Soil pH and it's Impacts on your Lawn
Our clients have always told us how much they appreciate us “educating them”, helping them to fully understand more about their lawns and how to get that lush green turf that they’ve always wanted. So for those that are interested we’re going to provide a little more detail to let you know exactly what our ENRICH Soil Enhancer is all about. Alternately, click here and we’ll take you directly to its numerous benefits.
Suffice it to say that the soil in our part of Alberta tends to be on the alkaline side (i.e. higher pH levels) in some regions and slightly acidic (I.e. lower pH levels) in other regions… The ideal pH for the soil under our lawns should be in the slightly acidic 6 to neutral 7 range on the 0 to 14 pH scale (i.e. somewhere in the middle). Excessive acidity or alkalinity is NEVER good for your lawn. Anything less than 6 (more acidic) or higher than 7 (more alkaline) is going to present more challenging growing conditions for your turf. It’s virtually impossible to talk about lawn soil pH without understanding the differences in soil types and how pH levels may be directly affected.
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We highly encourage you to read our “Different Soil Types Have Different pH Levels” article to better understand what this is all about. |
Most homeowners aren’t normally aware of whether any lawn issues they may occasionally have are due to their soil being too acidic or too alkaline. There can of course, be many causes for the various lawn problems any of us may ever encounter. We’re not saying they all have to do with pH levels but we’re pointing it out simply because, what most people and even many lawn care companies don’t realize, is that if the soil underneath clients’ lawns is pH-unbalanced (or to the acidic extreme or alkaline extreme), it’s likely going to undergird and have something to do with some of the other lawn care problems they might be incurring, too.
Soil that is not within that ideal 6 to 7 pH range can stress your turf and limit its ability to absorb nutrients. This, consequently, can directly affect the lawn’s growth. Your grass is apt to be struggling and you may have been wondering why.
If your soil is too alkaline (too high in pH) or even too acidic (too low in pH) it can significantly limit the availability of essential nutrients like iron, manganese, potassium and phosphorus, which are crucial for plant nutrients and proper lawn growth. When soil is too alkaline and compacted, air and water, also, cannot effectively get down into the soil and to the grass roots. With more alkaline pH readings of 7.0 to 9.5, weeds can more easily thrive, too.
Here are some common signs of unbalanced pH levels in the soil underneath your lawn:
- Thin, discoloured turf
- Poor inconsistent growth or stunted or slower-growing areas
- Limp, bare patches
- Pale green spindly grass (if too alkaline) or yellowing (if too acidic)
- Hard, compacted soil
- Moss which you don’t normally have is now making a regular appearance on your turf (if too acidic)
- Fungus of one kind of another may be regularly appearing (if too alkaline)
- Despite your periodic fertilizer treatments you may not be seeing noticeable improvements which you
normally would
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Does any of the above Sound Familiar?
Of course, the above could also be some symptoms for other lawn problems or common lawn diseases but if the above appear, it’s worth considering if your soil’s pH level is not helping your situation.
Ironically, when grass is too acidic (lower in pH) some of the same signs may also appear. Nutrients like potassium, phosphorus, and others become tightly bound to the soil and are not absorbed by plant roots.
At a low pH, many elements simply become less available to plants, while others such as iron, aluminum and manganese can become somewhat toxic to plants and grass if not applied carefully. Aluminum, iron and phosphorus can also combine to form insoluble compounds which aren’t going to get to the grass properly.
As we said, the ideal range is 6 to 7 pH. We’ll call that the ideal “Goldilocks range”, if you remember the Goldilocks and the Three Bears fairy tale of “not too cold, not too hot, but just right". Example: the one in the middle. Yes, your lawn is going to prefer a soil with a pH level just right in the middle (of the range), too.
Sure, there are ways to address this alkaline pH issue by adding gypsum or elemental sulphur or soil sulphur, aluminum sulfate or iron sulfate, or some natural soil acidifiers (like peat moss, rotted manure, or compost). But they all take some considerable effort, as well as some procedures you’ll have to follow and may have to repeat. They may take from many months to a year or two to have any real noticeable effect. Furthermore, their effects may not last long either. Plus there’s a time and money cost to this, most assuredly, too. Likewise, there are ways to address any acidic soil issues too, such as spreading some powdered or pelleted agricultural limestone or dolomite lime onto your lawn, with similar negatives.
But, let’s be totally frank about this.
Who among us really has the spare time to source out the above and purchase it, and then do the labour that’s required to apply it at various times and specific ways as need be, and then WAIT for many months to a year or two down the road, till it starts to hopefully balance out your soil pH, and thereby help your lawn??? This can be a very expensive process. It’s probably fair to say that most of us are looking for something that’s going to show us some great results sooner than later. For most of us, that’s far too complicated and costly…
WE HAVE A MUCH BETTER, MORE DIRECT WAY TO DO THIS WITH OUR ENRICH SOIL ENHANCER!
And it doesn’t have to involve adding all kinds of minerals or chemicals to your lawn!
So, exactly what’s in ENRICH?
Without getting into the science of it all, allow us to explain this in down-to-earth terms:
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ENRICH is an all-natural proprietary liquid formulation of over 50 of the highest quality plant extracts that serve as nutrients for existing microorganisms in the soil. ENRICH also includes fulvic acid, seaweed extracts, and some of the best natural bio-stimulants that improve the uptake of nutrients in soil. |
Alkaline soils have salinity issues – Enrich’s bio-stimulants literally mobilize any heavy metals/mineral salts within the soil, thereby unlocking those nutrients, making them bio-available to the grass roots/the plants on-demand. This plays a very important part in allowing the soil to naturally adjust its pH level. The bottom line is, whether one’s soil beneath their grass is too acidic or too alkaline, this essentially helps neutralize the pH levels, putting your soil in that optimum pH range... the Goldilocks range.
Collectively, these ingredients increase the effectiveness of the ENRICH Soil Enhancer (as well as our Fertilizer & Weed Control) spray applications. They stimulate plant metabolism, increasing enzyme activity, aiding in chlorophyll synthesis, improving overall nutrient efficiency, and acting as a catalyst for plant respiration, too. They also help increase soil porosity which is key for healthy lawns.
They create a stable pH level and a much more sustainable, healthier microbial environment within the soil beneath your grass and that’s going to give your lawn the best chance to grow healthy and thrive. You should start seeing noticeable results with each application of the spray product.
* Remember: This is a liquid spray. This is NOT some mineral or powder you’re spreading over your lawn (which nobody’s going to want what that looks like). It’s also a fraction of the cost compared to the above alternative approaches.
* It’s definitely NOT any chemical product. It’s all organic and this is people and pet-friendly. There’s never too much of liquid ENRICH that you can spray on your lawn. Whereas with any of the above alternate options, too much applied or improperly applied can actually hurt your grass.
* And here’s perhaps the biggest Advantage: THERE’S NOTHING YOU NEED TO DO!!!
None of your labour is involved! We do it for you when we apply the spray applications and then the ENRICH does the rest for you with each spray. Plus, you won’t have to wait seemingly forever to see the results.