I have a saline lawn that has patches of grass, patches of dead grass, and patches of no grass. There is no real uniformity among the lawn and I have not seen the grass green for about 5 years.

I have tried to use the gypsum and potting mix. I have sprayed the lawn with liquid fertiliser. I have tried to sow in lawn seeds. I have left the hose to soak the ground and try to wash the salinity out of the soil. All to no avail.

Does anyone have any solutions to the problem of undoing the salinity? Perhaps I could plant some kind of halophyte plant to suck up the excess salt in the ground.

Apparently, I have to make good drainage away from the house to fix much of my my lawn problems.

UnSubRocky wrote on Sep 28^th, 2020 at 12:29pm:

Apparently, I have to make good drainage away from the house to fix much of my my lawn problems.

Yes - or replace the soil.
Are you sure it's due to salt?

Some ideas here:
https://www.researchgate.net/post/I_want_to_remove_salts_contamination_from_soil_what_is_the_easiest_method2

Yes, Bobby. Salt in the soil after I mindlessly added the wrong stuff to the grass.

UnSubRocky wrote on Sep 29^th, 2020 at 10:34pm:

Yes, Bobby. Salt in the soil after I mindlessly added the wrong stuff to the grass.

What exactly did you put on the lawn and how much?

Bobby. wrote on Sep 30^th, 2020 at 7:06am:

UnSubRocky wrote on Sep 29th, 2020 at 10:34pm: Yes, Bobby. Salt in the soil after I mindlessly added the wrong stuff to the grass. What exactly did you put on the lawn and how much?

Are you ready for this? I put epsom salts over parts of the yard to see if the claims made by the product really did what it said it did. Of course, the epsom salts contained salts. The salts spread over the yard with the help of the rain. I have patches of dead/yellow grass. And patches of green. I put it down to having a schizophrenia episode about this time 5 years ago.

All the potting mix, liquid fertiliser, and lawn seeds have done nothing much to help the regeneration. The gypsum I have used to break up the clay has done little to improve the soil.

UnSubRocky wrote on Sep 30^th, 2020 at 1:34pm:

Bobby. wrote on Sep 30th, 2020 at 7:06am: UnSubRocky wrote on Sep 29th, 2020 at 10:34pm: Yes, Bobby. Salt in the soil after I mindlessly added the wrong stuff to the grass. What exactly did you put on the lawn and how much? Are you ready for this? I put epsom salts over parts of the yard to see if the claims made by the product really did what it said it did. Of course, the epsom salts contained salts. The salts spread over the yard with the help of the rain. I have patches of dead/yellow grass. And patches of green. I put it down to having a schizophrenia episode about this time 5 years ago. All the potting mix, liquid fertiliser, and lawn seeds have done nothing much to help the regeneration. The gypsum I have used to break up the clay has done little to improve the soil.

Epsom salts = Magnesium sulfate,
should not harm you lawn.
Magnesium sulfate is used as fertilizer to promote the grow of roots.
I think you need to get your soil tested.
There is something else wrong.

No. Epsom salts contain salt. Hence the reason why the grass died in patches near where I sprayed it. In 2008, I had the best lawn with good care from my constant attention. These days, I have all sorts of weeds taken over in the good area and brownish grass near where I sprayed the epsom salts.

UnSubRocky wrote on Sep 30^th, 2020 at 3:18pm:

No. Epsom salts contain salt. Hence the reason why the grass died in patches near where I sprayed it. In 2008, I had the best lawn with good care from my constant attention. These days, I have all sorts of weeds taken over in the good area and brownish grass near where I sprayed the epsom salts.

It should be only Magnesium Sulfate
not containing Sodium Chloride.

Are you saying that it had high impurities?

Roundup the lawn then follow up any green shoots a week later.
A week later get 10cm of new turf mix and lay new turf.

All the work will also burn 2000 calories per day.

