Whats your soil type?

Soil types and your lawn

Grass as a plant has different requirements to survive and flourish dependent upon which variety is grown, this is down to light exposure, nutrition, moisture and especially the soil type.

Soil types can seriously hinder or indeed aid our lawn health and stability.  In identifying and understanding the type of soil which makes up your garden can help you to maximise growth and health but also to overcome any potential problems that may appear.

A PH test of your soil is a great starting place, this will help to determine if the spoil is alkaline, neutral, or acidic, a few test areas on a lawn is recommended as the PH level can vary.  Some grasses require a specific PH level to survive, therefore we recommend seeding as opposed to turfing, as the seed can reflect not only the growing conditions (light, shade, water retention) but also the soil type and PH levels.

Clay Soil

Clay soil is a heavy soil type, being in the area we are, most lawns here are predominantly clay. Clay soil holds onto water, it struggles to allow any moisture to permeate and can cause flooding or heavy puddling on the surface of a lawn. Although very fertile, Clay soil inhibits oxygen and nutrients to move through the soil, regular aeration is key for maintaining the health of the lawn as the ground is broken beneath the surface and tines are pulled out allowing the soil to move, light, nutrients, and moisture to enter, we also like to apply a Gypsum soil conditioner to any aerated lawn.

A clay lawn will spend half the year wet, the other dry as a bone and will crack during any dry period.

Grass varieties with deep rooting properties such as tall fescue and hard-wearing ryegrass are highly recommended for planting in clay soil types.

 Chalky Soil

Chalky or lime-rich soils tend to be more neutral or alkaline, they are prominent within the South Downs but can also be found around our area, they drain well so are less likely to waterlog, but can dry out very quickly during drier conditions, they certainly require regular nutritional support.

Chalk soil tends to also contain stones or flint and have varying nutrients – although do not confuse this with a new build lawn where the developer has usually dumped all the waste material in your lovely new lawn.

Sandy Soil

Sandy soil is almost the opposite of clay soil, we are lucky to not have many instances of this type within our area. Sandy soil is considerably lighter and drains quickly, however this can result in nutrients applied to soil washing through the soil almost bypassing the intended feed for the grass roots. You can tell if you have sandy soil by the gritty texture and its acidic PH.

You are likely to have grass which seems to permanently suffer from drought, so the lawn can become extremely high maintenance.

Fescue grasses are the most drought-resistant, with the tall fescue variety being the preferred option as it can thrive in poor soil and by having deep roots, they can search out water (although watering is vital to the grass health)

Silt Soil

Silt soils sound lovely, they are fertile and light but are moisture-retentive and can easily compact. They can retain nutrients a lot easier than a sandy soil is able to. A silt soil will feel silky to the touch and has a rich aroma.

There is a risk of over watering this soil which will lead to soil compaction, regular aeration is advised to reduce the risk.

Most grass types are suitable for silt soil, with a combination of ryegrass and fescues highly recommended.

Loam

Loam soils are a mixture of clay, sand and silt that avoid the extremes of each type and therefore their weaknesses. It drains better than clay soils but retains nutrients longer than sandy soils. You are extremely fortunate to have this soil type!

Most top end turf suppliers will utilise loam soils – however if placed on a predominant soil type of Clay, Chalk, Silt or Sand the grass is going to eventually suffer from each of their underlying issues – Which is why 12-18 months after turf is laid it will begin to really show stress if left untreated, un-watered, or mowed incorrectly . Regular aerations are highly advised - dependent upon the soil quality and how compact the soil is, this could be from 6 monthly to bi-annually.

For more information or to arrange a no obligation quotation please fill out the form below