better to cover the seed with about a quarter of an inch of fine sandy sifted soil, for even with -careful raking there is a lot of the seed left on the surface, where the birds can get it.

After sowing, roll with a light roller; but if the roller is the usual heavy type, it is better to wait until germination takes place before rolling at all. A good and useful grass seed mixture would consist of three pounds of perennial ryegrass, one pound chewings fescue, one pound brown top, one pound crested dogstail. If the lawn is damp and shady, poa pratensis could take the place of the crested dogstail. and if light and sandy or gravelly and liable to dry out during the summer, add half a pound of yarrow to the mixture,' for both stand drought and heat very well, and though the clover is an annual it ripens seed and will come up every year.

It is not necessary to sow much manure along with the seed, but a light dusting of superphosphate can be given. and as soon as germination takes place a dressing of lawn sand can be given, this consisting of one pound sulphate of ammonia, a quarter of a pound of sulphate of iron and two pounds of sea sand. Apply this at the rate of four ounces to the square yard, and it will not only stimulate the growth of the grass, but it will kill oil any broadleaved weeds which may have sprung up. No matter how carefully the soil is cultivated beforehand, and how pure the seed mixture, there are sure to be a number of weeds spring up, but these can be controlled by the applications of lawn sand continued at intervals of three or four weeks throughout the growing season. Birds are always troublesome, and not only do they pick up a lot of the seed, but they make holes and disturb the surface level. Sowing poisoned grain and leaving the dead birds on the surface may frighten them away, covering the lawn with twiggy branches or nets can be tried, or strings and rags fixed up. Where birds arc very troublesome coating the seed with red lead can be tried. First moisten the seed lightly, then stir in a little dry red lead and stir until at least most of the seeds are coated. When the young grass is about one inch and a-half high, it should be rolled, not on a’wet day. and when two inches high it can receive its first cut with a sharp scythe or the lawn mower set high. Afterwards, regular mowing and rolling can be carried out.