Does kiln dried fine sand help a lawn?

[Clariman]

I've recently power washed our monobloc drive which dislodged a lot of debris, muck and the fine sand that was in the gaps. I swept most of this into a border or onto the edge of our tired front lawn.

In the 10 days or so since I did it, I've noticed that the grass at the edge of the lawn is looking much healthier than the rest of it. Is this because of the muck or the sand or both?

I have used fresh kiln dried sand to fill the monobloc gaps again. I have a bag left over and wondered if that would help the grass if lightly sprinkled on the lawn?

Thanks
Clariman

[swill453]

In the 10 days or so since I did it, I've noticed that the grass at the edge of the lawn is looking much healthier than the rest of it. Is this because of the muck or the sand or both?

Possibly the water runoff from the power washing.

Scott.

[Clariman]

In the 10 days or so since I did it, I've noticed that the grass at the edge of the lawn is looking much healthier than the rest of it. Is this because of the muck or the sand or both?

Possibly the water runoff from the power washing.

Scott.

I wondered that, but I've been watering the grass too ... and we've had quite a bit of rain since.

[tjh290633]

It does depend on what is in your kiln dried sand. The iron content may kill off some moss, although that is usually ferrous sulphate's action. As they often say, try it on a small area first.

TJH

[bungeejumper]

The edges of our lawns are looking much better than the centres, and we haven't added anything this year. But that's probably because they get more shade, or because of the way the land lies. Might that be a reason?

I don't think kiln dried sand will hurt your grass - they use it on golf course greens. I used fine play-sand from our granddaughter's sandpit a few years ago, and it also did no harm. (Relax, I didn't steal it - granddaughter had long outgrown such pleasures.)

But kiln dried sand is almost too fine to allow drainage, which would be the usual reason why people use sand on lawns. Maybe spike the lawn with a fork before you apply it?

BJ

[ReformedCharacter]

It does depend on what is in your kiln dried sand. The iron content may kill off some moss, although that is usually ferrous sulphate's action. As they often say, try it on a small area first.

TJH

Sand with Ferrous Sulphate is generally called lawn sand and that is indeed for killing moss but ordinary kiln dried sand would be washed and inert as far as plant growth is concerned although it may improve the structure of heavy soils over time.

RC

[Breelander]

... I've noticed that the grass at the edge of the lawn is looking much healthier than the rest of it. Is this because of the muck or the sand or both?...

I have used fresh kiln dried sand to fill the monobloc gaps again. I have a bag left over and wondered if that would help the grass if lightly sprinkled on the lawn?

Sand is recommended for keeping open the soil structure after forking over a lawn to improve drainage, but that would be sharp sand not fine sand. Sharp sand is coarse, fine sand isn't.

I see not benefit (or harm) from fine sand on the lawn, but I wouldn't expect it to account for the difference. Nutrients in the 'muck' may well do so though.