The lawn owners, most likely, are aware of what kind of land is characteristic of the site. Hard dirt is quite widespread in many areas. The main problem in the cultivation of such areas is that the soil with a predominant content of clay shale has rather low fertility rates. And many gardeners want to know how to plant grass seed on hard dirt.

How to plant grass seed on hard dirt? Soil features

Also, soil test shows that it is characterized by the following features:

• rather difficult and problematic processing;
• prevents the full development and growth of most plant crops;
• despite the high nutritional value, it has poor permeability;
• practically blocks the flow of nutrients and water to the grassroots;
• the most important problem of all such kinds of lawn soil is pronounced stagnation of water and, as a result, the appearance of putrefactive phenomena.

The high content of clay on the soil surface can be both natural and artificial. In the first case, we meet with clay soils or loams. Sometimes an increased content of clay can be observed in areas freed from the forest for their further exploitation.

There are also situations when after a soil test, you understand that there is a high content of kaolin in the soil because of construction work on the site – digging pits with clay soil getting into the surface layers of the soil.

Compacted soil is very plastic. It easily rolls into a lump and at the same time does not fall apart, due to the high moisture content.

In this way, you can check your soil on the site. When forming a lump of earth, clay forms a plastic form, and sandy soil easily crumbles into particles.

Properties

A soil test shows the main properties of hard dirt:

• high density;
• tendency to form large clods of soil;
• absorption and retention of moisture, which leads to stagnation of water in the upper layers of the soil;
• the formation of a dense crust after rain;
• ability to deep cracking of soil;
• low ventilation;
• slow and weak warming up;
• acidic pH.

Clay soil retains moisture well even in dry and warm weather, but when it freezes, the water in the soil turns into ice, which leads to swelling and cracking of the soil. Stagnation of moisture in the area during the period of intense precipitation leads to the decay of the roots of plants. Even though clay soils are difficult to cultivate, they can be quite fertile if enriched with sand and peat-organic mixtures.

Loamy soils contain more air and nutrients than clay, but they also require systematic replenishment of mineral and organic matter. You can also learn more about decorating your home and planting your lawn.

How do you prepare hard soil for grass seed?

The grass requires a careful and reverent attitude. There are no trifles in sowing and lawn care.

First of all, you need to provide regular and uniform watering. Preferably an automatic irrigation system with 100% coverage of irrigation sectors.

For water to be uniform, it is necessary to carefully level the soil level – even bumps and depressions can lead to waterlogging and erosion of the soil, grassroots, or, conversely, to the drying of individual areas. And grass spot is already a defect.

If a slope on the grass is provided, then it must also be leveled.

After the installation of the automatic irrigation system is completed, the sprinkler heads are installed at the level of the future soil surface. This is necessary so as not to damage them later with a lawn mower.

The level of the cut lawn should be slightly higher than the paths. Between the fence and the lawn, it is necessary to make a decorative strip of dumping 10-20 cm wide.

In addition, the grass will still not be thick and beautiful near the wall, and cutting there always leaves sloppy parts that you will need to level manually with scissors.

For a rolled lawn, the soil can be prepared a little less carefully and for a longer time than for a sowing lawn. An ideal cushion for a parterre grass is at least 50 cm of fertile soil, ordinary meadow grasses, with regular top dressing, grow well on a 20 cm layer of fertile soil.

If a decision is made to preserve the natural soil of the site, then it is simply preparing for planting the grass.

Weeds are treated with herbicides. When the plants dry out, they are removed. Preparations, as a rule, do not act to plant grass seeds and do not particularly affect long roots hidden in the soil. The effect of the drug lasts from 2 to 6 weeks.

The soil is leveled – the excess soil is cut off with a shovel, and weed roots, stones, boards, etc. are carefully selected.

At 30 cm deep, the soil must be completely homogeneous, otherwise, some of the plant grass seeds that are above the stone will always look weak, creating an ugly lawn spot.

The essence and features of the deep drainage system

A soil test shows, that with the help of a deep drainage system, it is quite simple to remove groundwater in time due to the pressure of the earth on constantly incoming water. As a result, all the moisture is on the surface of the hard dirt. For deep drainage to fully fulfill its functions, it is necessary to organize a whole system of pipes called drains.

To get the most out of the drainage, take care of the following important factors:

• installation steps are carried out sequentially;
• a structured canal system should be planned and recreated throughout the area;
• canals cannot be laid at a depth of more than a meter;
• a certain angle of inclination must be observed. Its value is individual. It must be calculated based on what distinctive features the relief has;
• initially, you need to fill up the sand, and then lay the drains.

Incorrectly performed or incomplete work on the processing of the site will lead to unpleasant consequences. Planting grass seeds simply cannot survive. In their place, weeds, for example, clover or sedge, will begin to grow.

How do you soften hard soil? Basic work on the cultivation of clay areas

If hard dirt is determined on your site, a full-scale phased preparation of the place for planting the grass seed for the future lawn should be carried out. Correcting the current situation is difficult, but it is quite possible if you carefully approach the solution to this problem.

