Do it now landscaping.com News: Topdressing will Improve Your Clay Soil

Concepts:
Topdressing, aeration, lawn, grass, wiregrass, soil, core, fertilize, overseeding, fescues, bluegrasses, turf, Johnson grass, seeds, perennials, spread, lawn weed killers.
Summary:
A reader asked John Arbogast, http://www.roanoke.com/outdoors/gardening%5C29873.html and he gave him very good answers especially the topdressing procedure... clay soils become concrete-hard in hot, dry weather and thus become difficult for core aerator penetration, water the lawn two or three days prior to aeration.Q: The reader wants to know how he can improve on his soil and grass conditionI got rid of the clover and dandelions with lawn weed killers.However, one corner of the lot is solid Johnson grass, and wiregrass consumes 60 to 70 percent of the rest.I understand that you can't use lawn weed killers in new grass.A: Take soil tests now from the front and back yards, and work to bring the pH (acidity) to the range needed by turf species in this region 6.5 to 6.8.Also, right now, improve the soil quality with core aerification followed by spreading a thin layer of commercially produced topdressing product or a mixture of finely chopped peat moss and fine soil."Topdressing" is the turf term meaning to spread a thin layer of soil mix over a turf area to stimulate thatch decomposition and to smooth the surface.Since clay soils become concrete-hard in hot, dry weather and thus become difficult for core aerator penetration, water the lawn two or three days prior to aeration.1. Leave the aggressive wiregrass and Johnson grass, which are both perennials.Your goal in the next years will be to favor bluegrasses or fescues instead of those perennial invaders.In late summer, core aerate the soil and then overseed with 2 ½ pounds of bluegrass mix or 5 pounds of turf-type tall fescue per 1,000 square feet.Fertilize at the time of seeding with any high phosphorus lawn starter fertilizer, and water faithfully every few days as needed to get good establishment.Six weeks after this overseeding, fall fertilize the lawn with a high nitrogen turf-type fertilizer without week killer.Plan to core aerate and overseed every second late summer to keep bluegrasses and fescues predominant and thick so they will hopefully mask wiregrass and Johnson grass there.Convert your problem lawn and accept a brown lawn from late fall through mid spring by adding an improved common Bermda grass cultivated variety in late spring or early summer of 2006 to spread along with the existing wiregrass.Locate a seed source now becuase improved Bermuda grass is not commonly used in home lawns around here, but don't overseed your lawn until '06.Non-improved common Bermuda grass varieties produce seeds, but they make a very coarse appearing turf.

Topdressing applicator for Eastern Pennsylvania:http://www.do-it-now-landscaping.com
For more information and topdressing applicator in your area:http://www.topdressing.biz
For turf professionals:http://www.lawn-care-edu.com