MANAGEMENT OF LAWNS

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 68, 17 September 1936, Page 26

MANAGEMENT OF LAWNS

; The report of an address on the ■ management of lawns appeared in a re- • cent issue of the ' "Gardeners'1 i Chronicle." The lecturer dealt with. * neglected lawns where weeds as well ," as moss were prevalent. Some lawns, v said the lecturer,.were too bad to clean j up, and it was much better, when they ; had got into a very bad.state, to dig them up and make a 1 fresh start. If ; the lawn was not too weedy the best ■ line of treatment was to give several ■ applications of a mixture of three parts j- of sulphate of ammonia and one part .> of sulphate of iron together with a , carrier of twenty parts of sand. This r mixture should be applied at 4oz tothe '.. square yard, preferably under dewy. t conditions and in dry weather, but j not during a drought. Five or six ; dressings should be given at monthly j- intervals. ••■ ■ - • ■ Z The lecturer further pointed out that I some of the more resistant weeds, like i plantains, might require a stronger

treatment, such as mixture of sulphate of ammonia..three parts, sulphate of iron two parts, and sand 5 parts. The dressings should be continued during the growing months of the grasses in conjunction with hand-picking of the more resistant weeds, top-dressing, and regular mowing.

It. was. sometimes advisable after using sulphate of ammonia and sulphate of iron to supplement later a mixed fertiliser containing 5 per cent, to 6 per cent, of nitrogen and 10 per cent, of phosphate with small amounts of potash and 10 per cent, to 15 per cent of sulphate of iron.

.The lecturer also drew attention to the harm which was often done to lawns by rolling with a heavy roller, and for, this purpose they chose a day .when the surface was wet. Great harm 'was thus done-as the surface was puddled and sealed. A 2cwt roller was heavy enough.