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.
Mechanical tillers are available in a variety of sizes and designs for jobs to help you mix in your amendments properly.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/Tim Butler
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.)
Follow the steps shown in the pictures and captions to properly apply soil amendments to your soil. Once your lawn’s soil bed is prepared, you’re ready to start the planting process.
Amending Lawn Soil
Amending Lawn Soil - Step 1
Spread the soil amendments evenly across the area to be worked at the application rate recommended on the package label.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/Robert Dolezal
Amending Lawn Soil - Step 2
Make the first passes with the tiller in a sequence of parallel runs. Overlap each run by about 1/3 so that every area is tilled twice in the first run.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/Robert Dolezal
Amending Lawn Soil - Step 3
When the first passes are finished, turn and make a second series of runs at right angles to the first. This ensures that the amendments are thoroughly mixed into the soil and allows the tiller to cultivate any areas that were missed the first time.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/Robert Dolezal
Amending Lawn Soil - Step 4
Tillers frequently turn up stones, leftover building materials and other debris. Rake and remove them from your planting area. Level hummocks and low spots, then rake the surface until it’s completely flat and smooth. It’s best to let the tilled soil settle for at least 48 hours before planting your lawn or groundcover.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/Image Point
