The key to a velvety green lawn lies in the thought and effort you put into establishing it. A lawn properly made will also cost you less to maintain than one poorly made.
Seeding is best done in August in the northern half of the bluegrass zone (see map on opposite page).
In the southern half, it should be done in September. Plant at the time when the first fall rains usually come.
Here are the key steps to follow:
1. Have a good soil foundation. Be sure to tell the contractor you want the topsoil kept separate. Establish the rough grade, then spread at least six inches of topsoil on top. Plan a gentle grade away from the house.
For best results, allow a foot drop in grade during the first ten feet from the foundation. Avoid steep slopes and terraces whenever possible.
2. Build soil structure. If the soil is poor—sandy or subsoil mixed in—work about an inch of organic matter into the soil. Granulated peat moss, sewage sludge, well-rotted compost, or barnyard manure can all be used.
3. Build fertility. Incorporate uniformly about 20 to 25 pounds of a complete fertilizer (for example, 10-20-10). The fertilizer should be high in phosphorus content. Work the fertilizer and organic matter together.
4. Make a soil test. This will save you both money and later headaches. A test indicates whether lime is needed and the amount and ratio of the major plant foods you should add. Don’t add agricultural lime unless the soil test shows a need.
5. Prepare a firm, crumbly seedbed. Use a rotary tiller or a tractor and disc plow. But don’t overlook the spade for small jobs. Do the final grading with a rake or a tractor dragging a harrow or chain-link mat. Remove stones, weeds, clods, and other debris. Fill in low spots.
6. Apply additional fertilizer during the final grading operation based on the soil test results.
7. Seeding. Buy a high-quality lawn grass mixture containing 90 to 100 percent permanent grasses. Don’t buy “cheap” seeds containing mostly “weed” and temporary grasses.
Follow the recommendations of your Cooperative Extension Service regarding seed mixtures for your area. Read the printing on the seed label before you buy. Remember that good seed is expensive.
8. Use a lawn seeder, if possible, to ensure uniform distribution. With a good seedbed, two pounds of a high-quality seed mixture is usually sufficient for 1,000 square feet of a bluegrass or bluegrass-fescue lawn.
9. Rake in the seed lightly after sowing.
10. Roll lightly, if possible, to firm the seed in place. Don’t roll a wet seedbed.
11. Mulch. Proper mulching with straw, peat moss, sphagnum, cloth netting, or wood chips speeds seed germination, retains soil moisture, protects against washouts, and reduces soil compaction. Water lightly (sprinkle) often enough to keep the soil surface damp.
12. Start mowing when the first grass is tall enough to cut (1 ¼” inches). Then, mow often enough to keep the clippings short. It’s generally best to remove tile clippings with a grass catcher and use them as garden mulch or in the compost pile.
13. Later care. Water, feed, and mow your developing lawn according to local recommendations. Water deeply and infrequently early in the day.
14. Practice weed control. Thick turf is the best weed preventer. If you need chemicals, use the amine form of 2,4-D to control broadleaf weeds. Apply at low pressure and on a still day. Fall is the best time to put on 2,4-D.
Probably the best crabgrass killers are the arsenicals, chlordane, and such brand names as Dacthal and Zytron.
Apply these chemicals in early spring when forsythia and early tulips begin to bloom. Check with your extension weed or lawn specialist for the latest crabgrass killers recommended for your area.
15. Control insects. Ants, sod webworms, grubs, chiggers, fleas, other insects, earthworms, and the germinating seed of crabgrass and other grassy weeds are all killed by chlordane.
Use two pounds of actual chlordane per 1,000 square feet of lawn applied in early spring. A single treatment gives protection against most pests for several years.
Chlordane is available as emulsifiable concentrates, wettable powders, and dust. Water the chlordane down into the soil immediately after application.
16. Have good air circulation to reduce disease problems. Prune or remove dense trees and shrubs that shade or border lawn areas.
44659 by Malcolm C. Shurtleff