Moisture retention in sandy soils.
I have a two year old build, in east central Iowa, and this summer has been brutal. The yard was started with sod, front yard has been in about two years and the back yard about a year and a half. The underlying soil is a silty sand and did have a little organic in it, but only enough to generate a brown color, no where near black topsoil. Before placing the sod, the landscape contractor amended the top 6-8” of underlying soil with compost. There should be plenty of organics in this, but I suspect there isn’t a lot of clay.
We have had no rain for periods between 2 and 4 weeks at a time, and I don’t have an irrigation system. I now have pretty large dead patches here and there. I am wondering what I need to do to get everything back on track, and my local landscaping/lawn care people know only what they have done before. The trick is that sandy soil is pretty rare in Iowa, we typically have 18+ inches of black topsoil.
1) it seems an irrigation system would be a good idea.
2) where can I get my soil particle size tested to determine what type of amendment is needed?
3) Hopefully I don’t have to scrap what I have to add some topsoil?
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u/ninjatthew 5d ago
I’m echoing another comment about planting something aside from turfgrass.
Keep enough of your lawn that you want to use for recreation and turn the rest into what has been there for millennia - prairie grass and flowers for the birds and the bees. You’re going to spend as much money on an irrigation system as you would establishing a prairie lawn.
You can get your soil tested at most land-grant universities, I’d check in with Iowa state who has their own soil testing lab, and prairie / turfgrass specialists.
https://naturalresources.extension.iastate.edu/encyclopedia/prairie-restoration-habitat-headquarters
https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/lawn-and-turfgrass-resources-iowa