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Best pH For Lawn Soil

Soil Health
4 min read

What is the best pH for lawn soil? Let the Jonathan Green team answer your questions about the importance of soil pH and soil amendments.

Jonathan Green has been growing beautiful, dark-green lawns since 1881.  We supply genetically superior cool-season grass seed and other lawn and soil care products to homeowners and to commercial sod growers and independent home and garden retailers in all areas of the United States where cool-season lawn grasses are grown.

We have also developed an environmentally sound and organic approach to lawn care called the New American Lawn Plan. By following this revolutionary plan, you will discover how to address the root of any lawn problems you have, instead of just battling the symptoms, such as insects and weeds.

Importance of 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.

How to Test Soil pH

There are several ways you can go about testing the pH of your soil. The best way to get an accurate reading is to send a soil sample to your county cooperative extension where your soil will be tested in a lab. This will result in a more thorough analysis of your soil. You can also purchase soil test kits online or at your local garden supply retailer.

Use the Jonathan Green Soil pH Test Kit for Lawns to determine the pH of your soil in just five minutes. The kit includes one test tube, one capsule of powder, and one pH range card to evaluate the results. It is important to use either distilled water or rainwater when performing this test in order to get accurate pH readings. Tap water is pH adjusted by the water company.

Integrate Soil Foods in Your Lawn Feeding Program

Using Jonathan Green’s natural soil amendments offers a variety of benefits, such as: improved disease and insect resistance, better heat tolerance, and, most importantly, a biologically active soil. 

Jonathan Green Mag-I-Cal® Plus is a natural, humate-rich, three-in-one “soil food” that will loosen hard soil, stimulate soil microbes, and adjust soil pH. It breaks up compacted soil for better air, water, nutrient, and root penetration. It is available for Mag-I-Cal® Plus for Lawns in Acidic & Hard Soil or Mag-I-Cal® Plus for Lawns in Alkaline & Hard Soil. Plan to use it every season to keep your soil biology and chemistry balanced.

For soil that is very compacted, you can also use Jonathan Green Love Your Soil® by itself to loosen and aerate it organically. Love Your Soil® will also feed soil microbes, make the soil more alive and porous, enhance root development, and provide about 25% more soil-loosening power than Mag-I-Cal® Plus. 

To learn more about the best pH for lawn soil and how you can amend the soil to give your grass the best chance to grow, visit Jonathan Green online or visit your nearest independent hardware store or garden center for reliable advice that will help you achieve great results.

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