Soil pH - Easy Solutions

Simply stated, grass grows best in "neutral" soil. The reason it grows best in neutral soil is that neutral soil has the most microbial activity. The more soil microbes you have, the more nutrients in the soil that are available to the roots of grass plants. The more nutrients the roots are able to use, the healthier the grass plant will be. The healthier the grass 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 grow well 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 state cooperative extension office. Many garden centers also offer soil testing services. If you take 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 by adding 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 you have to adjust by more than a full number, do it over a couple of applications. The exception to this is if you have a new lawn, you can till the proper amount of material into the soil before seeding or sodding. Note that lime takes time to act, so don’t expect results 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 dependent upon 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 you have; sandy, loam or clay. Any store that you purchase the material from will be able to tell you how much to use for the particular type soil in your geographic area. This information will also be printed on the bags of material. You will also need to know the size of your lawn as most instructions are listed for pounds of product per 1000 square feet.

A good rule to follow once your soil pH has been neutralized is to periodically add organic matter to the soil. Organic matter will keep the soil pH at the proper level. Organic matter will also improve the soil texture and provide a balance of nutrients for better plant growth. Synthetic fertilizer will often throw these balances off. Organic fertilizers and compost add the proper balance of soil nutrients.