Spring is here and everything is getting greener! Make sure things stay green with these tips on caring for your Alabama lawn.
The good news about Alabama? You CAN have a beautiful lawn—but you have to start with the basics: the soil. Prairie soil is a common term used to describe the clay thick soil found south of Interstate 85. It tends to harden during the dry periods and hold too much water during the other months. Here are some musts for clay lawn soil:
Aerate the Lawn Every Spring and Fall
Aeration is a process that removes cores of soil from the lawn using a specialized machine. The removal of these cores helps to relieve soil compaction that builds up over time. If your lawn is clay-based, you should aerate at least twice each year.
Apply Lawn Fertilizer Regularly
Clay lawn soil has no inherent nutrients to make grass healthy and green. This means you will need to develop a regular schedule for fertilizing your lawn. It helps to use organic fertilizers, because they increase soil biotics while also feeding the lawn.
Irrigate the Grass Regularly
Clay soil doesn’t hold water well, and it doesn’t drain fast. As a result, the sun will suck any moisture out of the soil on hot days. Your clay-based turf will need regular irrigation. This means watering your lawn two to three times per week for at least an hour in each area.