Plants and shrubs for yards built on clay in Jacksonville ,Fl.

[clntn_mccoy]

I live in jacksonville ,Fl. I just got some jobs in a new subdivision. The thing is that it is built on dark clay. I am trying to find out what are good flowers, plants, or shrubs will be good to plant.

[White Gardens]

Anything in your zone that tolerates wetter, then drier conditions. The only issue you'll have is drainage. If you want to a quality job for reputation purposes, you'll want to go overboard with digging out the clay in the bed areas, and adding good dirt. And then make sure your lawns don't drain into your beds.

Good luck, that's a tuff road to hoe.

[clntn_mccoy]

So does that mean I can plant partial sun plants n full sun areas< since it will remain moist longer?

[clntn_mccoy]

Will lawns in these areas riquire less water? Should I water in the evening like around 6, or on the mornings?

[White Gardens]

Sun tolerences will still be the same. On the lawn, when you water, you can only put down a little at a time and it will dry out quicker. Around here I have a customer who has clay beneith his sod. He can only water for about a half hour before the yard turns into a wet sponge. The sod will dry out quickly because your not getting enough down and if the clay dries it turns into a rock. Always water in the morning when you can. It allows the grass to dry on the surface during the day so you have less chance of diesease and fungus to grow at night.

[clntn_mccoy]

Thank you! What do you think about me buying a book from this site to help my business grow?

[clntn_mccoy]

OK what about the yards with that sandy soil that the water settles on, should i water them out night?

[jwingfield2k]

Never water at night. Yes to the book, Sean Adams stuff is very helpful.

[clntn_mccoy]

Sun tolerences will still be the same. On the lawn, when you water, you can only put down a little at a time and it will dry out quicker. Around here I have a customer who has clay beneith his sod. He can only water for about a half hour before the yard turns into a wet sponge. The sod will dry out quickly because your not getting enough down and if the clay dries it turns into a rock. Always water in the morning when you can. It allows the grass to dry on the surface during the day so you have less chance of diesease and fungus to grow at night.

what about if i water at 6pm. or should i just stick to the morning like 6am

[White Gardens]

Stick with the morning, and only water at night if you have to, and I emphasize that. Even if in the evening or late afternoon the soil will still be wet enough on the surface to create dew, and that's a recipe for disease and fungus.

Like I said, sun tolerences are the same regardless of soil conditions. It all has to do with cholrophyl and the ability to convert sun-light into sugars. Heat also plays a role, if the temperature gets to high the leaves start to cook.

[clntn_mccoy]

Never water at night. Yes to the book, Sean Adams stuff is very helpful.
How do I subsribe new threads? I just put in new sod two days ago, it has turned brown.I put down starter fertilizer and cross check incectiside. How long will it take to start to catch and green up? How often should I water new sod in a hot place like jacksonville. Or can you just give me some tips to follow?

[clntn_mccoy]

Sun tolerences will still be the same. On the lawn, when you water, you can only put down a little at a time and it will dry out quicker. Around here I have a customer who has clay beneith his sod. He can only water for about a half hour before the yard turns into a wet sponge. The sod will dry out quickly because your not getting enough down and if the clay dries it turns into a rock. Always water in the morning when you can. It allows the grass to dry on the surface during the day so you have less chance of diesease and fungus to grow at night.
How do I subsribe new threads? I just put in new sod two days ago, it has turned brown.I put down starter fertilizer and cross check incectiside. How long will it take to start to catch and green up? How often should I water new sod in a hot place like jacksonville. Or can you just give me some tips to follow?

[clntn_mccoy]

Sun tolerences will still be the same. On the lawn, when you water, you can only put down a little at a time and it will dry out quicker. Around here I have a customer who has clay beneith his sod. He can only water for about a half hour before the yard turns into a wet sponge. The sod will dry out quickly because your not getting enough down and if the clay dries it turns into a rock. Always water in the morning when you can. It allows the grass to dry on the surface during the day so you have less chance of diesease and fungus to grow at night.
what effect does lime have on clay?

[AWJ Services]

Too test the amount of actual clay in the soil just pisk it up and compress it into a ball.
If it has a large amount of clay it will be firm and hard too crumple.
The more sand the easier it will fall apart.
Most of Florida has very little clay.
Color is not always a good indication.
This is a very simple test and in no means is the end all for soil content.


What type of sod?

Did you water well when you first installed?

[clntn_mccoy]

St. Augustine. I watered for an hour. I ahve been water for a hour for past three days. Starting at 5:30 a.m. This is not the clay yard, though.

[AWJ Services]

Sometimes the sod farm will cut the sod too thin and get into the roots too much and it will shock the grass and make it go brown.
It should return very quick however.
Look for root growth into the soil from the bottom of the sod.
Regardless of the color up top this will determine if the sod is still alive.

St Augustine likes moisture and with the amount of sand in Fla it will probally drain fast.If there is standing water it will kill it.Look for moisture under the sod.Once you get too that point I would stop watering.
I prefer too keep it wet the first couple of weeks.
Once you have good root transfer then you can slow the water down.
The important part is too have enough water too reach the soil underneath the sod.
Our sod here in Ga is often cut with a good layer of clay under the sod.The water will not penetrate the sod and run off the lawn without wetting the soil underneath.