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| Till the soil 3 to 6 inches deep. |
If the existing soil is not satisfactory, what can be done about it?
Buy Topsoil? This is expensive, and much so-called topsoil is little better than the soil already present. If topsoil is purchased, insist on a loam or sandy loam soil, or don't buy it. It doesn't need to be black. Also, insist on getting soil with no quackgrass or Johnsongrass rhizomes. These perennial grass weeds cannot be killed in the lawn without killing all the lawn grass.
How much topsoil is needed? The more the better-from 3 to 4 inches up to 6 to 8 inches.
Add Sand or Calcined Clay? A small amount of sand may do more harm than good. Enough coarse sand to make up 50 to 80 percent of the resulting mixture will improve the physical condition of a clay soil, if uniformly mixed with it. However, a soil consisting of 50 percent to 80 percent sand means the addition of 4 inches (50%) of sand to 4 inches of soil or up to 6.4 inches (80%) of sand to 1.6 inches of soil for an 8-inch total depth. This is time-consuming and can be expensive.
Calcined clay, the name given to clay granules fired at a high temperature, can be used the same as sand. Calcined clay is more expensive than most homeowners are willing to pay.
Add Organic Matter? This is one remedy for fine-textured soils high in clay content. The difficulty lies in doing it. Manure is out of the question, except on the farm where lawn soils are usually best. Compost can be used and is gaining acceptance as composting facilities are producing large quantities of high grade compost at reasonable prices.
In starting a new lawn, peat may be added to fine-textured (clay) basement soil. This will greatly improve its physical composition if you use enough peat. Use fibrous peat rather than muck, which contains a large amount of clay. Mix the peat with the upper 3 or 4 inches of soil, or with less soil if you use only a small amount of peat. Apply at least a 1-inch layer of peat or compost and till it into the soil. One inch of peat applied to 4 inches of soil will provide the 20 percent recommended modification.
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| Till the soil 3 to 6 inches deep. |
Improve drainage? Good surface drainage on the lawn is essential to prevent water from collecting. Free standing water will injure grass. A slight grade and correction of any depressions will facilitate good surface drainage.
Plenty of organic matter and large amounts of sand or calcined clay will improve the subsurface drainage (that is, the speed with which water moves through the soil).
Tile drainage is desirable, but its effect is slow if the tile is covered with basement soils. Tiling is not essential for home lawns if good surface drainage is provided.