I also reckon all of the salt would have leached away ages ago and your lawn isn't growing because you have poor soil.

Gordon wrote on Sep 30^th, 2020 at 4:26pm:

Roundup the lawn then follow up any green shoots a week later. A week later get 10cm of new turf mix and lay new turf. All the work will also burn 2000 calories per day.

I think I might just go and dig up the lawn where it looks brown and then lay down some turf. Or just try to get the lawn seeds to take hold. I have some weeds coming through in the back yard that needs to be pulled out. The rest of the lawn does not look too bad.

Gordon wrote on Sep 30^th, 2020 at 4:48pm:

I also reckon all of the salt would have leached away ages ago and your lawn isn't growing because you have poor soil.

If we got about 2000mm of rain every year for the last 5 years, the salt would have washed away by now. I have left the hose running in the browner patches of the yard. That has greened up the area from time to time. But, other than the drought issue from last year, it will have to be a matter of just micromanaging the lawn.

I could probably rip up the poor part of the yard and lay down lawn seeds. Then I could put liquid fertiliser around the yard a week or two later. The incoming rainfall should probably be enough for this yard.

Bobby. wrote on Sep 30^th, 2020 at 4:18pm:

UnSubRocky wrote on Sep 30th, 2020 at 3:18pm: No. Epsom salts contain salt. Hence the reason why the grass died in patches near where I sprayed it. In 2008, I had the best lawn with good care from my constant attention. These days, I have all sorts of weeds taken over in the good area and brownish grass near where I sprayed the epsom salts. It should be only Magnesium Sulfate not containing Sodium Chloride. Are you saying that it had high impurities?

I was obviously too naive and mentally unstable when I trusted the product to do the yard some good. But I would love to just undo the damage somehow.

UnSubRocky wrote on Sep 30^th, 2020 at 10:16pm:

Bobby. wrote on Sep 30th, 2020 at 4:18pm: UnSubRocky wrote on Sep 30th, 2020 at 3:18pm: No. Epsom salts contain salt. Hence the reason why the grass died in patches near where I sprayed it. In 2008, I had the best lawn with good care from my constant attention. These days, I have all sorts of weeds taken over in the good area and brownish grass near where I sprayed the epsom salts. It should be only Magnesium Sulfate not containing Sodium Chloride. Are you saying that it had high impurities? I was obviously too naive and mentally unstable when I trusted the product to do the yard some good. But I would love to just undo the damage somehow.

But you're making too many assumptions.
You assume that the Magnesium Sulfate
had Sodium Chloride in it.
I doubt that.
You put gypsum in the soil.
That needs to be raked in and left for a while to break down any clay.
In the meantime the soil will be very alkaline - or caustic
until it does its job.
How about just getting a rotary hoe and tilling all the soil
and replanting new seed?

As I was saying, I would go about the sections of the lawn and digging up the areas that are unnecessarily bare or brown. The yard generally gets a uniform amount of rain. I could dig up much of the back yard and replant some lawn seeds and not worry about it for a while. Or I could let the rain fall and wash out whatever accumulated problems. But I have been letting the rain fall and the sprinklers hose for years. Nothing really is changing much for the better.

Bobby. wrote on Sep 28^th, 2020 at 1:03pm:

UnSubRocky wrote on Sep 28th, 2020 at 12:29pm: Apparently, I have to make good drainage away from the house to fix much of my my lawn problems. Yes - or replace the soil. Are you sure it's due to salt? Some ideas here: https://www.researchgate.net/post/I_want_to_remove_salts_contamination_from_soil_what_is_the_easiest_method2

This is a monologue Bobby, cant you tell?

UnSubRocky wrote on Sep 30^th, 2020 at 10:41pm:

As I was saying, I would go about the sections of the lawn and digging up the areas that are unnecessarily bare or brown. The yard generally gets a uniform amount of rain. I could dig up much of the back yard and replant some lawn seeds and not worry about it for a while. Or I could let the rain fall and wash out whatever accumulated problems. But I have been letting the rain fall and the sprinklers hose for years. Nothing really is changing much for the better.

