New lawn or overseed?
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Posted: Aug/19/2006 5:37 PM PST
Our grass turned completely brown as soon as the temps reached 100, despite following all the recommended lawn care. I know what the problem is--compacted soil. I want to avoid throwing water on it every summer just to lose it by July, so I think I have two choices in the fall. Rototill the lawn, add compost, and put in a new lawn. Or...... Aerate like heck, topdress it with a few inches of compost, and overseed. What's the best choice? I'd do the aerating if it would be successful since it's far less work. But I want to do it right. |
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Posted: Aug/19/2006 7:02 PM PST
i'd go w/that second option. you already have established grass. it'll shield the young grass from hot weather. also regular aerating is a good idea if your lawn gets a lot of traffic. cut's down on thatch, too. a brand new lawn has problems all it's own and you don't want more headaches. |
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Posted: Aug/19/2006 7:26 PM PST
But will the second option improve the soil enough? It's clay. When we had it aerated last year, they hardly pulled out any plugs, so maybe that's why we saw no difference. Maybe we should give it a good aeration (rent our own aerator), then apply gypsum to break up the clay and rake fine compost into the holes. My Northwest gardening book says to add 4 inches of compost on an existing lawn, then overseed it. Is this a good plan? Good thing it's a small lawn...and getting smaller every year! |
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Posted: Aug/19/2006 8:35 PM PST
Quote: Originally posted by sweetlebee But will the second option improve the soil enough? It's clay. When we had it aerated last year, they hardly pulled out any plugs, so maybe that's why we saw no difference. Maybe we should give it a good aeration (rent our own aerator), then apply gypsum to break up the clay and rake fine compost into the holes. My Northwest gardening book says to add 4 inches of compost on an existing lawn, then overseed it. Is this a good plan? Good thing it's a small lawn...and getting smaller every year!It's important, especially with clay soils, to make sure the ground is moist enough to aerate, otherwise the areator spoons will just skip right over the soil surface. If you end up renting your own aerator, make sure and give the lawn a good watering before you do it. Gypsum does work to help break up clay soil, but it's quite slow acting. If you go the rototiller option your better off using soil conditioner (at least that's what it's called here in NC, it's basically finely ground up pine bark.) 4" sounds like quite a lot to me, but maybe I'm wrong. Topdressing with topsoil or compost does help the lawn though, both to even out any uneven patches and also to provide a better top layer for young roots to get established. Of course I don't know what type of grass you grow by you, is it perennial rye? |
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Posted: Aug/19/2006 10:14 PM PST
We grow a mix of Kentucky bluegrass, fescue, and rye. Our grass stays green all winter here. Thanks for the advice to water the ground first. I wouldn't have thought to do that. We raked in compost last fall and again in spring, and the grass loved it, but we're still dealing with almost a hardpan situation here. |
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Posted: Aug/19/2006 11:17 PM PST
Sweetle, clay soil has gotten a bad rap. it's not THAT bad. it holds water much better than sandy soil and doesn't need to be watered as much. just be sure to water deeply when you do. it also helps to give your lawn a quick 15 minute watering to soften the soil surface. then wait for a couple hours before giving it a good hour's worth 2-3 times a week at each station. top dressing w/compost will loosen the top layer of clay and help the tender roots of new grass get a foothold. |
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Posted: Aug/20/2006 12:08 AM PST
Maybe I'm not watering slowly enough! It could be shedding the water instead. Since I have such a small lawn (about 12 x 16 in the front) and hate dragging out the sprinkler, I usually stand there with the hose in my hand for 20 minutes once a week. |
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Posted: Aug/20/2006 12:44 AM PST
i've got a small lawn, too and mine is sandy loam. a local lawn service recommended to me to water mine more frequently, 30-45 mins. per station 4-5 times a week. they also said if the soil were clay to water 2-3 times per week, 1 hour at each station. you're [U]definitely[/U] not watering enough. |
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Posted: Aug/20/2006 12:48 AM PST
Everything I've read says to water once a week, an inch of water per week, more during a heat wave. Supposedly that forces the roots to go deeper in search of water, with stronger grass as a result. How many inches would you say your lawn gets a week, Foz? |
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Posted: Aug/20/2006 12:53 AM PST
i'm not really sure, Sweetle. i'll bet if you took a small trowel and dug down in your lawn after watering for 20 minutes you'd be surprised to see how little water has gotten thru, especially on clay. i set an oscillating sprinkler in my bird bath to keep it above the plants and let it run for an hour. barely a 1/4" of water is in the bird bath when i'm done. during drought conditions and extreme heat lawns need more water anyway or else they stress and go dormant. |
