How to Balance Lawn PH
A lush, healthy and green lawn is not only a result of the right combination of water, fertilizer and weed control. What many homeowners fail to monitor is the pH of the soil in which the lawn grows, and this is also critically important to its overall health. Most grasses thrive in soil with a pH of between 6.5 and 7.0. If your lawn is not looking as good as you want it to, you may need to balance the lawn pH level. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Test the soil in your lawn first to determine the current pH level and determine in which way you must make adjustments. Purchase pH test strips from your local nursery and conduct tests on damp soil in several locations of the lawn. The test strips will change color based on the level of acidity or alkali. Compare the color of the strips to the chart that comes on the packaging or instructions, and you can determine the pH level. You want to have a pH reading of between 6.5 and 7.0.
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2
Apply ground limestone to the lawn if you find that the pH level is too low (below 6.5, or acidic). You can use a normal spreader that is used for fertilizer or seed for this and raise the pH level. Start with a light application of 25 lbs. of limestone per 1,000 square feet of lawn, and then water the grass well. Continue with your normal watering schedule for a month, and then take more pH readings. If you find that your pH level is still too low, repeat the application every month at the same rate until you reach the proper pH level. After this process, if you determine that you need to apply limestone at a greater rate, do so only up to 40 lbs. per 1,000 square feet in any one application.
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Lower the pH level in your lawn if the tests reveal that the pH is above 7.0. Do this by adding elemental sulfur in pellet form (not a finely ground sulfur). Apply the sulfur at a rate of a maximum of 5 lbs. per 1,000 square feet, and again water well afterward. Use the same monthly testing and reapplication procedure as described in Step 2.
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