It seems I was wrong.
Gypsum is neutral not alkaline.

http://www.gypsoil.com/news-and-events/gypsum-and-lime

However - I still think you need to do a soil test.
It could be anything -
from too acid or too alkaline to
having a pest in it or too much clay.

It is very strange as it seems you've done all the right things.
I think most people who apply gypsum use a rotary hoe
to till it in and mix it deeply with the soil.

rhino wrote on Sep 30^th, 2020 at 10:52pm:

Bobby. wrote on Sep 28th, 2020 at 1:03pm: UnSubRocky wrote on Sep 28th, 2020 at 12:29pm: Apparently, I have to make good drainage away from the house to fix much of my my lawn problems. Yes - or replace the soil. Are you sure it's due to salt? Some ideas here: https://www.researchgate.net/post/I_want_to_remove_salts_contamination_from_soil_what_is_the_easiest_method2 This is a monologue Bobby, cant you tell?

No - do you have any good advice?

I have applied the equivalent of about 100kg of gypsum over the soil in the last year. My yard is a 20 x 50m yard (save for the house at the front). I think the earthworms that I have been using in the compost bins have died off. Otherwise, they would be migrating to the back of the house where the compost bin is now located.

Perhaps I can dig up around the house near the concrete and make some kind of drainage northwards. The ground slopes northwards towards the driveway exit. If I can find a leveler around here, I could probably engineer something to get some drainage out beside the driveway.

Sadly, if the ground is exposed to all day sunlight under the harsh Australian sun. Where the ground is baked and the soil hardens - you won't get much worm activity sadly.
I don't 'catch' the grass when mowing. I let the cut grass build up as a cover (insulator) over the soil/dirt to create a sponge effect. Once the lawn 'thickens' to continue the sponge effect, then I start to 'catch' and put in green bin.

Of course, you can't get worms into every part unless you have a very shaded yard.
But any worms is better than none.

Jasin wrote on Oct 1^st, 2020 at 10:16am:

Sadly, if the ground is exposed to all day sunlight under the harsh Australian sun. Where the ground is baked and the soil hardens - you won't get much worm activity sadly. I don't 'catch' the grass when mowing. I let the cut grass build up as a cover (insulator) over the soil/dirt to create a sponge effect. Once the lawn 'thickens' to continue the sponge effect, then I start to 'catch' and put in green bin. Of course, you can't get worms into every part unless you have a very shaded yard. But any worms is better than none.

Of course, if the grass is exposed to sunlight for 12 hours a day and high heat, the grass is going to dry out and go brown. But that is not my issue. I will be out hosing the yard soon to make sure that the yard gets enough water. I do that once a week most summer nights.

My ex-girlfriend has told me that I need to just mow the yard without a catcher and let the grass clippings act as shade. I have done that for a long time. But, I think this summer I will have to use the catcher again and remove some weeds out of certain areas.

I added worms to my compost bin around end of July this year. The area was well shaded by the tree. The tree has been growing quite well and was pruned of excess branches every so often. Moving the compost bin to just behind my house in a shaded area would mean that I get those worms that have migrated under the house to make their way out to the bin for a few hours per night. I will probably have to move the bin out to under the back tree in the garden when March comes around. Perhaps the worms will follow and give part of the yard some help.

Stop adding fertiliser or any chemicals. Make it rain really heavily.

Should get up early before dawn to water. Gives the grass a better chance of water containment into the warming to hot day. You get a 'darker green' in your grass if you water in the mornings.

Think of it this way. The day presents itself in a long walk across a small hot desert.
Would you?
a) Drink your only litre of water the previous night.
b) Drink your only litre of water in the morning just before the morning sun rises in the heat
c) Drink small sips throughout the day (water during the hot day a bit ever few hours).