Soil Conditioner for Lawns
There is nothing more important you can do for your lawns than to address the soil they are grown in. Explore why and how to use soil conditioner from the experts at Jonathan Green.
Since 1881, Jonathan Green has specialized in beautiful lawns. Six generations of the Green family have worked to perfect our genetically superior grass seed and our family of lawn and soil care products.
Improving Your Soil’s Health
Proper soil health depends on many factors, but three are the most important – balanced pH, loose/porous soil, and healthy microbial populations. Let’s learn about the importance of each and how you can improve your soil’s health.
A Well-Balanced Soil pH:
The “p” in pH stands for “potential. The “H” stands for hydrogen. It’s a mathematic symbol that represents the logarithmic scale of the hydrogen ion.
On a scale of 1 to 14, a pH of 1 is very acidic and a pH of 14 is very alkaline (or basic), while a pH reading of 7 is neutral. Lawns grow best in a soil that is slightly acidic to neutral (between 6.2 and a 7.0 on the pH scale).
Soil pH is a very important factor in lawn health – if the soil is too acidic or too alkaline, your grass will be unable to absorb nutrients properly. Highly acidic soil can also damage grass plant roots.
Aerating Hard Soil:
It is vital that soil is loose and porous. Hard soils prevent air and water from penetrating into the root zone of plants. This inhibits root growth and allows for plants to wilt and, if very compacted, die. Hard soil can cause nutrient runoff, while also allowing lawn diseases to occur and spread more rapidly. Loose soil reverses these dilemmas. As with people, air and water are critical to the proper biological function, life, and health of plants. Accordingly, the soil microbial life relies on air and water to live, too.
Healthy Microbial Populations:
There is a direct relationship between the quantity of organic material in the soil and the number of microbes. The more organic matter (leaves, humus, manures, compost, etc.) in the soil, the more biologically active the soil is and the more beneficial microbes there are. Biologically healthy soils provide the ideal foundation for grass plants to flourish and resist diseases, insects, and environmental stresses.
New MAG-I-CAL PLUS:
Mag-I-Cal Plus® is a unique and natural soil food that addresses the three key soil problems outlined above in the following ways:
First, Mag-I-Cal® Plus for Lawns in Acidic & Hard Soil (ideal for pH that is below 6.5) and Mag-I-Cal® Plus for Lawns in Alkaline & Hard Soil (ideal for pH that is above 7) rapidly adjust soil pH into the correct range.
Second, Mag-I-Cal® Plus for Lawns in Acidic & Hard Soil and Mag-I-Cal® Plus for Lawns in Alkaline & Hard Soil contain highly concentrated gypsum that is specially formulated to loosen and aerate hard soils quickly. (Core aerating machines provide temporary results and will “re-compact” in a few months when the cores resettle.)
Finally, each version of Mag-I-Cal Plus stimulates soil microbial life by providing natural humates and iron to the soil. Mag-I-Cal® Plus for Lawns in Acidic & Hard Soil adds bio-char to further stimulate microbes and provide greater water retention for plants. (Bio-char is not found in Mag-I-Cal® Plus for Lawns in Alkaline & Hard Soil because it tends to add alkalinity to the soil.)
Mentioned Products
A healthy soil will produce a healthy lawn. At Jonathan Green, we make the best high-quality soil conditioner that will help you build and maintain a beautiful lawn. Visit our website to buy our products online or look for them at your local independent home and garden retailer.