By Harvey D. Goodman
If you want to enjoy a luscious green lawn in the summer, you best start your preparation in early spring.
Let’s start with the basics — a good general cleaning, weed control and grading precedes the planting. Remove dead plants, pull out or spray weeds and dig out rocks and other debris that will interfere with the growth of your lawn.
In addition, now is a good time to work through those pesky drainage problems. Generally landscapers suggest that the slope of the lawn be directed 1 to 2 feet away from the house for every 100 feet of space. Observing where water accumulates after a watering or rain will give you a clue as to which areas have to be graded. Even in well-established lawns, the winter can take a toll in eroding certain areas which are further eroded with the onrush of spring rainstorms.
Test your soil with any of the many home kits that are available, or take the easy route by bringing samples of several areas of the garden to your local nursery. The nursery will test for vital nutrients, pH and even for the presence of grubs or other harmful insects.
Lime will be suggested to raise the soil pH. A good fertilizer mix, one containing appropriate distribution of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, should be included in your soil preparation. Adding organic material or decomposed compost aerates clay soil and improves the moisture absorbing ability of sandy soil. The soil in this area is, by coincidence, a loamy mix of clay and sand.
Now let’s review the check list: ground debris, weeds and dead plants have been removed. The area has been graded and where necessary aerated or tilled. Lime, fertilizer and herbicides are placed on the soil. Compost material, wherever possible, is used to aerate the soil and stabilize its ability to absorb and store water.
Satisfied? Now let’s lay out the seed. A knowledgeable staff employee in your local nursery will suggest the best mix of seeds for your garden. Be prepared to describe the growing conditions in the area to be used — shady, very sunny, open area, or one that has many bushes and trees. Describe or provide a sample of soil, preferably from a number of different locations. Don’t just collect the soil from the surface. Dig down at least 3 to 6 inches.
The best way to broadcast the seed is by using a seed spreader, indeed many fertilizer spreaders can double in this task. A “roller” is often used to ensure that the seed is in direct contact with the soil and is covered with a bit of the soil. When the seed has been spread, water the area. The site must not be allowed to dry up. Once the seeds begin the germinating process, and that starts almost immediately after the seed is exposed to moisture, water is needed to permit the process to continue.
The most expensive way to either start or fill in a lawn is using sod .Sod grown on sod farms consists of a turf growing on a thin layer of soil. The soil turf is cut into strips, rolled and stacked for delivery. Try to get the freshest sod possible. You can tell if the sod is fresh by its green color — sod that is stale will appear dry and yellow. Lay the sod on the lawn as soon as possible. A roller should be used to push the sod into the soil.
Plugs, which are small pieces of turf sod, are another alternative for starting lawns or repairing bare spots. They are planted evenly over an area, watered and allowed to fill in over a period of time. This process of filling in an area usually occurs quickly.
Seed, sod or plugs — you choose, but don’t procrastinate. Spring is the planting season and early spring is the best time to start your lawn.
One final note: this year may be a drought alert condition at best, and at worst, an actual drought condition. Under these emergency conditions, it is quite probable that there will be water restrictions in the entire metropolitan area. Thus a word to the wise: when selecting seed stock, plugs or sod, ask the advise of your local nursery to help you select a species that can survive drought conditions.
Questions or concerns on gardening or house plants? Contact the Plant Doctor at: Harvey.Goodman@att.net.
