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New House Lawn
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Posted: Feb/09/2008 8:29 PM PST
My house is just over year old, in a new subdivision which used to be an old corn field. The Developers skimmed most of the black dirt off the surface leaving mostly clay for the majority of us to work with. I have a fairly decent lawn I guess for only workin on it for one growing season, but still have plenty of work to be done. Would aeration and overseeding be my best bet for this spring? I have asked around to a few locals and that is the general opinion I am getting. Thank you for any suggestions |
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Posted: Feb/09/2008 11:40 PM PST
With a heavy clay soil I would have to agree, that will help break down the clay with all the rooting systems...the aeration will do even more! Another thing is you might try working coffee grounds into that clay before the over seeding and prior to the aeration as that will help drop the ph in a long term, natural way and make a for happy lawn! Just go to any local breakfast house or coffee shop and tell them what you need them for, give them a 5 gallon bucket (or more...you want to toss them thick, like scatter a handful every step) and they WILL help you as they would just be throwing them away... |
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Posted: Feb/10/2008 7:13 AM PST
I have the same situation--be prepared for an ongoing battle of aerating and overseeding every spring and fall. Basically, you want to rebuild that topsoil over several seasons. You need a base for the seed, so add 2-4 inches of fine compost/soil mix after aerating. You can add some coffee grounds right in there and mix it all together. Your grass will love the compost and perk right up. Like RK says, grass prefers a neutral pH so I usually add lime. Then you'll have the fertilizing...mowing....weeding....crabgrass...to look forward to.  Water deeply during the summer-you never want that clay to dry out, and you want your roots to go deep searching for water. I have removed as much of my grass as possible by widening my garden beds because the lawn has been so frustrating. I'm making headway though! |
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Posted: Feb/10/2008 10:08 AM PST
2-4 inches, WOW... it would take TONS AND TONS of compost/soil mix to build my lawn up that much. |
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Posted: Feb/10/2008 10:12 AM PST
Would it help sprinkling compost over the lawn after aeration? |
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Posted: Feb/10/2008 6:42 PM PST
Yes, greenthumb, and raking it in well. You want to break up the clay and that takes several years of keeping at it. You aerate, let the dirt clods dry, mow to break them down, add gypsum, compost, and soil so the seed has something to put its roots into since it can't just lie on top of the clay. Then seed and rake the seed in lightly. That is what has been working for me. |
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Posted: Feb/10/2008 8:14 PM PST
What about manure???? I have access to all kinds of that? what are the chances of that burning the yard? I will still probably need to mix it with some good black dirt to rebuild the topsoil wouldn't I??? |
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Posted: Feb/11/2008 7:07 AM PST
Haven't used manure, but it needs to be well-aged or the nitrogen content is too high, and high nitrogen will over-fertilize grass and burn your whole lawn. Another thing that really benefits the lawn is to mow the leaves right into the lawn in the fall--chop them up really fine. In theory, if you start building a rich topsoil, the worms will start mixing the clay and compost layers together. It won't happen overnight, so that's why you keep repeating the process. You can overseed without doing much to the soil, but as soon as you hit those summer temps, the grass will die. It's better to seed in fall and let the grass get its roots established. |
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Posted: Mar/01/2008 12:34 PM PST
Improving soil structure in a lawn takes time, so be patient. We're facing the same situation as the original poster, and we have three acres of stripped off clauy subsoil. Aeration followed by a light (1/4-1/2") topdressing of compost is an excellent way to start improving lawn soil. Don't go crazy and dump inches of compost on your lawn. It's more trouble and expense than it's worth. A little goes a long way. Gypsum will only improve soil structure when it has been damaged by excess sodium. I'm sorry to contradict all the suggestions that gypsum breaks up clay, but any local extension agent or turfgrass professor will tear his or hear hair out at the suggestion. Gypsum does not break up clay that has been compacted by builders and developers. In other words, it can combat a chemical compaction (sodium), but not a mechanical one (heavy equipment, heavy rains, regular foot traffic, etc.). If a soil test indicates your lawn soil is overloaded with Na, then go for it, but I'd bet that in most cases, mechanical compaction is the problem. The solutions are simple, but they're slow. Decomposing organic material chemically breaks up clay, so get as many chewed up grass clippings and leaves on your lawn as you possibly can, but in manageable doses. Too much organic material at one time can lead to thatch buildup, which leads to all sorts of problems. Don't bag clippings, and mow regularly, taking no more than 1/3 of the grass blades at a time. Sorry to go on for so long. I'm kind of a soil geek. Tina McG |
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