Incorporating Amendments to Your Lawn Soil

Email Page

Print Page

Carol A. Crotta

Extras

Add Photo to Journal

Mechanical tillers are available in a variety of sizes and designs for jobs to help you mix in your amendments properly.

Improving lawn soil – and trust me, most all lawn soil can stand some improving – assures that your lawn will thrive. And there’s no better opportunity to till and amend your soil thoroughly than when your old lawn has been removed.

A soil test will tell you the types of amendments your soil needs. If your soil’s pH balance needs adjusting to hit the slightly acidic 6.5-7.0 level a lawn requires, now’s the time (before planting) to incorporate either limestone to “sweeten” the soil (make it more alkaline) or sulfur to “sour” the soil (or make it more acidic). Peat moss also can acidify soil, as well as improve its texture. If your soil analysis indicates that your soil is low in essential nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium, those fertilizers should be added now, too. And let’s not forget that compost or other organic amendments can improve your soil’s overall quality.

The good news is that incorporating amendments is a fairly simple process, but it does involve some precision. The amounts you’ll need depend on your lawn area. Most amendments are measured in terms of quantity per 1,000 square feet of lawn. To determine the size of your area, measure its length and width in feet, noting the distances. Then multiply the length by the width to determine the area in square feet.

Compost should be applied in about a 1-inch-thick layer across your yard for good loam soil, or 2 inches for soil that’s either too sandy or too heavy. (3 cubic yards of compost yield a 1-inch layer over 1,000 square feet.) If you’re adding limestone to raise a pH level by 1.0 (say, from 5.5 to 6.5), you’ll need 28 pounds of lime for sandy soil but 106 pounds for claylike soil. If you’re acidifying the soil with sulfur, a 1.0 change in pH (from 7.5 to 6.5) requires 11 pounds of the product for sandy soil and 23 pounds for claylike soil. (These percentages are available on most packages, but consult with your local Extension Office if you have any questions.)

Facts

A level lawn is ideal. High spots can dry out because water runs off before it can be absorbed. Low spots can puddle and become a breeding ground for fungal disease. Even better – with the growing concern for water conservation – a flat lawn requires less water to meet its needs and stay beautiful.
The first line of defense against fungal diseases is to keep your lawn as healthy as possible. Diseases also occur when cool nighttime temperatures and wet or humid conditions last for long periods. Aerating your soil, de-thatching regularly, fertilizing properly and watering adequately (but not excessively) helps create a lawn less prone to disease.

Tips

Spreading and tilling amendments into a lawn bed requires strength and effort. If this task is beyond your strength, hire someone to do it for you or ask a friend to help.
Like teenagers, turfgrass plants are hungry all the time but are among the most efficient converters of nutrients to energy. Fertilize your lawn every 6-8 weeks during the growing season (spring through fall), but withhold fertilizers from cool-season grasses in the summer months when they go partially dormant in response to hot weather.

Page 1 of 2

Next Steps

Articles

Don’t Guess, Soil Test
A soil sample analysis is your gardening road map to maximum plant growth. Learn how to collect and submit a soil sample.
Getting a Good Soil Sample – Step By Step
Healthy soil means a healthy lawn. But you don’t need laboratory help to determine your soil’s quality. Many garden centers and nurseries sell do-it-yourself soil test kits. Learn why testing is so important, as well as tips on how to properly collect a soil sample from your yard.
A Step-By-Step Percolation Test for Your Lawn
Planning on renovating or installing a new lawn? Now’s the perfect time to do a percolation test. Learn the easy way to test if your soil drains too slowly or too quickly, as well as how to amend it to get your lawn off to a healthy start.

RATE THIS PAGE

On average this item has been rated a 4 out of 5.