Last updated on November 11th, 2023 at 11:28 am
The optimal soil is the basis for the lawn. In order for this to grow ideally and appear in a strong green, the choice of the appropriate lawn soil is necessary. The appropriate lawn soil can prevent clover from spreading in the lawn or a moss killer from having to be used.
The lawn soil provides the necessary nutrients for the lawn. But what soil do you actually need for your soil and lawn now?
Find out now how you can create a perfect foundation for your lawn and save yourself some work in the future.
Contents
What is lawn soil
Your garden is not just a layer of soil. The soil is its own little microcosm, which may seem very simple, but is nevertheless very complex in its composition. To provide the lawn with the best conditions for growth, you need to create optimal conditions.
Topsoil is considered the basis of the garden. Depending on the region and condition, it may already be rich in nutrients and provide a good starting point. However, in most cases, the topsoil is not ideally suited for establishing and nourishing a new lawn. It lacks nutrients and in the future this can lead to weeds spreading in the lawn. This weakens the lawn and you will have to do it yourself to get rid of the weeds, for example, with an electric weed killer.
Lawn soil is a specially made substrate that is applied to the topsoil. This soil provides optimal conditions for the lawn to grow and flourish healthily. As a result, the lawn not only grows faster, but stays green and healthy for a long time.
The texture of the topsoil is rarely optimal as a foundation for the lawn. With the help of lawn soil you can improve its properties. Among other things, you can improve water permeability and loosen the soil somewhat. Why this is so important for your lawn and what the benefits are, you will learn in the following section.
What is the special soil used for
The fact that spreading lawn soil should help your lawn grow better is probably no secret. But how exactly does this special layer affect your lawn?
Compared to the topsoil, this soil offers some advantages. Depending on the region, the natural soil may be very firm and provide little opportunity for the lawn to flourish. The roots can penetrate the soil only with great difficulty. As a result, nutrient uptake is disrupted and growth is impaired.
Aerating the lawn can help to improve its condition. However, it is much easier to spread the lawn soil. This is relatively loose and allows the roots to penetrate the soil more easily. As a result, nutrients can be better absorbed and the lawn has a better hold.
The slightly looser nature also means that water permeability is better. If you live in a region where heavy rainfall is to be expected frequently, you can use the lawn soil to prevent puddles from forming and damaging the lawn. The water does not stand at the top layer, but slowly seeps into the soil.
If you use a fertilizer to provide the lawn with nutrients, you can do without it with the appropriate lawn soil. Lawns are not very demanding and even the optimal lawn soil can contain all the nutrients necessary for optimal growth. At the same time, it also regulates the pH balance. This will prevent the soil from drifting into an environment that could lead to damage.
If the soil in the garden is not completely level, you should straighten the lawn. For example, to prevent water from collecting in certain places and you can work better with the lawn mower. For this you do not need to dig up the entire topsoil. It is better to level the unevenness with the lawn soil in a controlled manner. To do this, fill in the deeper spots so that they are on a level with the rest of the soil. Then you can sow the lawn seeds and, if desired, spread the lawn fertilizer over the soil.
So you notice that the lawn soil offers some advantages and the topsoil does not offer the ideal basis to enjoy the lawn in the long term. By spreading the lawn soil, you will create a healthy long-term foundation to provide the lawn with the best conditions for years to come.
Composition of the lawn soil
Exactly how the lawn soil should be composed depends on a number of factors and cannot be said in general terms. It depends mainly on the type of lawn you are seeding and the nature of your topsoil.
However, it is considered a quality feature if the soil consists of at least 50% compost. This percentage should not be undercut. The second major component of the soil is humus. This has a share of about 40%. Together, compost and humus, therefore, make up about 90% of the total soil.
From these two components, the lawn gets its nutrients. In addition, these components are loose and allow good penetration for the roots.
If you want to increase the proportion of compost in the soil yourself, you can enrich it yourself. To do this, you can use a wooden composter and store the plant waste there. Natural organisms decompose the waste and the soil is very suitable to be taken as a base for the lawn. You can also mix the lawn soil with this compost.
Sand makes up the remaining component of the lawn soil. The sand also loosens the soil a bit and helps to ensure that the water does not stand, but can drain away well.
The pH of the soil should be in the range of 5.5 to 6.0. This composition will give you a substrate that is suitable for general topsoil and is ideal with most types of turf.
