The Goderich Signal-Star, 1987-04-22, Page 41Page TA
ORVr111EnT94. IRON RAILIN
See our complete
selection at our
booth at the
Goderich Home &
Garden Show
this weekend.
GORD'S EL
"Owned and Operated by Gord G rrats'
s
@IRON RAILINGS
Gates and Fences
.Custom built utility and
boat trailers
°General Repairs and
Fabricator of Steel
& Aluminum Products
275 ON ST.
(Behind Durst Farm Centre)
®Specializing in
AGRICULTURAL REPAIRS
Our shop is equipped with a 12
foot by 19 foot doorway to
accommodate most equipment.
482-516
Clinton Spring Fair
1st ANNUAL TRADE FEST
is n.w booking space for
Trade Fest
Friday, June 5 Saturday9 June- 6
* Any type of displays welcome
Applications for space can be
forwarded to:
PAUL WHEELER, Box 387 Clinton, Ont.
Call 462-7924 anytime or 524-7171 9 am - 6 pm
or call NANCY SNELL
work
87-937= home 462-5203
CLINTON SPRING
FAIR EVENTS
*Friday, June 4th - Demolition Derby
*Saturday, June 5th - ATV Races
In conjunction with Hully Gully and
the National ATV Racing Association.
*Saturday, May 30th - SPRING FAIR DANCE
Show 8 - 9:30 featuring Ronnie Prophet, Ann -Marie
Carrier & Family Brown
M.C. - Michael Dee from BX93
Dancing: 10 pm 1 am
A green lawn enhances
the value of your home
The secret to establishing a high quality/-
lawn
ualitylawn is taking the time to prepare for the
job. -
A lawn can be established at any time in
the growing season, but one established bet-
ween August 15 and September 15 has the
best- chance for success, says Kemptville
College of Agricultural Technology Hor-•
ticulturist Jeff Morton.
"Early fall is ideal because weeds are
beginning to die off just as your lawn is get-
ting started; temperatures are cooler at this
time of year too, which helps turfgrass
establishment," he said. ' -
First, prepare the soil.
To the top 15 centimetres of soil, work in
organic material such as compost, sawdust,
manure or peat moss; this will improve the
soil structure and promote rapid germina-
tion of- the _ seed and spreading of the
rhizomes]
Next, apply a fertilizer, such as 6-12-12 or
10-10-10 to the soil.
Firm the seedbed by raking or rolling or
by dragging a -heavy plank or piece of chain
link fence over the area.
Use top quality seed.
Select a mixture with a higher amount of
Kentucky bluegrass for sunny areas; for
shady areas, choose a mixture that is high in
creeping fescue.
"Bargain seed is not a good buy because
lawn establishment will be much slower,"
Morton said.
Immediately prior to seeding, lightly rake
the top one cm to two cm of soil.
Broadcast the seed in two directions over
the area. -
Lightly rake the area lin one direction i
after seeding, to make sure the seed is
covered with just enough soil for good
germination.
• Then firm the seedbed by rolling it with a
50 kilogram roller.
Water the area. well and keep the soil
moist until seedlings have emerged —
usually in 10 to 20 days.
Allow the soil to dry and then roll again
with a 50 kg roller.
Once the turfgrass is well-established -
usually in two to three months — maw at a
height of five cm.
After the first mowing, roll the lawn one
more time.
Apply a herbicidetocontrol.weeds, only
after -the lawn is well established.
Apply a fertilizer with a ratio of 4-1-2 in
April, June -and September.
A lawn may also be sodded, instead of
started from seed.
The advantage here is that your lawn is
"instant", and gives weeds little chance for
establishment.
"Both sodding and seeding require about
the same amount of effort on your part; but
in terms of dollars, seeding a lawn costs five
times less than sod," Morton said.
Summer -lawn secrets -
In mid -summer-,- lawn use is at its peak,
but often your lawn is not, says Turf Resear-
cher Nancy Pierce of the University of
Guelph's horticultural science department.
Cool -season grasses enter a period of self-
imposed
dormancy during the warmer mon- -
ths of the year and without careful manage-
ment, grass can become quite unattractive.
"This is the time to increase the mowing
height of your lawn mower; the extra length
helps shade the lower grass shoots and the
soil= surface and gives the plant more leaf
surface with which to produce food," Pierce
said.
Raise the mowing height from four cen-
timetres or five cm to five cm to six em.- f_
Reduce the cutting height again when the .•
cooler temperatures -of fall arrive.
PREPARE FIRST — The secret to establishing a high quality lawn is taking' the
time to prepare -for the job-. says-Kemptville College of Agricultural Technology
Horticulturist Jeff Morton. Here. the lawn is raked and the seedbed firmed before -
the seed is applied. A lawn established between August 15 and September 15 has'
the best chance for success. l photo by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and
Food).
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