MOSS ON THE LAWN

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 22, 25 July 1940, Page 19

MOSS ON THE LAWN

Moss often disfigures an otherwise good lawn and it is such a bad weed that- if left unchecked it will gradually choke out the grass and ruin the lawn. : ' * The best way of dealing with the trouble is to tackle it in the early spring. Take a rake with short teeth and tear.as much of the moss out as possible. Then scatter sulphate of iron over the lawn at the rate of a quarter of an ounce to the square yard, or better still, dissolve the requisite amount for the size of the lawn and apply with a rosed watering can. A month or six weeks later give a dressing of one ounce per square yard of nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia. These are best mixed with fine dry soil or sand to facilitate even distribution. .The result will be good dark green grass, free from moss. A very badly-affected lawn may require to be treated two years in succession, but this is rarely the case. ANOTHER LAWN HINT. Where a lawn runs alongside a wall or boundary fence, one often sees a ragged line of grass which is difficult to deal with, as the mower will not J

reach it. If- a strip of turf three or four inches wide is removed so that a hoe can be run along periodically a neat appearance will, be maintained without a lot of laborious clipping; PERENNIAL CLIMBERS. Most climbers require some attention at this time of the year. The ground should be lightly forked over and the dead leaves-buried. This improves the ground and also the appearance of the plants. Should the plants be in need of further stimulant a dressing of- wellrotted manure, with a sprinkling of bonedust, worked about the root system will be of great benefit. In many cases climbers growing on the wall of a shed or house are planted in a very narrow strip between the wall and. a concrete path... Growing under such conditions, the plants require annual feeding and if'fresh soil can be used to replace that which is impoverished so much the better, but care has to be taken to damage the roots as little as possible.. The growths \ of the plants should be regulated so that without overcrowding there are sufficient to fully clothe the space allotted to each plant. All weak and useless wood should be cut out and young growths encouraged and trained in to cover bare spaces. Many climbers soon vbecome • little more. than a

tangled, mass unless systematically pruned.. • .Wistaria is one of .the most popular climbers, and does not require a great deal of pruning as a rule unless the plants are. over.large. Young growths should be cut back to within a few inches of the old wood. Flowers are borne on spurs on.mature branches.