(NAPSA)—Winter is your lawn or garden’s worst enemy. Snowplows, salt and ice-melting chemicals really take their toll on green areas that are adjacent to streets or sidewalks. However, first aid for your lawn and garden doesn’t have to cost you a fortune. An application of gypsum may be just the thing to rectify the problem. Gypsum, a common mineral that is reasonably priced and widely available ia at most nurseries, home centers and other merchants specializing in lawn and garden products, helps your turf, garden and compost heap in multiple ways. Gypsum’s most obvious benefit is that it loosens heavy clay soil, allowing air and water to more easily penetrate, which promotes grass and plant growth. It also adds vital nutrients, such as sulfur and calcium, in a non-toxic, non-caustic way. One of the keys to producing healthy plants and dark green, robustgrass is soil structure. Gypsum acts as a natural soil conditioner that aids growth by loosening dense and water-impervious soil. It creates a more poroussoil that is easier to work with and permits deeper circulation of air, water and other nutrients. This promotes strong, vigorous root systems. United States Gypsum Company recommendsthat lawn and garden gypsum be applied during spring and fall to take best advantage of seasonal moisture patterns. Sof’N-Soil Lawn and Garden Gypsum—which contains approximately 20 percent calcium and 17 percent sulfur—can be applied like lawn fertilizer. Rec- ommended application rates are: 1. Established lawns: 40 to 50 Ibs. per 1,000 sq. ft., twice a year. Gypsum can help lawns and gardens overcome the damage done by winter conditions. Double this quantity for soils with excessively high clay content. 2. New lawns laid over soil with heavy clay concentrations: Use up to 300 Ibs. per 1,000 sq.ft. No matter how much you apply, make sure you water the gypsum into thesoil. 3. Gardens: 20 to 30 lbs. of gypsum per 100 sq. ft. Mix it in well, adding compost or organic matter. Around rose bushes, apply up to a pound per bush, twice each year. Increase the quantity to one to two pounds around each shrub and two to three pounds around each evergreen. Watersoil well. Further details about gypsum application rates are available at nearby nurseries and landscapers. Also consider asking a professional to analyze your lawn to determine its chemical and clay composition. Information about Sof’N-Soil Gypsum products is available by visiting www.gypsumsolutions.com or calling (800) 487-4431.
