The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California

Small Home Landscaping

Sometime in early July, depending on the region, growth will slow up. Weekly mowing, sometimes every two weeks, will suffice. If you have cut lower, raise the cutting height to about two inches and maintain this until late summer or when the grass resumes faster growth. If the lawn is regularly watered throughout the summer, growth will continue—so mowing must be done regularly. Constant watering will tend to deplete the soil of much plant food materials. It will be necessary to apply a light quantity of fertilizer in July to maintain growth, that is, if watering is constant through the summer.

Lawn Pests

Japanese Beetle grubs and a tiny insect called Chinch Bug account for most of the insect damage done to lawns in summer. The grub, not the beetle, does the damage. The beetle lays the eggs on the grass in August, the grubs emerge from the eggs, tunnel into the lawn and feed on the grass roots. As winter approaches the grubs work deeper into the soil. In spring they move back to the surface and feed again. Later they emerge as full grown beetles.

The Chinch Bug, an extremely small, black and white insect, feeds on the grass leaves. Sucking the juices it turns the grass brown. There is an infestation in June and another in August. The infested areas are somewhat circular in outline. Hot weather is favorable to its operations.

Both pests can be pretty well controlled with DDT or Chlordane. Six pounds of 10% DDT dust is mixed with a quantity of screened soil or sand and scattered over one thousand square feet. It is watered in with a hoze. Chlordane is a more rapid killer. Use 5 lbs. of a 5% dust spread over the same area and water it in. This chemical will also destroy ants in the lawn. Put 1/8 of a teaspoonful in each hill. These chemicals are now combined with fertilizer so that all can be put on at one time and make this chore seem less tedious.

Weeds

Crabgrass, dandelion, plantain, chick- weed and others—once they gain a foot-hold—are difficult to eradicate. The best preventative is a close vigorous sod. Most weeds can be kept in check by 2, 4-D, a selective weed killer. When spread on the lawn, it will not kill the grass. However, it has been known to injure bent grass and it will kill clover. When using the materials, pay strict attention to the manufacturers directions.