Caliche usually
occurs in the low desert.
Arizona's low deserts are a mecca for cool-season golfers, but year-round residents there know that beneath their turf lurks caliche, a mineral layer also known as hardpan. Caliche usually affects deep-rooted trees and shrubs, but causes problems for lawns too.
Formation
Caliche forms when rain or surface water percolates through the soil, carrying dissolved calcium into contact with soil-borne carbon dioxide. These two form a compound, calcium carbonate, commonly called lime. The lime bonds with gravel, rocks and particles of soil, creating a pale natural cement from several inches to several feet thick.
Problems
While caliche may form in random patches, it may also form broad layers on the surface or underground. These solid layers block root growth, even for lawn grasses. When summer heat arrives, the shallow-rooted lawns dehydrate. Contrarily, summer also brings the seasonal monsoon, and the caliche prevents the heavy rain from draining through the soil. The water-logged areas drown lawn roots. Caliche also has a high pH, and the alkaline conditions prevent many grasses from taking up minerals.
Solutions
Remove caliche whenever possible. If you have broad, thick layers of caliche in your yard, removing it is difficult. Instead, drive shafts through the caliche to provide drainage before adding at least 8 inches of topsoil over the area. Lay sod, sprig or seed into this topsoil and avoid the caliche altogether.
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