Gardeners...??? Weird grass question

So I live in a very dry climate, with soil that is heavily clay. We really don't have very good grass in the front yard - ground has always been pretty hard there. So I was overturning some turf to plant some perennials and it turns out that below the ground is all MILDEWY!!! Wow, I have never ever seen that. Should I aerate? Will that even help? And can I plant my perennials there now? They really need to get into the ground in the next couple of days. Thanks!

Are you sure it was mildew? Some types of fungus can look like that. Also, if you have really heavy clay, the best way to make it suitable for planting is to mix in a lot of organic matter like mulch and compost. This will help drainage.

Can't say I've heard of that before.

Check out this website for state specific help: www.ext.colostate.edu. They should have some info for you.

Originally Posted by GailC

Can't say I've heard of that before.

Check out this website for state specific help: www.ext.colostate.edu. They should have some info for you.

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Yeah, I'm positive it was mildew. It was the smell. I guess we need to aerate a little more, jeez! Thanks!