Matthew O'Brien, age 13, of Dotham, Ala., for his question:
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO PLANT A LAWN?
A successful lawn should be a plot of ground that is covered with a plush carpet of closely cut grass. The first step must be to decide which type of grass is best for you.
Common lawn grasses in warm, humid regions include Bermuda grass, St. Augustine grass and zoysia grass. Carpet grass and centipede grass are also grown in such locations. Gamma grass and Buffalo grass do well as lawn grasses in dry regions.
To pick out the grass that is best in your territory, it is wise to check with a nursery in your area. You will be able to get the professional advice needed to grow a good lawn.
Grass can then be planted in three ways: with seeding, sodding or sprigging.
By far the most common and cheapest method of planting a lawn is with seeding. The seeds can be distributed by hand. If the area is large, a push type seeder can be used. The seeder can also be used to spread grain type fertilizers and pesticides.
The experts say the best time to plant a lawn is early spring or early fall. The start of the summer season is definitely the wrong time for starting a lawn with seeding.
In seeding by hand, divide the seed into two equal amounts. Seed half the seed by walking back and forth over the soil. Sow the other half by walking at right angles to the first direction.
Cover the seed by raking the soil lightly, but be sure not to bunch the seeds. Roll the soil lightly to provide a compact surface. You may cover the soil with a light layer of clean straw since this can provide a mulch and can also help to conserve moisture.
Water the seeded lawn lightly and frequently until the lawn has developed fairly well.
In sodding, sections of soil already covered with grass are rolled out over the site. In sprigging, small chunks of cuttings of grass are planted.
Sodding is the most expensive method of planting a lawn. But there is a great advantage. Presto. You have an instant lawn.
In using the sprigging method of starting a lawn, the variety of grass determines at what intervals the small chunks should be planted.
As the sprigs grow, their low lying stems creep along the ground and root in the soil, thus filling in the lawn site. Sprigging is used chiefly in regions where grass cannot be successfully grown from seed.
Once the lawn has grown, you will have to work out a plan for regular mowing, watering, fertilizing and controlling diseases, pests and weeds. Grass should be mowed to a height of about one inch.
Where there is regular rainfall, watering of lawns may not be necessary. But even in dry periods, a lawn should not be watered more than once a week. Light daily watering may cause weeds or weedy grasses to grow more rapidly than the lawn grass itself. A lawn should be fertilized twice a year: in spring and fall.