I have been reminded several times already this year how important a good layer of topsoil is for lawns to thrive. I thought I would share some pictures from a few site visits I have made over the past two months that show pretty clearly the need for good soil.
This first set of pictures was taken in Grandville back on May 3. We did have a pretty slow green up this year with how cool soil temperatures stayed, but this customer was having a problem in just a small area in his backyard. The rest of the lawn had awaken out of dormancy quite well. When I arrived, it appeared that there was just a 15′ by 15′ area that was still quite dormant and did not look healthy. A quick insect check came up negative. After digging a few plugs of soil out of the affected area, I found 1″ or less of topsoil, with heavy clay right below the turf. Moving over just a few feet into an area that was not affected, I found a nice 6″ layer of topsoil. The difference was stunning.
Here is a shot of the surrounding area. The rest of the lawn actually looked quite healthy.
Fast forward a month, and over the Memorial day weekend we had 3 or 4 days in a row that hit 90 degrees. I received a few calls about drought issues in lawns, and irrigation systems not being able to keep up. Next up: Hudsonville. I performed my typical insect check which came up negative. What I did find was a decent layer of topsoil with pure sand below. In the healthy areas, the sub soil was much more heavy and therefore held much more moisture. Here again, the difference in soil quality, and therefore turf quality was extremely different just a few feet apart.
This final picture was taken on a site in Grand Rapids. In this case, I could find no topsoil at all. The subsoil in the area was a very porous sand. There was decent topsoil quality and amounts elsewhere throughout the lawn.
So what’s the moral of the story? Do not skimp on topsoil!
Yes, with the right nutrient and watering schedule we can grow grass initially on just about any type of soil. Will it always look good on poor soil? Probably not.
How do we proceed in these situations? The best thing would be to dig up the areas and replace the soil. Unfortunately this probably isn’t a viable option in most cases. In the situations where the soil is very sandy, I would recommend adding a light afternoon watering to your schedule on just the poor areas if the temperature exceeds 80 degrees. This will give the grass an afternoon cool down period and will probably be enough to keep those areas in check. Adding a thin layer of compost over the top of the soil is also an option to help amend the existing soil with something that will hold moisture longer.
In the case of the clay situation, I would recommend aerating regularly and amending with compost as well.
Adjustments can be made so that these situations can be dealt with, but we need to be aware of where they are, and what it takes to keep them looking good.
Email us at office@myturfllc.com or call us at 616-813-3135 if you have any questions.
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