More than any other single feature, an attractive lawn expresses the qualities that change a real estate transaction into a home.
Such a lawn, however, does not just happen but is created at the cost of time and labor.
Principal Causes Of Lawn Failure
When a lawn looks neglected, it is normally not because the owner does not want a beautiful lawn but because the effort has been wasted.
The principal causes of failure in lawn-making are the following:
1. Inadequate or improper soil preparation
2. Over liming or under fertilization or both
3. Improper seed mixture
4. Mismanagement after planting
Ideal Soil For A Lawn
The soil and trash that are left around many new houses bear little resemblance to topsoil.
An ideal soil for a lawn should have good surface and subsoil drainage, mellowness to the depth of eight inches, ample organic matter, high fertility, and slight acidity.
Seldom are all of these qualities found in one soil, so it is necessary to amend or change some of them.
Correcting Subsoil Compaction
Subsoil compaction to the imperviousness of concrete by the giant machines used to grade the lawn area is too frequently a serious problem.
In those parts of the country where heavy clays underlie the topsoil, machine compaction can only be corrected by the use of a subsoiler.
Subsoiler is a machine that breaks up the subsoil to the depth of 15” to 20” inches or by laying drainage tile under the topsoil. Ideally, the topsoil should be at least 8” inches deep.
Grassroots In The Subsoil
The belief that grassroots do not penetrate more than 3” or 4” inches is based on observations made where the perviousness of the subsoil prevented further penetration.
Grassroots, if given a 10-inch of friable topsoil through which to move, will penetrate the full 10 inches.
Grass supported by such deep roots can survive the heat and protracted drought that would kill the grass with only three inches of root depth.
A lawn made on thin topsoil will always be a problem, no matter how expensive the seed used or how diligently water is applied during dry periods.
Only in the prairie country and along stream beds can 8” inches of good topsoil be found.
Topsoils In Forest
In the area where forests originally grew (which means most of the country), the topsoil was always thin and low in several plant food elements necessary for lush greensward.
The contractor cannot always be blamed for spreading a pittance of topsoil. That is probably all he could scrape off the rolling hills before construction began.
Though it is not always apparent, such a problem exists wherever houses are built. It can be solved in several ways.
Green Manure Plan
If you are willing to produce your topsoil, the green manure crop plan will provide a seedbed that grasses will enjoy growing in. While it takes time, it is far cheaper than buying topsoil.
The green manure plan proposes that the lawn area first be sown in the spring to the top or preferably Korean lespedeza.
This should be cut wherever it reaches 3” inches in height. Cutting should continue until mid-August when the lespedeza should be rototilled under.
After raking to grade, annual rye grass should be sown. This will develop a lush stand quickly. Mow it as often as it reaches three inches and allow the clippings to remain.
Early the following spring, this is rototilled in at least 5” inches deep, and Korean lespedeza is again sown. Never sow ryegrass in the spring.
Use Sedge Peat
After mowing regularly until mid-August, rototill it in as deep as possible and apply one inch of native peat (sedge peat, not sphagnum peat).
Incorporate this in the top inch of soil by raking. Next, apply 25 pounds of a 5-10-5 fertilizer to 1000 square feet of area and rake it in lightly.
Sow the grass seed for the permanent lawn by September 1st, roll lightly, and water thoroughly. Do not attempt to sow permanent lawn grasses in the spring.
Organic Matter and Fertilizer
Now you may expect a lawn because you have incorporated three green manure crops into the soil, topped by an inch of 90% organic matter and fertilizer.
If you can afford 2” inches of peat, so much the better. Of course, such soil preparation is not cheap, but maintenance will be so much less that it will more than pay for itself in five years.
Experience has demonstrated that individual grasses, or at most simple mixtures of congenial grasses, arc more satisfactory for lawn making.
The grass to use is determined by the physical and chemical makeup of the soil, as well as the location of the property.
Compensation For Poor Seedbed
The practice of trying to compensate for a poor seedbed by using grass mixtures of greater tolerance to low fertility, poor drainage, or other adverse factors only intensifies maintenance problems and increases costs.
Careful consideration should be given to the sunlight requirements and shade tolerance of the grasses chosen. Of course, conditions will change as trees grow and shade increases.
This can largely be disregarded unless the chosen grasses tolerate no shade or the trees are the grass-killing kind, such as Norway maple or beech.
44659 by H. Gleason Mattoon