Aerate after the ground thaws when soil is moist not soaking and during the growing season.
Growing grass on clay soil.
A good way to determine the soil s moisture content is by sticking a screwdriver into the soil to a depth.
In the first season or two after adding organic material to the soil you will want to take care when watering.
A bone dry clay soil is going to be rock hard and not allow water nutrients to get into the rootzone when the temperature start to get cooler but before the leaves start dropping start by aerating your lawn followed by an over seeding of appropriate seed type and apply an organic fertilizer.
There are very few air pockets under the soil surface and grass needs air pockets for root spread and development.
Varieties that grow in a clay loam soil include annual ryegrass colonial bent grass hard fescue kentucky bluegrass.
Plant cool season grasses as seed during the fall or early spring.
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.
Clay soil is made up of tons of small particles that stick together clinging to moisture.
Grass grown in clay soil requires less frequent watering than lawns grown on sandy soil.
Aerators remove plugs of dirt from the lawn and break up the soil allowing grass roots to spread.
The key to planting grass in clay soil is to first amend the soil to make it looser drier and more fertile.
Follow some basic steps to make grass grow in red clay soil and establish a lawn that is the envy of the neighborhood.
This would require 250kg per sq m 460lbs per sq yd of grit or gravel.
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.
It can take up to two months of preparing the soil before you can actually plant your grass.
Once you re sure that your soil is good and healthy consider adding some earthworms to help keep your topsoil nice and loose.
The grass roots will work to break up and loosen the clay soil below.
Uncle jim s worm farm sells 1 000 red wigglers for about 30 to give you an idea about price.
Because clay soil can become compacted easily place about 3 to 4 inches 7 5 10 cm of the chosen soil amendment on the soil and work it gently down into the soil about 4 to 6 inches 10 15 cm.