Lawn - To Gypsum or to Top Dress

morpheus83uk · 27 Jul 2015

All,

I have recently top dressed my lawn with top soil and sharp sand which has worked well. I have also aerated it with a hollow tine aerator which has reduced compaction. This was done to allow more aeration and to break down the clay .

I have recently read about gypsum and I am wondering if I were to aerate and apply the gypsum in place of the top dressing would this serve purpose to allow better soil and drainage etc? I can always add some more top soil as well over the top but I am wondering if its a good substitute as I have clay soil?

Thanks

James

JohnD · 27 Jul 2015

I have used gypsum on clay soil, but you have to mix it in (e.g. sprinkle and rake if thin, fork in if thick).

I can't see how it would mix in unless you are going to dig the turf up.

I suppose you could add a bit to any future grit or top-dressing.

morpheus83uk · 27 Jul 2015

Thanks for the response.

Did it work well for your clay soil? If so do you have to keep adding more year on year or after a few years does it actually sort the soil out so it doesn't need any more application?

I have read that if its already established then you can just put it on the top and give it a good watering in (or let the rain do it) and its works from there.

I was thinking that when I come to put top soil down just add it into that and then throw it over the lawn that way so it can be broken down that way.

Thanks

James

JohnD · 27 Jul 2015

it worked on the vegetable bed that I forked it into. I just did it when I happened to have a part-used bag, or some plaster waste, so I don't know if I should have done it regularly. It makes the soil dry and crumbly.

If you sprinkle it onto a lawn and water it I think it will just turn into a layer of plaster.

morpheus83uk · 27 Jul 2015

Sounds good so it makes it much better to manage and allows more are aeration and water to flow then.

Also how long did it take for it to work for you?

Hmm I see your point however wouldn't that still be the case when forking it into the soil and the soil gets wet?

JohnD · 27 Jul 2015

it worked from the same day, and IIRC lasted at least until the end of that year when I would have dug it over again. With repeated digging it eventually gets diluted by the rest of the soil in the garden. It causes the clay to flocculate round the gypsum particles.

morpheus83uk · 27 Jul 2015

Ah so it literally breaks up the clay and gets it to stick to the gypsum instead of itself.

So after say a few years depending on clay etc once it's done all or most of the clay it shouldn't need doing again?

JohnD · 27 Jul 2015

I don't know how long it works. I think it was still noticeable when re-digging that patch, but have moved now so can't say.

I also threw my plaster waste onto the compost heap, where it broke down with damp and got spread on the veg patch.

morpheus83uk · 27 Jul 2015

I will give it a shot then and see what happens I will try a small part on the lawn and see how that goes if it doesn't turn to plaster then I will put more on and see what happens then.

It sounds like a good step forward and supports all my research so I have some on order

Thank you for your help

James

endecotp · 27 Jul 2015

morpheus83uk said:
I have recently top dressed my lawn with top soil and sharp sand which has worked well. I have also aerated it with a hollow tine aerator which has reduced compaction. This was done to allow more aeration and to break down the clay .

I have recently read about gypsum and I am wondering if I were to aerate and apply the gypsum in place of the top dressing would this serve purpose to allow better soil and drainage etc? I can always add some more top soil as well over the top but I am wondering if its a good substitute as I have clay soil?

What problem with the lawn are you trying to solve?

morpheus83uk · 27 Jul 2015

I am wondering of Gypsum would work as a good top dressing to improve the clay soil I have for my lawn as its already established I would like it to be better and also not crack when it get dry.

endecotp · 29 Jul 2015

morpheus83uk said:
not crack when it get dry.

In the long term, you'll probably have to strip the turf off, apply a good thickness of bought-in topsoil, and re-turf. This is obviously time-consuming and expensive, so you'll probably have to just live with it for the time being.

"Diluting" the clay in your borders by adding material (e.g. compost) will be a slow process but it will work eventually. But in the case of a lawn, the grass gets in the way.

morpheus83uk · 29 Jul 2015

Thanks I will be adding the gypsum as well as lost of compost year on year I have recently just ordered a twin chamber compost tumbler which should help with the compost creation over the year and keeps it simple.
I was wondering for the grass if it was safe to pop on the top and water in the gypsum as well as maybe some top soil and sharp sand or just the gypsum and top soil. As I am looking at improving the soil structure to get rid of or reduce the amount of clay and hardness of it to have a thriving lawn.

JohnD · 29 Jul 2015

IMO you can't do much to a lawn that is basically clay without digging it.

If you can bear to live without it until next year, you might consider digging it over, removing rubbish and stones and incorporating plenty of organic matter, grit and gypsum, then leaving it to settle.

If you mulch it heavily it will not be too muddy to walk on through the winter and will look fairly tidy. The mulch will suppress weed growth. You can spray emergent weeds until you are ready to rake off whatever mulch has not rotted down or been taken by the worms, level it and seed or turf. If is bound to settle a bit more, having been dug, but you can use a gritty top-dressing with a lute or the back of a big rake to fill in the hollows. I think you will end up with a much better lawn. You can put any amount of grit on the surface as long as the roots go deeper, bowling green have it inches thick (but have to water frequently as it drains well and does not hold water)

endecotp · 29 Jul 2015

morpheus83uk said:
I was wondering for the grass if it was safe to pop on the top and water in the gypsum as well as maybe some top soil and sharp sand or just the gypsum and top soil.

You'll either bury the grass, or you'll not add enough to be effective. Hence my comment that you'll eventually need to strip the turf.

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Lawn - To Gypsum or to Top Dress

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