Sow !T GROWS IN MY last article 1 covered a number of topics dealing with spring lawn mainte- nance. This week I am going . to consider some of the prob- lems related to lawn renova- tion or repairs. Over the years most Jawns will develop slight depressions due to decaying organic material or set- tling. If the humps and hollows are not more than one or two inches deep the quickest solution is to add a one-inch top dressing of rich top- soil to the lawn. You can drag a "plank or ladder over the dressing to ” remove the high spots. If, however, the lawn has major depressions, a thick layer of top ‘dressing will only substitute one problem for another. Before trying to eliminate the depressions you should first determine why they are there. Using a piece of reinforcing stec} or an iron bar, poke a hole in the low spot to see if there is a par- tially collapsed septic tank or grease pit below. . In some cases a large depression may be an old stump hole that was filled with debris and is now decay- ing. It may take four or five yards of mineral soil to fill this potential- ly dangerous hole. 15% ofr PLANTERS — & GARDEN CENAMENTS aay PAVING STONES NEWS photo Terry Peters LAWN REPAIR work can be as simple as using quality topsoil to level out small depressions. Adding six or seven inches of topsoil to a deep depression will make the grass grow much faster and give the lawn a patchy appear- . ance, It is better to repair it by cutting your turf in twelve inch strips and rolling it back like a jelly roll. Scrape off the thin layer of exposed topsoil and add enough mineral soil to the hole to level the mineral base. Replace the topsoil and rol! the turf back into place. This procedure keeps the turf, topsoil and mineral soil at a uniform depth and the growth tate of the grass the same. Another problem area occurs with trees such as flowering cher- ties which are prone to develop a few very large surface roots. If you cut the roots the tree will ‘be deprived of nutrients or be sus- ceptible to blowing over. A series of top dressings will raise the soil level enough that your mower blade | 5% OFF \WOODLRETE | LIGHTWEIGHT PATIO TILES MADE OF | CEMENT, SAN will go over the roots without scalping them. In areas where small patches of grass have dicd or trees or bushes have been removed and you want to restore the grass, it is wise to use some of your own turf to fill in the space. Go around the edges of the lawn where the grass has been creeping into the beds or over the walks and slice off enough thin strips to patch the bare spot. Fill the cracks between the strips with topsoil and in two or three weeks you will hardly know a repair job has been done. Using new grass seed in the above situation always creates the tisk of having a permanent yellow- green grass showing up as a patch in a blue-green lawn or vice versa. The turf patching procedure can also be used very effectively when redesigning the shape of lawns and SALE ON GRASS SEEDS 5% OFF i | AND MINERAL. « ‘CHIPS IZED WOOD ! 20% OFF ! LANDSCAPING & GARDENING ALLAN BLOCK™ RETAINING WALLS The turf that is lifted in one area is used to replant in another, pro- viding the total area of fawn is the same of fess. In situations where there is no EXCLUSIVE | SteclSpan® Foundation f with a steel center beam and cross beams for maximum durability. EXCLUSIVE j Posture Tech® Coil helps give you J correct support. extra turf to steal for patching pur- poses, the seed that is used should be the same or be feathered well out into the old lawn so there is no defi- nite fine between old and new lawn with different grasses. To do this effectively the bare patches and the turf areas must be top dressed lightly to allow. good seed germination well out into the old lawn. When ihe lawn is full of weeds. weed grass or moss and the soil level has sunk well below the side- walk, it might be time to consider rebuilding the lawn. There is no point in putting top soil on top of this weed patch and planting new grass because the unwanted plants will come back up- through the soil. Killing the grass and weeds can be accomplished in several ways. The quickest way is to spray a non- selective herbicide on the grass. Wait two weeks for the grass to yellow and dic. Some brands of herbicide have a low toxicity and are quick to break down in the soil. A second way is to purposely burn the grass by spraying it with a very strong solution of area fertiliz- er (46.0.0). 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