Prune Your Way to a Better Lawn 
By J. F. FONDER 
Reprinted from BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS - April 1940 
W uen damage comes to the well-maintained lawn 
it’s harder to find a reason than it is with the neglected 
lawn. But it can’t be doubted that there’s a cause. 
Importance of the soil as the seat of all evil has 
been emphasized so much that there’s a tendency to 
look only in this direction. But one must look 
further. 
One trouble is our failure to recognize how com- 
pletely grass is affected by the trees on or around 
the lawn, the shrub and other border plantings, and, 
frequently buildings. These cast shade, reflect heat, 
restrict air movement, increase humidity, compete 
for soil food and moisture, and perhaps affect grass 
in other ways we don’t yet recognize. 
In shaded areas sowing “shady” seed isn’t enuugh. 
Shade grasses are merely “shade-tolerant” and won’t 
grow without some sunlight or produce as good a 
lawn in a shaded section as can be developed where 
sunlight is abundant. 
Use the shady seed, of course. But as much as 
possible, reduce the amount of shading. More or less 
severe thinning. of individual trees and removing 
some of the lower branches may be al) that’s needed 
if the trees are spaced far enough apart to permit 
early-morning and late-afternoon sun to reach the 
lawn. If the trees are close together, it’s sometimes 
possible to benefit both the lawn and trees by remov- 
ing misshapen, damaged or badly crowded indivi- 
duals.. I frequently encounter persons who profess 
such love for trees that they won’t permit them to be 
trimmed and certainly not removed, even tho they’re 
not good trees and may be damaging other more 
beautiful specimens. This is foolish. It’s better to 
give a few fine trees every opportunity to develop 
their beauty than to have a whole forest where a 
forest isn’t desirable. As for thinning and trimming, 
this usually increases tree health and vigor and 
reduces danger of disease. 
After early-morning or late-afternoon sunlight is 
admitted, keeping the soil in good physical condition 
and feeding the trees at least every third year and 
the grass at least twice a year will go a long way 
toward developing a good turf. If the offending trees 
are the neighbor’s, all that remains is to take advan- 
tage of any possible improvements in the main- 
tenance program or perhaps use ground-covers more 
shade-tolerant than grass. 
Bur what about all of the lawns growing in sunny 
situations that persist in turning brown each sum- 
mer? The answer is that maybe the soil isn’t all it 
ought to be. Or maybe—this sounds foolish until 
you study it—it’s lack of ventilation, 
Seeking privacy for the outdoor living-room de- 
veloping a high screening-border planting of shrubs 
—this lays the foundation for one of our worst lawn 
problems. These screening-borders shut out the rapid 
movement of air over the surface of the lawn. 
During very hot weather, lawn grasses, like other 
plants, must transpire a great dea! of moisture to 
cool themselves. If the humidity is also very high, 
transpiration is checked and the point may be reached 
where the grass is overheated and suffers scald, 
which is to plants what sunstroke is to animals. 
Sca.p is unknown in the arid sections because 
there the air is always so dry that transpiration is 
maintained at a high rate. But in humid regions the 
summer air is frequently close to the saturation 
point, even on clear days. If a high border planting 
or a stone wall incloses the lawn and stops cooling 
and drying breezes from rolling freely across the 
lawn surface, humidity at the lawn surface may 
become so great that scald occurs when the sun is 
intense. 
Seald is more common in small, inclosed areas 
than large ones where ventilation can’t be so re- 
stricted. It’s most severe immediately west of trees © 
or of the house, because these objects cast morning | 
shade over the lawn and prevent drying of the dew 
until late morning. When sunshine finally strikes 
such shaded areas, it’s intense, and the wet grass 
scalds before the moisture can evaporate. 
There’s no treatment for scald, because the trouble 
isn’t caused by a disease organism. Preventive meas- 
sures can be very helpful. In humid areas remove 
all clippings in the spring and summer. Rake the 
areas occasionally to remove all dead grass which 
might mold and heat around the base of the plants. 
Clip frequently but not too short. Withhold water 
during periods of high humidity. In addition, it 
appears that on scald-susceptible areas frequent light 
plant-food feedings are better than a single heavy 
spring application. Slow-acting organic plant foods 
which provide nitrogen and little else and which 
break down quickly only at high temperatures are 
te be frowned upon. When disease appears in con-~ 
junction with scald, use a good lawn fungieide, 
preferably dry. 
These preventive measures will probably be par- 
tially effective. But the only real relief will come 
from thinning out or otherwise opening up the en- 
circling borders and reducing their height as much 
as possible. Perhaps the borders can be eliminated 
on one or more sides. A high wall of trees on the 
east side should be reduced in height and thinned 
drastically to cut early-morning shading to a 
minimum. 
Bur all lawn troubles can’t be blamed on soil, 
shade, or inadequate ventilation. Wide-open lawns in 
good soil have their troubles, too. 
When a well-cared-for lawn is thin and unthrifty, 
take a look at the mower, Chances are that it cuts 
too short. All the turf grasses except creeping bents 
grow more vigorously if clipped not shorter than 
1% or 1% inches. Clipped at this height, they’ll 
become thicker and thicker each year because the 
leaves are long enough to make the sugar responsible 
for growth. In contrast, lawns clipped as short as 
one inch will become thin, poor in color, and more 
and more the prey of weeds. 
It’s also important that the grass be maintained 
at as nearly a uniform height as is possible, so that 
the supply of sugar will be uniform. This may mean 
that a properly fed and watered lawn will have to be 
cut every third day during gocd growing weather, 
but. it’ll pay. Don’t ever let grass grow very long and 
then cut it back severely. This not only produces 
steminess and browning but cuts off the supply of 
sugar going into the roots and vegatative parts and 
may cause them to starve. 
Wuen you water, soak, don’t sprinkle. Repeated 
sprinklings produce shallow roots because the plants 
have no need to send roots deep into the soil in 
search of water. Make your grass struggle for water 
to develop an extensive root system; then during 
summer drouth your grass will have a solid founda- 
tion. Revolving sprinklers should remain in one place 
severa] hours, continuous sprinklers at least an hour. 
Then don’t water that spot again until the soil is 
quite dry to a depth of one-half inch. If you do, 
you'll only defeat, your purpose in watering. 
Ir YOU would have a beautiful lawn, provide good — 
soil, sow the best seed money can buy, feed at proper 
intervals with a balanced plant food, cut the grass 
long, water thoroly but less frequently—and Jet in 
a little air and sunshine. 


