The Grass Doctor

How to Get Grass to Grow in Red Clay?

When we bought our brand new house, the builders filled the front yard with red clay and seeded with a mixture of Centipede and Rye grass. After the fast rooting grass died out, the other stuff will not grow in the red clay. I watered and maintained it as well I could, to no avail. I don't proclaim to be much of a caretaker, but I know that if you're trying as hard as I was, you should see some results. Anybody have any helpful tips or suggestions?

Public Comments

1. try Patch Perfect. that stuff is supposed to grow on anything
2. if one can afford it....add about two inches of topsoil....grass will grow great on red clay then!...sorry thats the best I can come up with...clay is hard to grow anything in!
3. If you can til an loosen the dirt as well as possible at least 2 inches down.Spread lime an cow manure evenly.place a generous amount of seed.Cover with salt hay an water at least on inch every other day.If you have a well opened area that gets alot of sun I would use regular fescue.It maintains better than alot of softer grasses.If the area is shady they have brands formulated to grow in shady conditions.Just keep the water to it during the first summer because the new sprouts are tender an more than 2 days without water will kill it.It will take at least a year summer for the grass to establish itself.Once you have enough started you ca add different grass seeds to the yard in the fall to help soften the lawn a little as fescue is mainly a pasture grass but will take in red clay an begin fertilzing the ground own its on in a couple of years.
4. You need to rototill your lawn and amend the soil by trucking in some top soil to mix in with the existing dirt you have. After that, you should be able to seed or install sod and have it grow. Make sure you water it enough in the early morning during germination or for a few weeks to months for new sod until it's established.