What Type of Top Soil Do I Need for Overseeding a Lawn in Tennessee?
If you are overseeding a lawn in Tennessee, you are probably dealing with fescue grass. Top soil will work with any kind of fescue, and can be bought in a bag or by the truckload. The trick is to find a top soil with a good texture, color and smell. Does this Spark an idea?
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Identification
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The best type of top soil for fescue lawns is clean, weed-free top soil. Good top soils contain a mixture of organic matter and a good source of minerals. It should be free of excess debris. Also ask if there are any additives such as lime, sulfur or fertilizers.
Considerations
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It's important to know where the top soil comes from, according to Thomas C. Stebbins, University of Tennessee at Knoxville extension agent for Hamilton County. Ask the professionals at your local garden center or nursery where their top soil comes from. A good garden center knows what to look for in its top soil shipments. Some of the best sites are farms, riverbanks or construction sites.
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Unbagged Top Soil
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Smell and feel the top soil to judge its quality. Hold some of the top soil in your hand and bounce it, Stebbins suggests. If it forms a solid, gooey ball, it's not a good choice. If it falls apart, you have a good top soil.
Quality top soil should smell very earthy thanks to beneficial fungi. It will have a rich, dark look, darker than clay, with more of a blackish color. Order unbagged top soil by the truckload from private companies.
Bagged Top Soil
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Bagged top soils can be just as good as a truckload of fresh top soil. Compare the weight of the bag with the truckload.
Some well-known brands are Earthgro, Miracle-Gro and Scotts, but you don't have to pay too much for brand names. A good garden center or nursery will allow you to sample the soil to determine if it has a good texture, color and smell.
Expert Insight
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Fescues are cool season grasses that do well in the spring, but not in the heat of summer. The best time to overseed and reinvigorate a lawn is in the cool temperatures of the fall. Whichever top soil you choose, your chances of success increase if you first aerate your lawn in the fall. Put the top soil in 2-inch holes, then rake the lawn so the seed gets a good start.
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