Sandy soil lawns need more frequent fertilization, in smaller quantity, than denser, clay-based soils. Water drains away quickly, as does anything that dissolves in water. Sandy soil has a large particulate size and does not clump together well. If your soil has strayed outside those numbers, you may need to get out the spreader and add lime (to … Compost improves the moisture-holding capacity of the soil, adds nutrients, and feeds soil microbes.These microbes are key to the complex process that makes food available to grass plants. There are three main problems with sandy soils when it comes to proper lawn care. Sprinkle a very light layer of mulch, such as peat moss or weed-free straw, over the planted lawn surface. Sandy soil presents some challenges when it comes to establishing a lawn. Problem #1: Sand particles are relatively large and coarse, with an abundance of air pockets between them. Source: Aaron Jacklin. – In the summer, homeowners whose lawn and garden soil is sandy often lament that their gardens and lawn require more watering than those growing in finer soil. Grass plants like slightly acidic soil with a pH level of 6.5 to 7. If you have silty or loamy soil, or get moderate lawn traffic, aerate the lawn once a year. I live in NY, the grass is kentucky blue and tall fescue. Sandy soils by their nature usually lack a healthy soil nutrient profile and as a result will often be unhealthy much of the time. Sandy soils are often highly alkaline in nature, which can be as bad for a lawn as highly acidic soils can be. This will prevent you having sandy soil sitting beneath the nutrient-enriched good soil on the top. I have been trying to understand what the correct type of watering schedule should be for my lawn. With the aeration and seeding, I would have thought the seed would have germinated better since it started to take root in the clay, then made its way through the thin layer of sandy soil. Rake the soil surface to lightly dust the grass seed with 1/16 inches of sandy soil. Rake it out to level your surface and give it a good water. Now your soil will be ready for planting. Its planted in sandy loom soil Its irrigated (16zones, 2-4 rotors per zone) The lawn is about 2yrs old I have Rainbird 5000 series rotors. To start with, test the soil pH level in the lawn area. When the lawn is watered, the water makes it right through the top layer of soil and it is almost immediately dry. Golf courses are built on sandy soil and specialized turf grasses that can thrive in sandy conditions are used on the greens. This works whether you have overly sandy or clayey soil. A healthy microbe population encourages a dense green lawn. 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