One of my closest friends had difficulty maintaining his lawn, and it didn’t matter how perfectly he cared for it. We tried to help him with so many ideas, but he failed to have a beautiful lawn. Then, my friend’s grandpa visited him, and he managed to find out the problem. Actually, he didn’t have the best types of lawn soil on the ground.
Basically, it was about a decade ago, and we had no idea about the types of lawn soil. Since then, I have always been concerned about the soil types and suggest beginners learn about them properly.
In our nearby regions, North and south America, and Canada, you can find a few specific types of soil. To identify what type your lawn contains, you must have to learn their basic criteria. Additionally, it is even more important to learn exactly which type of soil is the best option for your lawn.
Understanding the essence of these important factors, we started writing this article. Here, you will learn about the common types of lawn soil with everything about them. So, don’t miss a single word to learn something very important for your lawn.
Types of Lawn Soil You Can Find on Your Lawn
Researchers from many different universities and organizations have tested the soil types all around this region. And they found six types of lawn soil as the most common types. And here, you will get enough idea about how to identify them and what criteria they amplify.
1. Clay Soil
Let’s start with the specific type of soil that the potters use: clay soil. It is a kind of sticky soil, and you can easily give it a shape after kneading for a moment. However, in USA and Canada, it is widespread to find clay soil on the lawn. And this kind of soil is very suitable for both grass seed and turf lawns.
This kind of soil is very rich in plant nutrients. That’s why most kinds of plants grow very well on clay soil. Besides, it retails water perfectly. So, it won’t be a problem if you cannot water the plants daily.
Because of its excellent water retaining facility, clay soil often causes problems. Your lawn with clay soil can easily get waterlogged. Also, too much water cause less air space, so the root may not get enough nitrogen and other air elements.
Also, you cannot let it dry as it gets hard like a rock when it is dry completely. That’s why we don’t recommend using clay soil on your lawn unless the lawn naturally contains this kind of soil.
2. Sandy Soil
Let’s get introduced to another type of lawn soil completely different from clay soil. It is sandy soil, and it consists of tiny particles of weathered hail. It is dry and warm and tends to be acidic.
This type of soil is like granules, just like sugar or salt. The soil does not have any shape as the sand particles are loose. And for being loose, air, water, and all other nutrients can easily move straight through the particles.
If you want to use a soil type with the advantage of good drainage, you should use sandy soil. By being well drainage, most flowering plants grow well on it as it does not compact like clay. Eventually, working with sandy soil is great for gardeners. It gets warmer very quickly in the spring as well.
For a particular reason, I won’t recommend sandy soil. It is not good for growing plants because of having low nutrients and poor water holding capacity. It makes the plant’s roots hard to absorb water. Also, it does not hold water as well as dries out quickly.
3. Silty Soil
If you find a very slippery, soft component enriching soil on your lawn, you can guess that it’s the Silty soil. You must be familiar with this type of soil if you frequently swim in the river. It’s because silty soil is mostly available at the bottom of most rivers. Its components are neither small nor big rather, they are medium in size.
Water, air, and other nutrients can easily move through the particles more quickly than in clay soil. But obviously, sandy soil is faster than silty. On the other side, it has a smoother quality of holding water than sandy soil. That’s why preparing soil for turfing is easier with this kind of soil.
If you are looking for soil that is rich in plant nutrients, then you may go for silty soil. There is a noteworthy benefit of this soil; it keeps retaining moisture. If you want to avoid water-logging, this soil type is also a good one. Also, it is easy for gardeners who have experience working with sandy soil.
There are some disadvantages of using this type of lawn soil for which it is not recommended. Since it is very light, it is easy to be eroded. In this soil, the roots of the plants may not get enough water and nutrients.
4. Peat Soil
Peat soil is the rarest among the soil types we are getting introduced to. It generally develops where the peat moss is found. But you’ll rarely find peat soil in a garden setting. It is higher in organic matter, compressibility, and water-holding capacity.
