Is the addition of gypsum, biochar or humic substances to lawns worthwhile? - Ask Extension
I've read online about the potential value of adding gypsum, biochar or humic substances to lawns to improve quality and reduce compaction in heavy cl...
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Is the addition of gypsum, biochar or humic substances to lawns worthwhile? #824089
Asked March 31, 2023, 4:36 PM EDT
I've read online about the potential value of adding gypsum, biochar or humic substances to lawns to improve quality and reduce compaction in heavy clay soils. Would using these on my lawn make any sense? The manufacturers of these products and industry groups say they work great, of course, but I can't seem to find definitive answers from unbiased sources--specifically regarding residential turf.
We live in suburban Columbus, in a development built in the early 2000s. I'm sure our soil is the hard clay stuff that seems to be typical across the area and in allotments like ours. Our front lawn is also part of the neighborhood football field. These factors combine to make some pretty compacted soil. We core aerate annually in the fall, and I'd like to start adding something to improve overall soil quality. Could one of the above products help, or should I use the tried-and-true compost?
Thanks, in advance, for any insight!
Franklin CountyOhio
Expert Response
Adam, Thank you for your question and I'll try to answer as simply as possible. While the addition of the substances you mentioned will help improve the nutritional quality of poor soil especially if it lacks calcium, they will do little to nothing to reduce compaction of clay soils. The best practice, unless you want to till your lawn and start over, is to continue to core aerate your lawn each fall and spread organic matter such as compost, finely ground mulch or even ground up leaves and let it work itself into the aerated openings over the fall and winter. Even if you choose the "start over" option, the remedy is still to mix lots of organic matter into the existing clay soil. The organic matter improves the soil by adding air space into the soil which is missing in heavy clay compacted soil. Here is a link to a good fact sheet from the University of Maryland Extension on improving soil health and improving compacted soil: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/soil-health-drainage-and-improving-soil. If you continue to use the core aeration and add organic matter each fall, you will slowly but surely see an improvement in your lawn compaction problem. Thanks again for the question and have a great spring and summer.