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

15 Basic Ways To Landscape Your Homepage

Plant Differences

Lawns

LAWN properly planned and planted usually provides the basis from which your entire landscape evolves. Primarily, today's lawns are designed as living carpets for outdoor relaxing or recreation.

It is not difficult to grow a luxuriant lawn but many failures occur because so few homeowners seem to realize that lawn grasses consist of a collection of individual plants. Lawns thus require observance of the same gardening practices as do all plants in the preparation of soil, seed selection, planting and maintenance.

Lawns will grow in nearly all types of soil. Generally, new homes have much useless excavated subsoil scattered about the yard, burying the builder's leftover debris. If possible cover the proposed lawn area with a six-inch layer of clean top-soil. Dealers are available who specialize in supplying this type of soil service.

If your ground seems reasonably clean it can be utilized when reconditioning his been done. To recondition any soil you should first remove and clear aw ay all foreign material such as stones, brick or wood. Incorporate liberal amounts of decomposed animal or vegetable matter, such as peat moss, bean straw, steer or barnyard manure, to a depth of six or eight inches. Avoid using fresh manure as it will burn the tender roots.

After conditioning the soil, rake it clean and remove clods or other waste matter. Establish a grade to allow enough slope for water to drain away from the house. Use a cylindrical toller or a Hat board to level the earth carefully, making sure there are no low spots.

Water thoroughly after leveling and let the ground settle for a week or two. This will reveal other low areas and germinate the weed seeds. After the new weeds have sprouted clear them aw ay with a rake or soil tiller. Check the ground level again.

Selection of seed is important. Hardly any single grass thrives alone. Climatic and soil conditions vary so widely that in most cases a good grass seed mixture is most satisfactory. Commercially packaged lawn seeds are often prepared for a specific purpose. For example; some seeds are selected to succeed in dry soil, much used patios, play areas, in hot sun or dense shade.