Soil pH – Easy SolutionsWhether you are putting in a new lawn or wanting to improve your existing lawn a good place to start is by knowing the pH of your soil. More than likely you have heard aboutsoil pH but it sounds too technical to deal with. Soil pH is actually easy to measure andeasy to correct.Simply stated, grass grows best in “neutral” soil. The reason it grows best in neutral soilis that neutral soil has the most microbial activity. The more soil microbes you have, themore nutrients in the soil that are available to the roots of grass plants. The morenutrients the roots are able to use, the healthier the grass plant will be. The healthier thegrass plant, the better your lawn looks!
What The Numbers Mean
A pH level of 7.0 is exactly neutral. A pH value less than 7.0 means the soil is acidic. A pH value greater than 7.0 means the soil is alkaline. The majority of grasses will growwell in soil with a pH level between 6.5 to 7.5.
Testing Soil pH
The easiest way to test your soil pH is to purchase a pH tester or soil test kit and do it
yourself. If you want it tested by an expert you can take a sample of soil to your statecooperative extension office. Many garden centers also offer soil testing services. If youtake soil from your lawn to be tested, take a small amount of soil from a variety of locations throughout your lawn. The total soil sample should fill a sandwich size baggy.Be sure to use clean soil, soil free of sticks, rocks, or other debris.
Adjusting The pH
When the pH is less than 7.0, you will need to raise it. The soil pH can be raised byadding lime to the soil. When the pH is more than 7.0, you will need to lower it. The soil pH can be lowered by adding sulfur (gypsum, cottonseed meal) to the soil. Regardless of what you are adding to the soil, use a lawn spreader to apply the material evenly. If youhave to adjust by more than a full number, do it over a couple of applications. Theexception to this is if you have a new lawn, you can till the proper amount of materialinto the soil before seeding or sodding. Note that lime takes time to act, so don’t expectresults for the a few months.
How Much Lime/Sulfur Do You Need
It’s not a huge mystery how much lime or sulfur to add to your soil, but it is dependentupon a couple of factors. The first consideration is the degree of change that is needed, or how far your pH level varies from 7.0. The second consideration is the type of soil youhave; sandy, loam or clay. Any store that you purchase the material from will be able totell you how much to use for the particular type soil in your geographic area. Thisinformation will also be printed on the bags of material. You will also need to know thesize of your lawn as most instructions are listed for pounds of product per 1000 squarefeet.
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