Is your lawn looking a little worse for wear? Are there bald patches where the grass refuses to grow? Grass is an important part of a healthy lawn, and getting it to grow in less-than-ideal circumstances is a skill that takes a bit of time to master. Hard dirt and soil in particular can be difficult to plant grass seed on. The soil is so dry and stiff that the seeds just bounce right off.
If you have a spot in your yard that is full of rocks or hardened clay, don’t despair! You’ve come to the right place. There are several methods you can use to make it easier to plant grass seed on these tough surfaces to make sure the seed has the best chance of taking root and growing. By following these tips, you will be able to plant grass seed on hard dirt and have a lush green lawn in no time. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get started!
Is Your Ground Soil Too Hard?
So, how can you tell if you have a lawn and garden filled with hard dirt? Firstly, use your feet or hands to feel if the ground is hard underneath you. Simply walk around in your yard barefoot or wearing sandals. If you can feel any rocks or specifically hard spots through your feet, then it’s time to take action.
Secondly, have a look at your lawn. Do you see any areas where grass refuses to grow? This is likely due to hard dirt. The dirt in these areas is packed with tightly pressed particles that prevent water, air, and nutrients from entering the soil, so it is less able to grow any plant or grass life.
Hard soil can also be the result of a lot of people and animals walking on your yard. Walking on the ground, as well as operating heavy machinery or building large and heavy play areas, hardens and compacts that area.
Clay Soil
You also might have hard dirt if your lawn is made with soil that is predominantly clay. You can determine whether you have clay soil by seeing how your soil reacts to wet and dry conditions. If the yard is continuously moist or flooded for days after a large downpour, there’s a good chance that your soil contains a lot of clay. If the ground cracks after a long period of dry weather, it’s likely also because of clay soil.
High clay content in the soil can be detected by these early indicators, but there is a simple method to determine if that’s the case.
All you have to do is squeeze a handful of dirt that you pick up from your yard. This should be done after a rain or when the garden has been watered. If the soil clumps and stays firm when prodded, you can be sure that it is mostly clay soil.
Soil Test
If you really need to know exactly how much clay, silt, sand, and organic matter are in your lawn soil and the proportions of them all, then you should get a professional soil test done in a laboratory. This will tell you the makeup of your dirt, as well as any deficiencies it has or any nutrients it is overabundant or lacking in.
To get the test done, you’ll need to take a suitable sample and bring it to a nearby soil testing lab. To get a legitimate sample, dig up soil from 10 to 12 locations around your lawn, and mix together a small amount from each sample. You’ll be able to find out which fertilizer or compost would be most suitable for the dense regions of your lawn based on the lab analysis.
Ways To Amend Your Soil
Anything you do to enhance your lawn soil’s ability to absorb and retain water and to grow healthy grass and plants is called amending it. This includes methods like dressing the topsoil, aeration, watering, spreading fertilizer, composting and mulching, and tilling.
Aerating
One of the best ways to amend your lawn is by aerating it. You can do this in two ways – there is spike aeration and core aeration.
Spike aeration is the process of piercing your lawn with spikes in order to make holes. Spike aeration is superior if you have a thin or light turf since it allows for more oxygen, water, and nutrients to reach the roots. This is a less expensive approach to aerate since it does not require the use of specialist equipment like core aerators.
You may, for example, walk around on your lawn with specialized spike shoes or roll a metal cylinder with spikes across it. Because this method doesn’t remove anything, however, it might not be as effective at loosening the soil and can actually contribute to compaction.
Core aeration, also known as plug aeration, is a soil treatment technique in which a machine with hollow tines takes out little cores of soil from the lawn. The cores are then spread over the lawn and allowed to lie there, providing a nutritious layer of topsoil over time.
The holes they create in the soil are subsequently filled with water and nutrients, encouraging healthy and widespread root development. This sort of aeration is ideal for overly-compacted or heavily-traveled lawns.
Tilling
Tilling is another great way of amending very compacted and hard dirt. All you need to do for this method is get a tough, durable tiller and till the hard areas of your lawn to a depth of about 8 to 10 inches.
However, tilling is a more expensive and drastic solution. Here is an article to read if you want to learn how to amend clay soil without tilling.
Fertilize Soil and Plant the Grass Seed
Once the ground that you want to plant on is amended, it is time to start planning how to plant the grass seed and give it the best chance to grow into a healthy and lush grass lawn.
