Skip to content Skip to sidebar Skip to footer
Home / Grass Growing / Type Of Grass

What Grass That Grows In Sandy Soil?

grass that grows in sand
Many people enjoy the luxurious appear of a lush lawn but find it challenging to grow one. That challenge is especially challenging if you're coping with sandy soil, which drains too very easily and will not hold moisture and nutrients grass requirements to thrive. Choose various grass that does well on this sandy base.

What is sandy soil?

Sandy soil has an excessive amount of mineral (rock-based) material in it and not adequate organic (plant-based) material. You can tell what kind of soil you have by grabbing a handful of damp soil and squeezing it into a ball. Sandy soil will fall apart right away if you open your hand. (A clay soil will keep within a solid lump; loam, the ideal soil, will hold a ball shape until you poke it.) If you have sandy soil, you will need to enhance the soil before you can grow a healthy lawn, even when you're growing the right type of grass. See also How to grow grass in sandy soil

Making soil Better

Sandy soil lacks the organic material it wants to help healthy growth, so you have got to supply some---ideally, about six inches' worth. Nutrient-rich compost is the best additive. Peat moss, which can be much less pricey, improves the texture in the soil but does not add as many nutrients. Top soil includes a good texture however the fewest nutrients.

Climate matters

You'll choose your grass based on what sort of climate you reside in. You will find two categories of grass: cool-season and warm-season. The distinction is based on the growing zones for plant hardiness (comply with the hyperlink inside the Resources section below to find the zone you reside in).

  • Cool-season grasses do best in colder climates. These grasses stay at the least somewhat green even by way of cold winters, though they may well go dormant (turn brown) in hot weather if they're not watered.
  • Warm-season grasses do best in warm climates; these grasses go dormant within the cold but thrive in hot, humid summers.

Cool-season grass

Fescue is your best bet in for any cool-season grass. There are several different types of fescue: Appear for tall fescue, which may be sold inside a mix that involves red fescue or creeping fescue. Tall fescue is really a low-maintenance, slow-growing grass, so you should not must mow a great deal. It could even manage a little shade, although no grass will do well in deep shade.

Warm-season grass

For warm-season grass, you have two primary possibilities. The most widespread choice is zoysia, occasionally known as zoysiagrass. When established, zoysia forms a thick mat that discourages weeds. It's drought tolerant, which means it'll go brown but not die during extended dry spells. It also is salt tolerant and does well near the beach. It may handle some shade.

Centipede grass does well in sandy, somewhat acidic soil, like the soil found in the southeastern United States. (The southwestern United States has far more alkaline soil.) Like zoysia, centipede types weed-deterring mats, however it is significantly less shade-tolerant than zoysia.