# Best grass for clay?



## greasemnky20

What is the best grass to use for a clay yard? My yard has lots of Georgia red clay, as well as a slight slope downhill, and I would love to have grass and be able to walk around my yard after a rain without sinking. I just need a grass that will control any erosion, and still look nice and green.
Thanks for any help yall can give.
Lee


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## T.P.

Fescue worked very well in my yard, after liming and fertilizing as needed. It was a seed called Houndog.


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## Hort Hunter

Bermuda maybe mis it with Rye now . Beermuda wont really germinate I think until night temp is around 50s .Once it does germinate throw some ammonia nitrate out and make sure water it in real good. Be mowing before fall


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## Twenty five ought six

If you don't till it and incorporate some organic matter, doesn't really matter, won't any grass do well on bare clay.


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## shakey gizzard

Twenty five ought six said:


> If you don't till it and incorporate some organic matter, doesn't really matter, won't any grass do well on bare clay.



X2! Ammend the soil or you will be reseeding constantly. Dont forget the water and starter fertilizer!


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## greasemnky20

*what to use*

What is the best thing to use to add organic matter? Will mulch work, if I can't find enough compost? All other suggestions will be appreciated.


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## win280

topsoil is a good choice


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## shakey gizzard

And compost,99cent in the yellow bag at Homedblow.


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## Bugeye

put out one sprig of kudzu


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## Twenty five ought six

greasemnky20 said:


> What is the best thing to use to add organic matter? Will mulch work, if I can't find enough compost? All other suggestions will be appreciated.




Mulch will work.  You will have to add extra nitrogen because as the mulch decomposes it depletes nitrogen.


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## reel2rifle

I had a 1 ac yard full of quratz rock fragments and clay w/ a ph around 4.3 ish if I remember right.  I limed it with around 2000 lbs of pelletized lime(req 120lbs per 1000 sq ft per the soil sample could not afford that much pelletized).  I aerated the soil with with water filled drum with the spikes that I rented.  Then spread a centipede, bermuda, rye mix with push spreader.  I then 10-10-10 9 bags.  Bermuda and rye took quick and about 3 months the centipede starting showing up strong.  Over the next 1-2 year I fertilized with 23-?-? and the centipede took off like crazy.  I had a heck of stand of centipede.  I back filled any spots that did not take with plugs of centipede the following year.  I also back spread a couple loadsof sand the following year.  That grew better centipede than this sand I am on now. I remeber that centipede coming up from the aerated holes like crazy.  I think the seed was so small after watering it fell into the aerated holes.  Grass takes time so be patient.


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## greasemnky20

Did you have to pick up all the quarts fragments? Man I gotta plenty of quartz in a few spots.


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## swamp_plotts

Many factors to consider.  Shade, traffic, amount of management you are looking to put into it, expected aesthetics, fertility, and so on.  Each species will differ significantly, as well as varieties within a species.  And 25-06  is correct, you will need an OM with a low C:N ratio, unless you supply additional N.


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## greasemnky20

What is the best form of organic matter to use? I have seen topsoil, mulch, compost, peat moss, all these I have been told work, but what is the best for the money. I want really nice grass, and I don't mind hardwork, but I aint rich either so what would be the best budget friendly way to go. Also if I am wanting to do my whole lot approx. 1.18 ac, how many areas do I need to take soil samples from, like all 4 corners and the middle, or just spots?


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## swamp_plotts

OM is beneficial, but limiting.  It takes A LOT to do a little bit of good.  Plant matter generally has a low C:N ration.  Sawdust, straw, and mulch are high C:N, and therefore require additional N. Also, it should be incorporated into the soil to allow sunlight to reach the germinating seedlings, or wait until the grass is up and adding a little at the time. Synthetic fertilizer is almost a most for starting a stand. The soil analysis report should include recommendations of how much of each nutrient to apply.  Soil samples should exhibit an "average" of the area.  Take some on high spots, low spots, middle, etc.  Take it 2-4 inches deep.  Mix samples in a clean plastic bucket, not metal.


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## LIGHTNING

greasemnky20 said:


> What is the best thing to use to add organic matter? Will mulch work, if I can't find enough compost? All other suggestions will be appreciated.


 
greasemnky I think you can get compost at the landfill in monroe county for free


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## trial&error

rent a good aerator preferably one of the coring types so when it rains maybe some of your seed will stay in your yard.  Or just put in a garden or flower bed, seems to really grow the grass around my house.


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## Monroehntr

greasemnky20, I am going thru the same thing you are. I just built a house in Monroe county and I am trying to get grass to grow as well. Like someone mentioned I just went to Lowes and bought 2 big bags of fescue, and have been watering almost every day. It is starting to slowly come up now.


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## bestbucks

Nothing beats St. Augustine in my opinion. You should be okay planting it in Monroe county. Any further north and I would be skeptical.


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## Markn30135

Centipede Grass........the only way to go in GA. You can till the soil, seed or sod. Seed is three years until full, sleep, creep and leap. Loves just nitrogen!


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## HighCotton

Simple and easy answer.

Fescue or bermudagrass.  Centipede is more suited to south Ga.  You're in middle Ga.

Select the type you prefer.  If it were me, I'd go with fescue because I prefer the look.  there are several types of fescue available.   Soil test and then lime and fertilize according to the test.

If you're going to do this, do it now before it gets too hot.


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## whitworth

*A lot of seed worked for me in Georgia clay*

just as long as you use lime and fertilizer.  As far as I was concerned, forget the lime; forget the work altogether.


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## Pineyrooter

I agree with Twenty Five and others about needing organic matter and/or plain ole quality topsoil. When I bought the house I'm living in the yard had absolutely no topsoil or organic matter. I had raw red clay soil and that’s it. The previous owner had planted some type of fescue grass (maybe K31) but it was really struggling. I had more weeds than grass. Basically, if you have red clay and little or no topsoil you will greatly benefit from having some hauled in. Now, this may sound like a big deal but if you really want to grow grass you need some quality soil. Screened topsoil is the way to go in my opinion if you can swing the extra cost. Organic matter like decayed sawdust from an old sawmill site works well. Proper lime and fertilize is very important. Aeration from using an aerator helps. I live in Lumpkin County and I've found Rebel Supreme type fescue grows really well in both sun and shade. I picked up a bag at Home Depot. With proper nutrients and correct soil PH the stuff will turn a dark green which really makes a nice lawn. My .02


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## HighCotton

Pineyrooter said:


> I agree with Twenty Five and others about needing organic matter and/or plain ole quality topsoil. When I bought the house I'm living in the yard had absolutely no topsoil or organic matter. I had raw red clay soil and that’s it. The previous owner had planted some type of fescue grass (maybe K31) but it was really struggling. I had more weeds than grass. Basically, if you have red clay and little or no topsoil you will greatly benefit from having some hauled in. Now, this may sound like a big deal but if you really want to grow grass you need some quality soil. Screened topsoil is the way to go in my opinion if you can swing the extra cost. Organic matter like decayed sawdust from an old sawmill site works well. Proper lime and fertilize is very important. Aeration from using an aerator helps. I live in Lumpkin County and I've found _*Rebel Supreme type fescue*_ grows really well in both sun and shade. I picked up a bag at Home Depot. With proper nutrients and correct soil PH the stuff will turn a dark green which really makes a nice lawn. My .02


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