The Times

Thursday, March 9, 1961, page 76 (of 84)

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glamorfinish your pool with TILE-LIKE RAMUC ENAMEL

Used on More Pools Than Any Other Paint! Ramuc brings glamorous beauty. Select one of eleven lovely pool-proved Ramuc pastels. Pick the one that brings out your pool's individual charm. Ramuc will delight you. It's easy to apply, easy to clean, lastingly lovely. Write today for your color chart and 32-page Handbook on Painting Pools - both free. Send us your pool's dimensions, tell whether it's metal, concrete or plaster, and the type of paint now on the pool; we'll send specific advice without obligation. Ramuc Enamel, Manufactured by INERTOL CO., INC. 483 Frelinghuysen Ave., Newark 12, N. J. 27 BB South Park, San Francisco 7, Calif.

Get A Strangle Hold On Crab Grass, Now! Begin with an underground attack...follow up with a well-seeded, well-fed lawn.

BY JOHN BRIMER UNLESS A MAN is completely indifferent to the appearance of his lawn (and to black looks from his lawn-loving neighbors), he will know after a single season what crab grass is: LAWN-ENEMY No. 1. In practically all sections of the country we find its tentacles inching out, crab fashion, from the parent plant to root at stem joints and make new plants. It thus steals so much food and moisture from desirable grasses that they are crowded out from large patches of the lawn. Come autumn, we find the crab grass dying and turning brown - it is an annual - leaving a balding, scrofulous lawn for the entire winter. In our parents' time nothing much availed in the fight to rid lawns of this pestiferous weed except hand-pulling, and that was a back-breaking job, to say the least. But science has come to the aid of the gardener, and now there are several effective treatments which either render the seed harmless or kill the plant itself. Because the chemicals used are selective, only crab grass is affected, while good, permanent grasses survive the treatment and go on to flourish without competition. The most recent development in this field is called the "pre-emergence" killer, for when it is applied in spring the seeds are killed before germination, and thus no plants get started. Since several companies offer pre-emergence killers, we cannot give instructions but recommend that the manufacturers' directions be followed to the letter as to when and how to apply for best results. They will vary according to formula and climate. However, NOW is the time to acquire your pre-emergence killer so that it can be applied as soon as the recommended time arrives. The good feature about these killers is that most of them may be safely followed after about three weeks with a sowing of blue-grass lawn mixture (or whatever grass you have chosen for your lawn), and these seeds will not be affected but will get a good start before the heat of the summer comes. These desirable grasses will cover the bare spots and also fill in between sparsely growing permanent grasses, so that the lawn thickens up and leaves little area for future infestations of crab grass. The best weapon in the fight is a thick lawn, well-fed and frequently cut. Should you miss the boat with a pre-emergence killer, you needn't despair. You can still get a strangle hold and prevent this year's crop of seeds from adding to next year's crab-grass woes. There are a good many post-emergence killers on the market which act on crab grass after it has sprouted. All should be applied in early summer, before seed has formed. You have a choice as to how to apply them: As dry granules, distributed with a mechanical spreader of the type used for sowing grass seed and applying lawn foods, or in soluble form - either powder or liquid - put on with sprayer. Some of these chemicals may cause temporary browning or slight injury to permanent grasses, and of course the crab grass will yellow and turn brown, but the good grasses will recover in a short time. Sometimes a repeat treatment may be called for where heavy seedings of crab grass are encountered or where plants missed in previous treatment have been sprouting. Possibly, a second year's treatment or at least spot application may be indicated, since crab-grass seed may lie dormant in the soil for several years. However, once you have got rid of one year's crop of crab grass, the surest way to prevent its return is to sow good lawn grass and get it established on bare spots and between the other grasses so that it will be thick and vigorous and leave no room for any future crab-grass crops. After the summer or post-emergence treatment, the most favorable time to plant the bare spots and to thicken the lawn is in late August to mid-September in northerly areas and a little later in milder climates. Keep the lawn well-watered after sowing so that the tiny plants of good grasses will get a healthy start. Don't be alarmed if you recognize any seedlings of crab grass - they are annuals, and they will die when winter comes, while the perennial lawn grasses will continue to grow roots long after the tops have ceased vigorous growth. Give your lawn a good feeding in September so that it will go through the winter in good shape. Well-fed, late-fed lawns will be greener all winter and will get an early start in spring, too. Follow the instructions from the manufacturer of your crab-grass killer, watching carefully for a year or so and giving spot treatments as needed to eliminate crab grass from your garden. You'll have a fight, but you've got what it takes - fierce killers and good seed. ILLUSTRATION BY ROY DOTY Suburbia Today, March 1961 44