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Lawns—Mulching of. After the first year it is generally notnecessary to protect lawns in winter. If a mulch is desired use strawor well-rotted manure old enough so that there is no danger from weedseeds. In the spring the coarse manure should be removed and thefiner portions pressed in with a heavy roller. Heavy, coarse manure isapt to suffocate the growing grass and leave bare spots on the lawn. General Conditions. Fall-planted material, especially perennials,and in the heavier soils, should be well protected during the firstwinter with a mulch of strawy manure or hardwood leaves. Compactor fresh manures should be avoided. Fresh manures, free fromstraw, will burn the plants, and compact manures will cause decayand fermentation, due to lack of aeration. A good strawy manureshould be used. In the spring the litter may be removed, and thefiner portions of the mulch spaded into the beds. When leaves areused, provision must be made to prevent them from blowing away.Boards, branches, or wire netting can be used for this purpose. Mulch-ing, applied very early, may be harmful by reason of encouraging lateroot action and top growth. Therefore, it is always advisable todelay root mulching until, after several light freezes, a crust has formedon the ground. Evergreen boughs, when procurable, make an ex-cellent protective covering. After a dry fall most plants, except someperennials, are benefited by being thoroughly soaked with water beforefreezing weather occurs. This is especially true of conifers and broad-leaved evergreens. Cultivation in shrub and perennial beds can bestopped as soon as danger from weeds maturing their seeds is over.This will furnish some protection and will also discourage late growthof plants. |
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