PAGE 18, WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1991 I Rejuwve na1ting.'the old, Iawn. BRy the.Canadian Garden' 'couil Thousands of home lawns ini Canada are anything but the envy of the neighbours. They are spotty' rough and uneven, we*. anà many have * brown patches most of the season. The spottiness je generaly caused b~y different types of. grasses hM spots or sections, that, yield an appearance of different textures. Perennial' grasses, e such as twiebcou o banyad grasse ar prtcuary' prevalent and, thene patches spread-every year.-.1 The .unevenniese is. most often, caused sithèr by repaireý in the: form cof ueeding email *<arsasi previous yeare, or, by winter damage- eitber frâât beaving or' animais burrowing.' - At Ieast-3 choieës to pu in a new Iawn The weeds are 'genoraily broadisaf types, such as dandelion s and platain according te the &a -ia Gardon Council. But, occasionally, more* difficuit ones such as mouso-sar chickweed, ironwsed or even fine bentgrassý, and the aforomontionsd perennial twitch grass, cazi makea mess of the wlcomig carpet in front of a home, or in ones back garden. None -cf these problems, je insoluble. The answer -te any lawn condition 'dsscribed, that extends over a mqior portionof the lawn, je re-sodding the onitire lawn, or the particular area affectod by the preblem. The coot of sod over the years bas corne down; and je now conidsrably lose per square metro (or yard) than new broadloom for the living room. Sodding today may be carried out at any time from early spring until late autumn, with succese assured .-- if the sodding je carriod out following the basic simple suggestions outlined bore. The firet stop in putting in a new lawn fromn sod je deciding just what method wiil be used te get rid of theold grameand weeds. lhere are at lo4ast throe choicos. The firet method je te cover the entire old-lawn with eight te 10 centimotres (three te, four inches) of good, tepsoil obtainable fromn your1 neareet gardon contre (they wiil arrange te have it delivered). The second method je the use of a vegotation illor containing GlyPhosate. This chomical jes old i Canada Under three brand names: ClIIChipman'e Clear-It, Green Cross' Erase and L'qter's Sidekick. Be sure -te spray according te directions. Within a few days, ail the vegetation eprayod wiIl be dead, but, the, chemical will flot affect ony nearby planlâswbose foliage was net sprayed. That je, the chemical, though it Ifli theroots of tie. grass and weds whose foliage je sprayod, bas ne effect eni plants in the same soil whose foliage je left unprayed na fe days you rake off the dead grass and weeds. Sodding may be dons seven days after Fraying. According te the aainGardon Council, thie method involves the least amount of heavy work. The third mxethod jes te remove the old -grass and weedse using a spade or ernail rentod sod cuttor, or roteitiller. You sbould keep in' mind that if there are perennial weed grassos such as' twitch present, any rotetiling cf its rmots will cause it -te multiply. It je thus botter teoi dl off this grass with a chenucal firet. Once the old grass and woeds are gene, propare the. surface by removing ail other rocks -and debris. PMil al holes with tepsoil te creato a levol site, carofully grading -te obtain surface water drainage, preferably away from your home. You shoud eliminate bard compacted .oil by rototiiling or spading the tep 5-10 cm. (two te, four iches) of the planting bed. 1 Before ordering your sod, be sure yeur site je ail ready for the installation. The tep 4" cm. (1-1/2 - 2 inches) of the sou bed shouldbe rak *d teafinetilth, and bave a high phosphate The ideal fertilizer te use je sEr phosht (1-20-1) but any fotlzor witht a higiier nmiddle number (e.g. 10-20-5) je fine. The application rate, if not recommended on the container, should be 2 kg. per 50 sq. m. (10 b.pr1,000 sq. ft.). 1pon dolivery, try te stack the sod in a predominantly shaded area if pssible. Mst important, begin laying the sud just as soon after its arrivai as 'ble If it muet romain stacled for a day or two, be sure te eprinkie with water te prevent the soil frein- drying out. Begin laying the sod along a straight lino such as a driveway. Smooth the sol ahead of each roil with a gardon rake. Begin a pjrailel second row with a half sod su that the join between each two roUe cornes at the centre of the gd i the previous row.' Continue this basic pattern for the entire area.ý The completed area should look similar, te tho way in wbich rows of bricks are staggered in bouse construction. It je mst important that al sud sdges be firnily buttsd up HIGH wInds last Frlay blew down Ut»branchs and baves ln Whltby. Above, Ed and Valerbe Knlght soM thmough the damage ln fmont of thelr msldenoe on Gmeenwood Oms. againat one another. There should beo abwolutçIy no ovsrlappig, and, ne gape betwoeen edges. If, afler the laying is complote, there are a few g ape between rows or individual suds, fi11 these up with sand, or dlean tepsoil. Falure te do this wil often cause the roots te dis aioig the edges of suds not abutted againet othsrs. Ushig a sharp knifesud "cutter ~or gaden spade, ceut off any uneven 'edges and shape suds te fit irrègular areas.>à Once the. sud je laid te or satisfaction, it'e time te o it. Borrow or rent a -lawn-roloer, possibly fiom your-nearest gardon centre, or rent-ail store. il the rolier (te almost fuli) with water and pass it o ver the entire sodded area. This je te romoive air pockots and prose the sud moots inte close contact with your ami. If the sud and/or soil je oxtromeiy dry, water the sud a littie (15-20" minutes) before rolling. Finaily, the entire sodded ara Should ha woll watered as soon as the layig- and roling je complote. Wasto ne time in getting a- good officient sprinkler onte the sod Once the workis complote. If it je a large ara that you are. sudding, lay the sod areaby aroa and thon roi and water each ara as it je completed. Water te wet the ou haeneath the sud te a depth, of at least .10- 15 cm-. (4-5 inches), which means leaving an efficient sprinkler in one spot for at loast an heur. The new sud ehould ha watered frequentiy if the weather je hot and dry - as often as daily, haing sure te beave the sprinkler i each spot for at least an b our. After a week, tbe graus should ha eut. Be sure te ceut so that the. grass blades are at lost 5 cm. (2 iches) i length after the cutting. Grass cut long wiil need watering loss frequently, and wil- easi resist infestation by mnost If you -foilow the foregoing directions, you wil bhave a now lawn that wi11 iast-fqr.years with little additional effort other than the reguar cutting, and other maintennce as réq=ed. For those thousands of homeowners with lawns that, are anytbing but their pride and joy, a newly-sodded lawn wil add considerable vaiue te your homo. 'The, fr-ont lawn, in particular, je your rosi wolcome mat.