Lawns take licking from wicked winter Geoff Tebiasson -OVER THE GARDEN GATE THE AVERAGE ™ Pacific - Northwest winter is tough on turf; this winter will be --an.exception only in that it will likely -be worse. Not only does it have to deal with the wet and soggies, but it "must now also contend with being ‘shoved in and out of the deep : freeze. One look out the window - . should demonstrate its level of - appreciation. . _In previous years, 1 have tried to offer advice on some of the methods cf repair used for this ' winter damage. As this year has probably caus- ed more damage than usual, it is’ likely that many of you are tatk- ing “more replacement than re- ~. juvenation. . . . - Your first consideration will be “what to do with the old fawn. Besides. the two obvious options, leave it in place or-take it out,” there are several sub-options for you to think about. »"'. The easiest, least expensive and Most common method is to simply leave in place, cover it over with a fresh layer cf ‘‘topsoil’’. and try forget it was ever.there. - I say try because in most cases, this procedure will likely result in _the old Jawn coming back to ’- haunt you. ‘’- Just.’ because you bury the , ,weeds, moss and undesirable | Pavin: Ki ALLAN @LOCK'¥ RETAINING WALLS he wa ae grasses, there is no guarantee that they will stay entombed. Using herbicides and moss- killers to make the undead die is not necessarily a great idea either. Overlooking the fact that weed- and grass-killers (herbicides) pres-~ ent a more frightening option than the resurrection of the problems you were trying to hide, the sim- ple fact is, they just won’t work. The seeds and spores of your victims will still be there, hiding just below the surface, waiting to jump up at the first opportunity. Another problem with leaving the old lawn intact under a new covering of soil is the barrier it will produce, Unless broken up, it wiil take a number of years for natural decomposition to break it up. Until this is accomplished, it will remain as an impediment to a healthy flow of air and water through the root zone. It is therefore better to break up the old turf and mix it in with the new cover of “‘topsoil’’ (we'll lose the quotation marks later). : This will allow the old turf layer to break down much . faster, removing the barrier and releasing the organic nutrients locked in- side. ; Unfortunately, this will do little to reduce its reappearance after you have gone to the trouble of replacing it. You could rototill and add six or more inches of topsoil, but even this is no guarantee that some of your old problems will not find their way back to the surface. : This brings us to the other major option, removing the existing lawn. The first benefit is clear: your problems are exorcised by loading them into'a dump truck and ship- ping them out of town. The other, less obvious, benefit is that. you now have the machine, usually a Bobcat, on hand to do all of the back-breaking work. Would you rather move or 45 yards (30 to 60 tons) of “‘topsoil’’ with a machine ocr with the See New page 44 this nwa ATS ere pa tjahie este sis at | EE ! ile 1991 Inglewoed Avenue, West Vancouver, built 1916. Downing House THIS. SMALL Craftsman bun- galow was one of the earliest in the area of Inglewood and 20th, and is positioned on a large cor- ner lot. {t terminates the sloping vista up 20th Street with its attractive landscaped gardens which have become a well-known feature in the neighborhood. 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