The Grass Doctor

How to plant grass seed in clay soil?

I'm trying to find the cheapest and best way to plant grass seed in Indiana's clay soil. I know that I can use Kentucky Bluegrass Fescue seed but can I just rake over the soil after a good rain, then plant seed and starter fertilizer? I planted grass seed last year but 5 days later we had a MAJOR rain that came through and washed the seeds away. I want to make sure that the seed grows this time but don't have a tiller or a way to get one to my house. Can someone please help me? I did put down straw last year but the rain was so heavy that it flooded our streets. I also borrowed a cultivator last year to get the soil ready. I just want to see if I am able to put down grass seed without having to do that again? Thank you

Public Comments

1. A heavy layer of loose straw laid over the seed then watered well might help prevent a wash out.
2. I will tell you how to do it good and cheap. In clay it holds the water so it can eaisly drown the seeds and so on and can hold the water to where it floats up and away or if the seed grows into grass later in life it may drown the plant. So mostly clay soil is not a good grass soil or soil for most plants in general. Since most of your soil is heavy in clay you need to use a rake, a shovel, and some sand. I would buy a few things of sand and or crushed rock and then wait until it is raining or after a rain or use a water hose to get the clay wet so that you can shovel in the sand or gravel. Sand helps soil to loose water faster so it weouls help to balance out the water retention. Another thing that can help alot honestly if you have way to much land and no tools to cultivate you can go to a local fishing shop or something and buy enough EARTHWORMS (not any other type) and toss tham all around. They will make holes through the clay to where it balances out on water retention and they will also poop alot of good nutrients into the soil. If possible I would try to do both. I dont know the equation for worm or the sand ratio to soil. Also each grass requires a different type of fertilizer. Some needs 10,10,10 while another may need 10,2,33 and so on. Pick the grass and then pick the type of fertilizer that grass needs. Also each fertilizer goes down differntly. Some may have a 3/1, 22/1 ratio to how much you use per square foot. Also it may need to go down DRY and not be wet for a day or it may need to go down after it is wet. Each is different. Now for the grass several things go into account. Do you need sun loving grass, shade loving grass, or half and half grass. How much light is the area going to be getting. Does it rain alot or not often you may need drought grass. (I doubt you will need drought grass if it rains once every 9 days or so in average in clay). Will lots of people or animals like a dog travel the area if so you would need some high traffic grass. Another thing to consider is do you have problems with bugs or weeds. They have fertilizer with weed control and or bug control or grub control and so on. I hope I helped. Just wait till a light rain or either wet the ground down and add in some sand and earthworms and then wait a day or so and then wet it down again or if another light rain place down the seeds and follow the directions for the seeds and fertilizer on the bag. I will answer more simply. straw willl not help that much really. plus it looks crappy. the problem is that the soil does not get rid of the water so it floods. if you fix the soil the fix the problem. add sand to the soil. it will require work.mostly clay soil is not ideal for growing plants and grass in. mostly sandy soil will lose water to fast. add sand to the soil to balance out the soil. that is the first step. if it really comes down to it you may have to put in lots of work. like builiding the ground up by a few inches and making it slope off your land. anytime you want to make your yard better, especially soil, it will require work. when you last cultivated the land all you did was mix up the land maybe added some extra soil but it did nothing. it would be like cultivating sand to make it better sand. all it does it move it around. you have to change the soil. you may just beable to buy lots of good top soil and use some plants along the border to help prevent erosion then place sod over it or seeds in the soil.