Growing grass in sandy soil is quite challenging. Furthermore, different lawns come with different characteristics and require proper care and maintenance. Do you like to learn on growing grass in sandy soil? If yes, read further.
Preparation of the Soil
Collect the trash, remove the debris, separate big rocks, kill the weeds, and remove the dead roots safely. These are essential for the preparation of the soil. You can now till the lawn. The next step is digging about 6 inches deep to eliminate needless elements. The basic step is the preparation of the soil since it will serve as the base for the addition of nutrients and seeds.
Retain the Moisture of the Soil
Difficulty in retaining the moisture of the sand soil is among the top reasons why it is hard to grow the grass in the sandy soil. Fortunately, you can solve this problem by making loamy topsoil or a mixture of compost. With a rake, start digging up to 6 inches deep. Next, cultivate organic material over the area for excellent sand incorporation.
Investing in Fertilizers
Just like other soil, it is also a good idea to invest in fertilizers. You must evenly spread the fertilizer for coating the whole ground in 2 batches. Once you finish spreading, you can lightly rake the top of the soil once again. You must water the area to seal everything. With this, the fertilizer, nutrients, and other materials will not be easily blown by the wind.
Choosing the Best Grass Type
After preparing the soil, you can now choose the type of grass. Since under the topsoil is the sandy area, you must pick the best grass types which thrive in these conditions such as Blue-stem grass and Bermuda grass. You can also ask a professional which is highly recommended, whether it is seed form or sod form.
Begin Planting
Choosing sod grass is recommended; you can unroll it and sway its joints on its pieces. You must take note that the roots reach the topsoil and water it every day. On the other hand, with seeds, you can evenly spread with a broadcaster, water it lightly and top with chopped straw or clippings to help the soil maintain its moisture.
Grow the Grass with Enough Water
Dealing with water can also be challenging. Thus, you need to know enough amount of water. You must water the area daily. You must also check all areas. Take note that excessive water can wash away the grass seed, which can result to bald spots in your lawn.
Even more important, you must apply additional patience to grow your grass in the sandy soil. Aside from watering it, you must also take responsibility for its maintenance. You can use clipping to make it healthy. You must let the grass grow about 3 inches in height before you perform cutting. It is also advisable to set your lawnmower on 2 inches, so it will not disturb and damage delicate and young grass.
Additional Tip
The soil can have more exposure to water, so there is a possibility that it can be washed away, especially in tough weather conditions. You can use a compost after 3 months on the growing season to keep your soil healthy. Rake the compost diagonally on the lawn. However, you must not use clay since grass can be hard to grow in hard soil consistency.
It is quite disappointing if nothing sprouted after you planted, poured, and spend your time and effort on growing grass. It is not impossible growing your grass in sandy soil. You just need more research and patience to make it successful.
Meanwhile, to help you choose the best grass to grow in sandy soil, consider the following.
Best Grass Seeds for Sandy Soils
If you don’t know which is the best grass for your sandy soil, don’t worry because the following are the best grass seeds you can choose from.
Bermuda Grass
Bermuda grass needs soil with less water content or well drained soils. Thus, it is a warm-season grass, so it is ideal for sandy soil. It is a fast-growing grass. Additionally, it is also perfect grass for clay soil. It is thick and comes with dark green shade to it. The good thing about this type of grass is that it can survive easily in both drought and flood conditions.
However, it can’t survive conditions with no shade or sunlight. With this, you must plant it in areas with consistent exposure to sunlight during the daytime.
Bahia Grass
This type of grass doesn’t need much water to grow. However, its color can fade away when it has a water shortage for a longer period. It comes with a deep root system that can penetrate the root deeper on the ground, which makes it great for sandy soils. It doesn’t need much fertilizers and water, but if dormant, it can begin to turn brown and die. With this, you must be responsible for keeping it healthy in the sandy soil.
Centipede Grass
The centipede is originated from the insect centipede because of its resemblance to its appearance. This grass is coarse-textured and slow-growing. It comes with a light green color and requires stolons to spread. The drawback of this grass is that it can’t survive high traffic and shade, PH of soil. Therefore, you must plant it in sunny surfaces.
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Zoysia Grass
The zoysia grass is ideal for highly porous sandy soils. It comes with long roots that can go deep in the soil. After the roots establish their place in the soil, it can make the grass with good tolerance from drought. It has roots that make it less dependent on the soil’s fertility to absorb its nutrients.
This grass can offer you with high-density lawn with a lush green color that is long-lasting. During its dormant stage, it can turn golden brown, which still looks good. The zoysia grass needs full sun exposure to grow. It can also survive if grown in the shade. How to grow grass in sandy soil? Follow the steps mentioned above.
Source: gardening101.net