Lawn PH Levels

We are doing a series of posts about lawn care and this post discusses your lawn PH levels and the effect it can have on the health of your lawn. Our initial reason for doing this series of posts was really about how to keep the weeds down and avoid have a lawn that looks more like a weed garden. Turns out there are a number of things you can do to keep your lawn looking great without needing a lot of chemicals, which we have listed below.

This post talks about the PH level, however, you should also review previous posts about watering, fertilizer, and general lawn care. These areas are just as important as PH levels.

In summary, Lawn Care is a list of things or steps that should provide you with one of the best healthy-looking lawns in the neighborhood. Our list as previously mentioned is:

• Mow high grass mow high weeds
• Lawnmower
• Lawn care must do: water infrequently
• Fertilizer
• Lawn care pH
• Weeds
• Lawn Care Enhancements

Lawn PH Levels

Turns out that dandelions like a lawn that has a PH level of around 7.5 and will thrive even more than they already do with a PH that is 7.5 or higher. If you have a lot of dandelions it could be that there is just a lot in the area, but it could also be because of the PH level.

There are PH testers on the market, however, some are not very accurate and it is better to pay a little more to get a good one than work with inaccurate numbers. Your grass would prefer a level around 6.5  which also deter the dandelions. Note that if the soil in your lawn is at 6.5 it will not stop the dandelions, but it should curtail them a great deal.

Test Your Lawn PH Levels

You can either purchase a tester to check your lawn’s PH level or arrange for a lawn care company to come around and test the lawn for you for a nominal fee. Of course, they will want to sell you a lawn care package, however, that is really the subject of future posts.

Once you have determined the accurate PH level of your lawn by taking samples in several areas of your lawn, it is time to add the appropriate chemical to change the PH level. Test your lawn at various locations. It is quite possible that your lawn could be fine in one area and in another location, the PH level could be a way off.  Check it all around the area under suspicion to make sure that you are only treating the area that needs treatment.

Use Lime and Sulfur

You use lime to raise the PH level and sulfur to the lawn to lower the PH level. How much of either depends on your lawn’s relative PH level and also how you will apply it. Application of almost anything to your lawn in too heavy a concentration will certainly damage your lawn. Use a lawn spreader to spread the chemicals so it is evenly applied and not so dense that it hurts the lawn. follow the manufacturer’s instructions to get the best results.

There is a lot more about adjusting a lawn’s PH level that we can discuss, however, most people are not going to go beyond what we have discussed previously. Our recommendation is to keep it simple and follow the instructions that come with the bag. Have your lawn professionally tested so that you are confident that you will add the right chemical if any is needed. The entire neighborhood will be envious of your lawn and how healthy it looks.

In future posts, we will talk more about lawn care services, lawn soil depth, and some more about fertilizers and also about PH levels. Stay tuned.