pH Soil Levels of your Lawn

It’s getting to about that time when we should be fertilising our lawns in South East Queensland in preparation for winter, but first you should get to know your lawn a little better.

It’s crucial that you know the type of lawn you are growing and the pH level of the soil, to ensure that the fertilising you are undertaking is best suited to your lawn and its current condition. If you apply fertiliser without testing the pH soil level, then you may end up feeding your lawn all the things it doesn’t need and missing out on those it does.

In order to test the pH level of your soil you will need to grab a pH soil testing kit. They are very easy to find and easy to use and can be purchased from your local lawn care provider or at Daley’s Turf Online Lawnstore.

You have tested your soil and have your reading, but what does this reading mean and where do you go to from here?

A pH soil test kit will give you a reading of between 1 and 14.

• 1 – your soil is highly acidic.
• 7 – your soil is neutral.
• 14 – your soil is highly alkaline.

Ideally, for the long term health of your lawn, you would like your pH soil level to be between 6.0 and 6.5. Too far either way means that your lawn is out of balance and may soon be suffering because of it. Soil that is too acidic or too alkaline will have problems providing the optimum amount of nutrients the lawn needs.

This pH soil level will assist you in determining the type of fertiliser you need to apply. With a reading of below 5.5 – the lawn requires an application of garden lime or dolomite (remember to water it in well). This will aid in reducing the acidity of your soil. If your reading is over 7.0 – then you are well advised to apply sulphate of ammonia also known as Agricultural Sulfur, to bring back the pH soil level to within a healthy range.

It is recommended that you fertilise around March – April to prepare and strengthen your lawn for the onslaught of winter, but if you have laid a new turf not until 5 weeks after. Check out next week’s blog for the dos and don’ts of fertilising your lawn. If you require assistance with any of your lawn care requirements, contact the team at Daley’s Turf.