How to Grow Grass on a Clay-Base Yard
- 1). Clear your yard of rocks, old grasses and weeds. You can do this by good old-fashioned digging or use a weed killer. Using a weed killer, however, means you can't plant grass seeds until the chemicals wear off. That could take up to four months.
- 2
Add bark mulch to the soil. Cedar mulch is best, as it repels harmful insects. You will need to add four inches of mulch on top of your clay soil for optimal benefit. Clay is so heavy and dense that you need a lot of mulch mixed with it to lighten it up and allow grass to grow. - 3). Use a rototiller to mix the mulch and clay soil together. You will want to get at least four inches of the clay mixed with the four inches of mulch. This will create eight inches of good, loose soil-perfect for growing grass.
- 4). Fertilize the soil. Once you have loosened up and mixed the clay and mulch together, you should fertilize it with compost or a soil conditioner. These are sold at most garden centers. Use the rototiller again to mix in the conditioner.
- 5
Lay sod or seed the soil. If seeding, be sure to cover the entire area, using a seeder to spread the seed in several directions. Cover the seeds with a light layer of soil. Water thoroughly. Sod needs to be kept moist at all times. Water your grass at least once a day until it is established, and then water it to about an inch per week.
