4 — Wednesduy, Apri 5, 1989 ~- Capilano Ckronicle Best defence against weeds, moss is a healthy, well-cared- for MRS. B. of West Vancouver writes: ‘‘Not long ago, I read in your column in the Friday dition of the North Shore News, that one should not use ‘Weed ’n Feed’ on the Jawn. Why not? What should we do to keep the weeds down?”’ At the risk of sounding rude for the saké of quickly getting to the point, which is something of which 1 am constantly being reminded, not that J am admitting to having a problem, it’s just that... Right, the point. Take better sare of ycur grass. As I have said in previous articles, the first line of defence against the attacks of weeds and moss is a heathy lawn. ’. The weed killers found in those products designed <‘o eliminate weeds in turf grass, nameiy 2-4-D, mecoprop, and dicamba are poten- tially dangerous compounds. Why use them unnecessarily? If you have a few weeds here and there, why spread toxins ev- erywhere along with your fertil- izer?. The use of liquid weed killers,, spot-applied to areas in need, is a more environmentally sound practice. Better still, why not reduce the risk of weed problems by adopting reasonable approaches to lawn care and eliminate the need for these chemicals altogether? Here are a few suggestions: Liming every spring and occa- sionally in the fall with dolomice lime will help counteract the tendency of our soils to become acid. Take advantage of the free soil- testing sessions which are held at the loca! garden centres, or better yet, purchase your own PH testing kit. You can then gauge precisely how much lime you will require to keep it in its preferred 6.0 to 5.0 PH range. Keep thatch and moss under control by de-thatching the lawn every two or three years. Thatch thins out the lawn, making it more susceptible to invasion. Our soils are prone to compac- tion from foot traffic and even falling rains. Aerating your turf once every two to three years will reduce: comapaction thereby allow- ing the soil to breathe, water and fertilizers to penetrate and the roots of the grass to grow freely. provision of a bountiful supply of iron which your lawa needs in order to produce chloropayll. Feed the lawn weil. This does not mean dumping toxic levels on during a burst of gardening en- thusiasm in the spring and then THE ROOT OF THE MATTER GEOFF TOSIASSON Moss is tough to control! even in a healthy lawn. An application of iron sulphate-based moss Killer each spring should keep it under control. An added benefit here is the NORTH VANCOUVER ALUMNI BAND Adults fine-tune their musical skills REMEMBER THOSE days, confined to your room on a sunny afternoon, when you were forced by a scolding parent to ‘‘practice or else quit the school band.”’? Then, after the door closed and you settled down to playing, you began to enjoy it? Years later, you wonder why you never lept up with it. Chances are, unless you decided to pursue a musical carcer, there were no bands with which to con- tinue. The North Vancouver Alumni Band, formed by alumni of the North Varcouver Youth Band, provides such an outlet for people whose musical instruments have lain dormant in their cases since their school days. The band began two years ago after members, invited to play at a reunion concert for the North Van Youth Band, rediscovered their love for music and the satisfaction of working jointly toward a goal — the concert, “We practised and practised to get our chops into shape for the big concert. Then we thought, why not do it more often?’’ said Kevin Hamilton, promotions manager for the Alumni Band, whose en- thusiasm borders on being con- tagious. He describes the band’s reper- toire as ‘‘complete, memorable and entertaining,’’ embracing styles as diverse as classical, jazz, popular and dixieland. The 50 members, who come from backgrounds as diverse as the music they play, including law, medicine, business and computers, practise once weekly at Highlands school, fine-tuning pieces until they are concert-perfect. Unlike school days, motivation is no longer a problem. In its place, at least for band member Jim Galpin, is a “time commit- ment problem when you get older. It’s'a fine line between how good you want to become.”’ , Some members, however, even find enough time to play in cne or both. of the Alumni Band’s *“‘sister’?. groups —. The North Vancouver Jazz Ensemble and Freddy Fudpucker and his Rolling Clones. North Shore residents may be familiar with the Fudpuckers, a wonderfully wacky troupe whase members often turn up in parades dressed in togas, garish floral shirts and gaudy Bermuda shorts, and whose antics are every bit as laughable as their clothing. Hamilton, himself a ‘Fudder’’, explains that Fudpuckers are ‘‘out to prove that you can look ridicu- lous while playing good music.”’ Less zany, but no less energetic, Please sign an organ donor card... today. is the 25-member jazz ensemble which plays at conventions, jazz festivals and other public events. For Galpin, who plays saxophone in both the concert and jazz bands, “the jazz ensemble is what makes it challenging. It’s definitely de- manding, especialy with some- times just one person on a part.” The jazz band performs any- thing from standard jazz classics to free-form improvisational pieces, allowing opportunity for more allowing it to starve the rest of the year, Three to four applications of a quality lawn food spaced out from March to September will do the trick nicely. A common mistake made by for a return engagement. “All we care about is that they enjoy listening to us,’’ says Hamilton, although he laments that it would be nice to buy a few new instruments or go on a trip. For now, most plans cemain on the North Shore. For the future, the Alumni Band plans a name change, dropping the somewhat limiting ‘Alumni’ which is no longer representative of the group’s membership. SEE PHOTO PAGE 1 personal expression and some engaging ensemble work. All bands are subsidized by the members and by the occasional remuneration for an engagement. Most of the rewards, however, are non-monetary. Audiences at seniors’ homes and the children’s hospital, for example, glow with appreciation after a concert, and the band is inevitably invited back The Kidney Foundation of Canada Give the greatest gift of all... the gift of life The band is now open to all adult musicians, es;ccially those who play woodwind or percussion, RAN INTO ANY PROBLEMS LATELY? ———s lawn homeowners in this area is in- sufficient water during the hot months of the summer and early They are either fooled by the fact that we live in a quasi rain- forest or foolishly think they can reduce the amount of work by allowing the grass to go dormant. Either way, the grass will gradu- ally yellow, become thin and allow weeds and moss to take a foot- hold. 1 would much rather drag the hose around the yard than face a weed or moss-infested lawn . Cut the grass frequently and at the proper height. Get it down to one or one and a half inches during the hotter months. Allowing the grass to grow too Jong will force it to thin out closer to the ground. The next time you mow, you will expose the roots to the heat of the sun. Geoff Tobiasson will answer readers’ garden and houseplant questions in his column. Send your query to The Root of the Matter, Capilano Chronicle, 1/39 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver, V7M 2H4. which are presently under- represented. UPCOMING CONCERT An upcoming concert on Sun- day, April 9, at 7:30 p.m., at the Centennial Theatre will showcase all three bands. Highlights will include themes from Porgy and Bess, toc-tapping, familiar tunes from Freddy and his Clones, and original works by North Shore composers performed by the jazz ensemble. Tickets are $7 and $4. For fur- ther information on the North Van Alumni Band, contact Hamilton at 986-7779. 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