Maintaining a healthy, lush lawn requires more than just cutting it each week. Just like our bodies need critical vitamins and minerals, the soil beneath your lawn needs certain nutrients. In order for your grass to absorb what it needs from the soil, the pH level of the soil needs to be at the right level.
Have Your Soil’s pH Level Professionally Monitored
The pH level of your soil has a great impact on the performance of your turf. The ideal pH range for lawns in northeast Ohio is 6.2-6.8. Monitoring and adjusting the soil pH is one of the most important considerations of any effective turf care program. This monitoring can be done by an organic lawn care company like Greener Grass.
Avoid Problems Caused by Improper pH Levels
If the soil is too acidic or too alkaline, problems occur that hinder your lawn from growing like it should.
Improper pH levels can:
- Prevent the soil from being able to absorb nutrients, creating deficiencies in the lawn
- Diminish the populations of beneficial microbes in the soil
- Tighten the soil, reducing water and air flow to the turf roots
- Create a stressful environment causing the lawn to struggle
Get Your Soil Adjusted Professionally
Once you have your pH reading, adjustments can be made to your soil’s pH. This must be carefully done so as to not burn out your lawn so it is highly advisable to have a professional do this since there are so many variables that can come into play.
Most often, a lawn suffers from a low pH level, which means too much acid in the soil. To correct a low pH in your soil, lime can be added to increase the alkalinity. There are several kinds of lime from which to choose. The more clay and organic content in your soil, the more lime you will need to add. Sandy soils don’t require as much lime to raise the pH.
Your soil can take a couple months to react to the amendments, so it’s recommended to wait approximately 60-90 days and then test the pH level again to see if additional treatments are needed.
At Greener Grass, we are all about creating a more natural, healthy lawn without using toxic chemicals. Contact us today for more information about our all-natural approach to caring for your lawn.