I live in Florida & my backyard is a mess. What grass we do have is all dying & there are mulitple types. We figured out this past week that about 1/4 of it is nothing but sand spurs. We have decided to just start all over again. We found out that the only sod around here to buy is the Palmetto. Our back yard is also mostly sand. Will this type of soil grow in sand??? Any information would be greatly appreciated.
[url=https://plantanswers.tamu.edu/turf/publications/staug.html]St. Augustine Grass[/url] information.
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St. Augustinegrass tolerates a variety of soil types, but let me explain soil a little bit as it applies to your question.
The term "sandy" indicates soil structure for the most part. Sandy soil could but doesn't necessarily determine whether grass can grow in it. Ideal soil structure is called a loam, which is comprised of clay, sand, and silt (and organic matter). Sometimes, a good loam is referred to as "sandy loam" which is perfect. Is that what you mean, or are you saying soil is sandy and somewhat less than ideal? Just want to make sure you recognize the difference and haven't gotten confused.
Usually, the problem with sandy soil (not sandy loam) is drainage. Because there isn't enough clay and silt (and organic matter) to hold moisture, then water and nutrients quickly drain through - faster than grass has opportunity to become properly hydrated and nourished. So, you end up having to irrigate more often and probably fertilize more often too since nutrient cationing is compromised.
The really good part is you are starting over, which makes it ideal time to incorporate other necessary components to improve soil structure. [url=https://www.lawnfertilizers.com/info/soiltests.html]This article[/url] will help you understand the ratio of components. First get a soil test so you know what you need and how much. Contact your local [url=https://urbanext.illinois.edu/netlinks/ces.html]County Extension service[/url] for test information and sampling instructions.
Here is [url=https://weather.nmsu.edu/teaching_Material/soil456/soiltexture/soiltext.htm]a neat trick[/url] to determine the pecentages of sand, silt, and clay in your soil.
We are pretty sure it is pure sand. The water pools on top & it creates mud. We figured that we would probably need to bring in a different type of soil in order to help establish the new sod. As long as it will grow once it is fully established we are ok with this. We are also going to have to replace it in sections because we can't afford to replace the entire yard at once. Any advice on the best way to do this? Thank you for all of your wonderful information.
Let's see if we can factor through how much you need to do and the relative cost. We can possibly find ways to cut costs, too. But first, we have to know a few things.
To determine the square footage of your lawn area, walk it heel to toe in your shoes (unless your bare foot is 12 inches). Though not precise, that will give you a general idea. Walk east/west and remember (or write down) how many steps and then walk north/south and remember how many steps. Each step is a foot. Then multiply the two results. This translate to the square footage of your lawn area.
You have to get a soil test. You need that for a sundry of reasons and for all the information it provides but for our purposes at the moment, we need to know what it says about the percentage of soil components. That will give us a starting point. But, we're not replacing anything. We'll just add to what is there to make it better. It will also give you a good idea of cost and what you can afford to do