The question of how to properly plant grass seed on hard dirt and will grass seed grows if you just throw it on top of dirt can also apply in general to the arrangement of the place.  Hard dirt is detrimental not only to grass crops but to any kind of planting.

So, you should worry in advance about making some adjustments to the structure of the site:

• work on sanding the territory or area under the lawn. The essence of the work is to mix the soil available in the place with clean sand. The proportions are observed one to one;
• adding a sufficient amount of peat, peat mixture, and nutrient humus to the hard dirt;
• the entire area of ​​​​the site intended for organizing the grass is located in the plane at a certain small angle, approximately equal to 2-3 °. This technique will ensure an effective outflow of accumulated water;
• planning and reconstruction of the drainage system.

Lawn Tips

If there is less than 50% clay in the hard dirt, the heavy work described above may not be carried out. When the clay content is more than 50% in such soil, even after good drainage and fertilization, not all grasses grow.

What is the best grass seed for hard dirt? Experts after soil test, talking about planting grass seed to choose for hard dirt, advise buying plant grass seed like Scotts Turf Builder Sun and Shade Mix for Extreme Conditions or Pennington Smart Seed Dense Shade Grass and Pennington Lawn Booster Sun & Shade Mix Grass Seed & Fertilizer.

This is the perfect composition for planting grass seed.

Plant grass seeds have a powerful fibrous root system. The roots, with regular watering, grow well and easily penetrate dense layers of soil. It takes several years to create a stable frame.

It will be well ventilated, moisture will penetrate well into it. Thanks to the surface and deep drainage, excess grass seed will be removed from the grass, so the grass will feel quite comfortable.

I recommend that you also read up on the grass seed germination temperature chart.

All of these plant grass seeds can boast of high endurance and frost resistance. They tolerate heat and drought very well. Easily restored on their own after the winter. But, in the case of hard dirt, the plant grass seed will need to be constantly fertilized and mineral supplemented. Only in this way, it will be possible to maintain the beautiful appearance of the healthy lawn. You can also read about how to make grass thicker and fuller.

Planting grass seed

How to plant grass seed on hard dirt? It will be easier to create a green lawn on hard dirt when planting grass seed. Rolled one takes root very difficult. Before you spread the grass seeds on the hard dirt, you need to loosen them with a rake and create a uniform layer of earth.

Sowing grass seed is easier with a mechanical seeder. Such a device allows you to evenly distribute the grass seed, so if possible, you must use the described device.

Pre-seeds are useful to mix with sand and fertilizers to improve the start of plants. You can do this in any proportion, but the best ratio is 1:1. If the seeds are sown by hand, then they must first be divided into two parts. Scatter one, passing along the site, the other across.

After sowing, the hard dirt must again be leveled with a rake and rolled over it. With the help of it, the seeds are buried. Then the earth is abundantly watered. Some gardeners then cover the future lawn area with hay. It will not allow the sun’s rays to quickly dry the soil. You need very little hay, otherwise, a greenhouse effect will be created, which will encourage the seed to rot.

Watering the future grass after sowing should be done daily until the first leaves of grass sprout. After that, watering is carried out twice a week. The first mowing is carried out after two months. Both decorative and play lawns for hard dirt are created in the same way.

And let’s end with an answer to a frequently asked question. Will a seed germinate if just dropped on the ground? The simple answer is yes.

Lawn seed is one of the most resistant to growth. It is enough just to regularly water the seeds, and you will soon see seedlings.

Basic lawn care rules

The warm season grass during the entire summer season requires special attention. For the lawn to maintain its well-groomed appearance and delight with lush green grass, you need to follow a few simple rules.

Lawn care in spring

The first grass care activities begin to be carried out with the onset of the thaw when the snow melts. In the spring, you need to start removing snow from the grass and breaking ice crusts.

Next, you can begin to clean the green carpet from foliage, dry grass, and other debris.

At the end of spring, when the grass has time to grow up to 10 cm, you can start cutting and fertilizing. The first haircut is carried out in May. After that, nitrogen preparations or starter fertilizers for the lawn area are applied. Fertilizer is combined with watering so that the grass does not get burned.

Lawn care in summer

In early summer, due to the abundance of heat and light, the warm season grass will actively grow, so it needs to be well watered and cut regularly. Watering should be at least 2-3 times a week, or even more often.

At the end of summer in August, weeds must be removed, and the grass fertilized with special formulations for lawn care in the fall.

Lawn care in autumn

From the beginning of September, aeration is carried out, and the plants are fertilized with phosphorus-potassium preparations. Now you must cut the grass no more than 2 times a month, and in mid-October, they stop altogether.

Lawn care in winter

Until a layer of snow of about 30 cm settles down, it is better not to walk on it at all. To protect the grass from the cold, snow is not removed.

FAQ

Conclusion

Creating a beautiful lawn on the site is not easy. It needs regular and quality care. You also need to choose a good planting material. But with proper care, you will get a gorgeous green lawn that you can admire on summer evenings.