Besides, peat soil can contain some rock particles, and in nature, it is comparatively more spongy and darker than the others. Peat soil is perfect for acid-loving plants. It has the retention ability of water and nutrients for a long time. It can warm up fast in spring and also retains moisture.
The worst thing about peat soil is it is too much acidic for most plants. It does not provide enough plant nutrients. So you have to add the plant nutrients with the soil amendments.
5. Loam Soil
Loam soil has a perfect combination of three different soil particles: silt, sand, and clay soil. This type of lawn soil is able to retain moisture and nutrients. This soil is moist and well-textured. It is considered the ideal soil type since each of the particles works along with another so that they can cancel out all the negative traits.
This type of soil is very fertile as well as rich in nutrients. Water, oxygen, and nutrients can reach plant roots easily because it has sufficient air space. It holds moisture and drains well. Working with loamy soil is easy for gardeners as well. It warms up and doesn’t dry out respectively in spring and summer.
Are you looking for disadvantages of this soil? Then sorry to disappoint you because loamy soil is so ideal that it does not have any disadvantages. It’s the best one for any type of lawn grasses and turf. This soil is highly recommended.
6. Chalk Soil
Chalk soil is usually very alkaline and often called basic soil. It is comparatively less common than most other lawn soil types in general. You will find this kind of soil on chalk deposits and underground limestone beds.
Generally, Lime stone contains high calcium carbonate. However, Chalk soil has free drainage and is initially stony and large-grained in nature. In chalky soils, you can often see white lumps of stones, and it is natural.
Chalky soil is appropriate for plants that need quick drainage and alkaline condition soil. Also, it warms up faster in spring, which is a good part of this kind of soil.
For some specific reasons, you should avoid it. Because of being highly alkaline, this soil can be harmful. Also, it is very much shallow, and that’s why the root of the plant may not grow properly. It causes the loss of nutrients and drying out for having fast drainage.
These six types of lawn soil are generally found in the American and European regions. Among all these soil, if your lawn contains loamy, sandy, or silty soil, count yourself lucky because these kinds of soil are quite effective for a lawn. And it is a blessing that most of us have these soil types in our yard.
FAQ
Q: Which soil is best for the lawn?
A: Loam soil is the best soil type for the lawn. Generally, Loam soil contains different soil nutrients, and the balance is just perfect. That’s why lawn grass seed germination rate is very high with it, and turf is also set perfectly on the loam soil.
Q: How do I know my soil type?
A: You can identify the types of lawn soil by just touching them. Check the following points that will help you identify the soil types.
- If it is sticky like pottery soil, then it’s clay soil.
- The sandy soil will be gritty and dazzling.
- Slit soil must be very soft and slippery.
- If it is like lumps of rocks, then you can guess it is chalk soil.
- The spongy soil is the peat soil.
- And loam soil is very soft and slightly damp.
Q: Which soil is most difficult to work on?
A: Clay soil is definitely the hardest soil type to have a lawn on. When the clay soil is not getting much water and has a lot of sunshine, it becomes harder, like a rock. Then it will be difficult to keep the lawn alive. So, we always suggest changing the soil of the ground if it is clay soil.
Q: Can I use garden soil on my lawn?
A: Yes, and No. If the garden soil contains enough compost and manure by nature, you can use it on your lawn. But some garden soil types contain too much compost and cocopeat. You shouldn’t use them on the lawn in that case.
Final Thought
I am sure that it won’t be a problem for you to identify what kind of soil your yard contains. You should be happy if you have loamy, silt, or sandy soil. Peat and call soil won’t be that much more difficult to have a lawn on than clay soil. So, if you have clay soil, we suggest you change it. Just talk to the plant shop or the lawn service providers, and they will manage everything for you.
However, my friend who had a problem with his lawn actually has clay soil. So, he changed it and certainly got beautiful aftermath. Since then, I have been very sincere about the soil types, and that’s why I wrote this article to make you aware of the types of lawn soil.
Now, let us know if you check your lawn’s soil and share how it works. Also, share this content with your friends who are going to make their new lawn. Thanks for your time.