PREPARATION OF A NEW LAWN 
SELECTING THE SEED—LDifferent parts of the country require different grasses. The most successful 
grasses for the North Eastern and North Central sections of the country is Kentucky Bluegrass, Chewings 
Fescue, and Red Creeping Fescue. Good grass seed mixtures generally contain small percentages of nurse 
grasses, Rye, Red Top, and Dutch White Clover along with the main perennials. In most instances bluegrass 
requires a richer soil and does not withstand drought or mistreatment as well as Red Creeping Fescue. For 
the shade the best mixture should contain a liberal amount of Red Creeping Fescue or Poa Trivialis. The 
Red Creeping Fescue will be preferred at a dry shady place and the Poa Trivialis in a moist shady location. 
PREPARATION OF THE SOIL—A good lawn should have 6 to 8 inches of good loamy topsoil. Where 
a basement is being dug, the topsoil should be scraped off into a pile, and returned after the grading or 
building operation is finished. Debris, plaster, stone, or trash should be removed and not covered up 
Where grading operations are not involved, the soil should be spaded or plowed to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. 
FERTILIZING—If time permits a sample of your soil should be sent to the Ky. Experiment Station at 
Lexington, Ky., for their analysis and fertilizer recommendation. If time does not permit this, the use of 
approximately 50 Ibs. of ground limestone and 25 to 50 Ibs. of a good balanced fertilizer such as Verta- 
green or Vigoro per 1000 sq. ft. normally would prove to be of great benefit. Where the top soil is thin, 
organic fertilizers such as bonemeal, sheep manure, or cow manure may be applied at the rate of 40 to 
60 Ibs. per 1000 sq. ft. with excellent results. 
SEEDING—Best time of the year for sowing grass is Feb., Mar., Apr., and Sept. and Oct. After the 
fertilizer has been applied the seed bed should be raked until level. If soil is dry, the seed bed should be 
watered very liberally. To insure a thick even turf, a comparatively heavy sowing is necessary. 3 to 5 Ibs. 
per 1000 square feet should be satisfactory. The seed should be covered very lightly, not over 4 inch. 
This can be done by raking very lightly, or rolling, or if sown on frozen ground, the thaw will draw the 
seed down sufficiently. 
WATERING—If the weather turns dry after the grass seed is sown, it will be necessary to water the 
lawn as frequently as necessary to keep the topsoil from drying out. After the grass is established watering 
should be done only as the grass needs it, or after an extended dry spell. When watering the soil should 
be wet to a depth of 4 to 5 inches 
MOWING—Biuegrass and lawn Fescues do not like close mowing. Never mow them any closer than 
1% inches. Bent grasses may be mowed to ¥ inch without injury 
MAINTENANCE OF AN OLD LAWN 
The first principle in the maintenance of a good 
lawn is proper fertilization. Fertilizer should be 
applied at the rate of 2 to 4 lbs. per 100 sq. ft. 
in Spring and Fall. A complete fertilizer such as 
Vertagreen or Vigoro may be used. The use of 
rnanure or peat moss is desirable if soil is heavy 
clay. Fertilizer should be applied when the grass 
is dry and should be watered in immediately 
afterward. 
Grass clippings which do not exceed two inches 
in length should not be removed as they add some 
plant food and humus to the soil and tend to 
conserve moisture. 
Grass should not be allowed to get more than 
three inches high. This means that it should be 
cut at least once a week and sometimes oftener 
during the fastest growing season. 
The lawn should be watered only after an ex- 
tended dry spell and then thoroughly to a depth 
of 4 to 5 inches. Too frequent and shallow water- 
ing promote shallow root growtn and encourages 
crabgrass. 
Weeds may be removed quite easily by the use 
of chemicals such as 2,4,D and special tools. 
The most important secret of weed control how- 
ever, is proper fertilization and mowing. If a 
lawn is well fertilized and given sufficient humus, 
and the lawn mower is kept going, the grass will 
grow so vigorously that such a thick sod is formed 
that the weed seeds that fall on the lawn and 
germinate are soon choked out. 