Once the dirt is fully prepped for planting, you should fertilize and plant your seed in quick succession. It doesn’t necessarily matter which one comes first, as if you do them in rapid succession it won’t affect the grass either way, but we would recommend starting with fertilizer on your lawn first and then spreading the grass seed.
First, choose which is the best fertilizer that you want to use for your land. If you’re going with a granular fertilizer, you can use either a rotary or drop spreader to spread out the pellets throughout the lawn, making sure to not miss any patches or small areas. Do the same with a liquid fertilizer via a sprayer.
Work the soil and fertilizer into the soil with the back side of a leaf rake after fertilizing and planting to guarantee good contact and even distribution. To end, you should add a thin covering of compost (about 1/4 inch) to cover the seed and aid moisture retention. Compost is very beneficial to plants and soil, and this little layer will make your grass lighter and softer while also preventing your seed from drying out or washing away.
Select an Appropriate Grass Species
There are many different types of grass seeds, and some can suit certain soil conditions better than others. If you want to be sure that your seed will grow quickly and smoothly, it’s best to research which species of grass is prevalent and suited to the area by checking with local nurseries and gardeners who have been in business for a while.
The type of grass seed you choose to plant will also affect the time of year that you plant them, be it in the fall or in the spring.
What Grass Species Are There?
The two most common types of grass seed are warm-season grass seeds and cold-season grass seeds. Warm-season grasses are grasses that develop only above temperatures of 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 C), and they can thrive in a wide range of temperatures from 77 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit (25 – 35 C). In the winter, warm-season grasses lay dormant and typically become darker or brown.
Many warm season grasses are very drought tolerant and can withstand extreme summer heat. Zoysia Grass, Bermuda Grass, St. Augustine Grass, and Buffalo Grass are examples of warm-season grasses.
Cool-season grasses, on the other hand, begin to develop at about 40 degrees Fahrenheit (5 C) and are most efficient between 50 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit (10 – 25 C). This grass flourishes in areas with mild or cool summers, and it experiences two spikes of rapid growth in the spring and fall
Bluegrass, Ryegrass, Bentgrass, and Fescues are among the many grasses in this group. They produce bright hues and grow in dense carpet-like lawns with minimal thatch and can endure harsh winters well.
Cool Season or Warm Season Grass for Hard Dirt?
So, which of these two types of grass seed are better for planting in hard dirt? Well, some of both actually! For cold-season grasses, Ryegrass is incredibly resilient and robust, and can grow just about anywhere. Both Kentucky Bluegrass and Tall Fescues as well are able to penetrate the hard soil with their long and probing root systems.
For warm season grasses, Bermuda Grass and Buffalo Grass are two potential options for hard dirt, because they also produce deep and hearty root systems and rhizomes.
Follow Proper Watering Practices
It’s important to keep the seeds moist for successful grass seed germination. Don’t let the dirt around the seeds dry up, but also know that a deeply wet mess is also terrible. It’s well worth the effort, because as soon as the seed has established itself, it will not be so demanding.
Watering mid-morning is the ideal time to water your grass seed, as it allows the soil to absorb moisture before it evaporates due to heat or sunshine. If you live in a warmer climate or are experiencing a heat wave, then you might need to water twice a day.
After the seeds have germinated, you should keep the top two inches of soil wet. Continue this process until the grass has reached a mowing height of three inches tall. Once this happens, you’ll be more successful if you apply infrequently deep soaks, aiming to moisten about six to eight inches below the surface.
How Long Will It Take Your Grass to Grow?
The amount of time it will take your grass to grow from seed can range from five to thirty days. Aside from making sure to water it every day, the three most important things to consider when determining how long grass will take to grow are temperature, season, and sunlight.
For example, when planting grass seed in cooler weather, it may take longer for the grass to grow. Warmer ground temperatures, as discussed above, are more ideal for grass seed germination. You also want to aim for a lot of sunlight being shown onto your lawn as it grows, but this is not always possible, so planting a grass seed that might do better with less sunlight would be the best course of action.
Summary
Working on the hard ground is a common problem for gardeners, especially those who live in areas with rocky or clay soil. The good news is that there are ways to amend your soil and plant grass seed successfully, even on hard dirt.
If your dirt is too hard, you can till the ground and add organic matter to make it softer. You can also use an aerator to break up the soil. Then, fertilize the soil and plant the grass seed. Make sure to water the seeds properly and keep them moist until they germinate. It will usually take a few weeks for your grass to grow.
Please let us know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns! We would love to hear from you, and particularly if this article was able to help you and your lawn! We wish you the best luck with all of your grass seeding work
