We accept:
What type of soil do I have?
In this guide, we’ll help you identify what kind of soil you have in your garden and give you the best tips for growing grass in any soil condition!
Identifying what type of soil you have in your garden is the key to creating and maintaining a lush, healthy lawn. The 3 most common soil types are clay soil, sandy soil and loam soil – each having specific nutritional needs that impact grass growth.
Clay soil
Clay soil is often referred to as heavy soil due to its high level of water retention. This means clay soils have poor drainage and are prone to compaction and waterlogging, however due to the slower drainage, this soil also holds nutrients well so is very fertile!
How to identify clay soil
Clay soil is sticky when wet and can be easily moulded into a ball and not lose its shape. In the warmer weather, clay soil becomes hard, dry and cracked as it dries out.
How to make grass grow in clay soil
Aeration is key for this kind of soil as it reduces compaction and breaks up the clay soil to allow for water and nutrients to better pass through and grass roots to establish.
We have developed a fertiliser especially for troublesome clay soil lawns – SLOW RELEASE: Clay Soil Fertiliser. Taking into consideration the properties of the soil, this fertiliser has been designed to not overwhelm the nutrient-rich soil and improve moisture control.
For overseeding or creating a new lawn on clay soil, we have a specially formulated grass seed mixture, designed to work with clay soil conditions by being deep-rooting, drought tolerant and hard-wearing – IMPRESS: Clay Master Lawn Seed.
Want to plant wildflowers on a heavy clay soil? Check out our Heavy Clay Soils Wildflowers.
Sandy soil
Sandy soils are loose, dry and gritty in texture, tending to dry out very quickly due to low water retention. This means on one hand, your lawn won’t be as prone to waterlogging but on the other hand, nutrients easily leach out of the soil when it rains, creating poor growth conditions.
How to identify sandy soil
If you were to try to mould a handful of moist sandy soil, it would crumble away easily and you would feel the gritty texture between your fingers.
How to make grass grow in sandy soil
A slow-release fertiliser is essential for promoting grass growth on sandy soils as it replenishes the essential nutrients lost over a sustained period of time to create the perfect environment for grass to thrive! Our SLOW RELEASE: Sandy Soil Fertiliser is specially formulated for this growing environment with increased Phosphate to help grass establish roots and Nitrogen to prevent nutrients from leaching out.
For a lush lawn on sandy soil, our THRIVE: Sandy Soils grass seed mixture is ideal. With a blend of 3 resilient grass species, this grass seed has been formulated to thrive in the low nutrient sandy soil conditions and develop a strong grass root structure.
Want to plant wildflowers on a sandy soil? Check out our Sandy Soils Wildflowers.
Loam soil
Loam soil is the gold standard of garden soils! It’s a perfect blend of clay, sand, and silt soils, offering good drainage, moisture retention, and high fertility—making it ideal the ideal growing conditions for lush, healthy grass.
How to identify loam soil
If you were to mould a ball of moist loam soil in your hand, it would mostly hold its shape but break apart if disturbed.
How to make grass grow in loam soil
Although this is deemed as the ‘perfect soil’, it is still important to practice good lawn care through regular aeration, fertiliser application and overseeding any sparse patches with grass seed.