Ask your agricultural extension office for help if you need it.
Growing grass on clay.
Aerators remove plugs of dirt from the lawn and break up the soil allowing grass roots to spread.
Varieties that grow in a clay loam soil include annual ryegrass colonial bent grass hard fescue kentucky bluegrass perennial ryegrass and red fescue.
Follow some basic steps to make grass grow in red clay soil and establish a lawn that is the envy of the neighborhood.
There is some light at the end of the tunnel.
Heavy clay red or otherwise is inhospitable to most plant life but there are things that you can do to make sure that your property has a healthy green lawn.
You will have to introduce some organic material and change its ph level before attempting to lay turf.
An unamended clay soil will never grow a good lawn as grass roots suffocate in the airless environment drowning when the clay is wet and baking when it s dry.
Most grass seed will grow in various soil types.
Clay soil needs regular aeration to allow water and oxygen to move freely through it.
Depending on where you live it can be a real advantage that you don t have to irrigate your lawn as much especially during drought if there is a hosepipe ban.
However clay soil is perhaps the most difficult to work with.
A good way to determine the soil s moisture content is by sticking a screwdriver into the soil to a depth.
Even though clay soil isn t good for growing grass you can set up a covetable lawn on this soil if you prepare it well.
Aerate after the ground thaws when soil is moist not soaking and during the growing season.
Here is a list of grasses that grow well in clay.
That s because it is extremely heavy and thick.
The biggest benefit to having clay is its capacity to hold an amazing amount of nutrients and water.
Clay is only ever at a good moisture level for a very short time between being an airless wet mud and dry and hard as a brick.
Grass grown in clay soil requires less frequent watering than lawns grown on sandy soil.
You re improving your soil but it s still clay.
Clay soil will hold water better so if you live in an area that doesn t get lots of rain clay soil will make it a lot easier to grow grass.
You don t want to mix two types of grass but you want to make sure your lawn is tolerant of clay soil.
If your willing to put the work in clay soils can actually be an awesome soil to grow plants and grass in.
It can take up to two months of preparing the soil before you can actually plant your grass.
Clay soil is made up of tons of small particles that stick together clinging to moisture.