Are soil amendments necessary when preparing the soil for grass installation?
Soil amendments are never a bad idea but their effectiveness diminishes overtime. Organic amendments add to soil fertility and are very effective when tilled into heavy soils. When tilled into sandy soils such as common used sandy loam, they can increase water retention and fertility in the soil. The biggest problem with amendments is they can cause sink spots in a new lawns if they are not spread and tilled evenly once they start decomposing. After a year or maybe a little more, the amendments will be mostly gone from your soil however. In closing, if applied right, amendments have a useful purpose in the landscape just not long term effects but they can certainly get your lawn off to the right start.
Soil amendments are never a bad idea but their effectiveness diminishes overtime. Organic amendments add to soil fertility and are very effective when tilled into heavy soils. When tilled into sandy soils such as common used sandy loam, they can increase water retention and fertility in the soil. The biggest problem with amendments is they can cause sink spots in a new lawns when they start decomposing if they are not spread and tilled evenly. The long term benefits of organic amendments diminish overtime but its certainly plausible that supplemental fertilizer inputs will be reduced at least initially. In closing, if applied right, amendments have a useful purpose in the landscape just not long term effects but they can certainly get your lawn off to the right start.