This gives you a good foundation and saves you from having to do other work such as dethatching, aerating and fertilizing. Instead, you can watch the lawn grow and shine with health.
Composition
The soil that forms the basis for the lawn must have some properties that are important for the health of the lawn. Topsoil does not have the optimal texture, and therefore the application of the lawn soil is recommended in any case.
An essential feature is the durability. At the beginning, you may have the desire that the lawn should first grow in peace. But this will soon come to an end if small children or pets do not play by the rules and take over the lawn.
The lawn soil is particularly hard-wearing and can live very well with such handling. There is no danger that the lawn would be severely attacked by it. So you can plan the next barbecue relatively quickly after sowing and do not have to wait for a grace period of several months.
In addition, the lawn soil is very stable and at the same time water-permeable. This is a necessary combination so that the lawn really withstands the rigors and retains its good properties.
Therefore, when buying it is important to pay attention to the composition already mentioned. Other ingredients could cause the lawn soil to be inadequate for your needs and the lawn will suffer.
Application
The application of lawn soil is basically very simple. It simply represents a new layer of soil that is applied on top of the topsoil. Nevertheless, some preparation is necessary so that the lawn soil can develop its full potential and provide good support for the lawn.
The first step is to loosen the topsoil somewhat. This can be done, for example, by working with an aerator or a simple rake. To ensure that irrigation is not impaired, the soil and the lawn surface must be as level as possible. Therefore, after loosening, you should straighten the ground.
Now you have the ideal base to apply the lawn soil. When spreading the layer, you should make sure that it is neither too thin, nor too thick. A thickness of 0.5 to 1.5 cm is sufficient for your lawn. Spread the soil evenly and also in this step make sure that any unevenness is evened out.
Thus, you have completed the essential work. The lawn soil is spread and you can start with the usual sowing of the lawn seeds. Make sure that you distribute the seeds evenly in the soil. To prevent them from being blown away by the next wind or picked up by birds, you can work on the seeds with a roller. The soil will not be affected by the roller and will retain its positive properties.
After that, you still water the soil. Now the lawn can find the optimal conditions to show itself within the next few days. In dry weather, it is convenient if you continue to water the lawn. In most cases, fertilizer will not be necessary. However, if you have seeded a very nutrient-hungry lawn, you can use a fertilizer to ensure that it receives all the nutrients it needs.
Choosing the right lawn soil
Are you still unsure which lawn soil is best for your garden? Then you should pay attention to the following characteristics to find out which substrate is suitable for your application.
Topsoil
Depending on the nature of the topsoil, you should reach for different products. An important factor is the strength of the topsoil. If it is very compacted and consists of a large percentage of clay, you should reach for a lawn soil that has a higher sand content. The sand loosens the soil somewhat and improves water permeability. By doing this, you prevent water from pooling on top of the soil and not being able to drain away.
The second important factor is the pH content. If the soil is very alkaline, which is the case, for example, if this is very rich in lime, you should buy a soil that also has rock flour rich in silicon.
On the other hand, if the soil is acidic, choosing a lawn soil that is rich in lime is beneficial. You can determine how high the pH content of your soil is with a soil analysis. You can easily perform this test yourself in your garden.
Type of lawn
What do you use the lawn for and what type have you chosen?
If the lawn will be used actively and not just as a decoration, it must be particularly resistant. The same applies to the soil, which should withstand these loads.
If, on the other hand, you are planting an ornamental lawn, it will probably grow denser and shorter. If you have chosen a particularly demanding variety, you must ensure that the lawn soil contains the necessary nutrients.
Furthermore, it is also important to pay attention to whether the lawn is completely reseeded or merely reseeded.
Without peat
Some lawn soils try to provide better properties for the lawn with the addition of peat. In the short term, this may even be true and the lawn will grow faster. However, in the long term, the peat is not a suitable ingredient to apply to your soil.
Adding the peat will cause most soils to become acidic. The pH will be affected in such a way that the lawn will not be able to grow optimally in the long run, and the weeds will have an easier time taking over against the lawn.
Conclusion
If you want to create ideal conditions for your lawn, then spreading a suitable lawn soil is the best option.
With the help of the lawn soil you ensure that enough nutrients are provided, the roots have a good hold and the water can drain better.
In this way, weeds have less chance to damage the lawn. This not only makes for a more beautiful sight, but also makes your job easier.
Therefore, just spread the lawn seeds on the suitable soil and enjoy the new lawn in just a few days.