Best Soil Test Kit For Your Lawn

Lawn pH Test FAQ

If you want to test the pH and macronutrients of your lawn and soil, you will need to get your hands on the correct soil testing kit.

In this article, we’ve featured five of the best soil test kits for your lawn and garden.

But, you might still have some questions about the pH of your garden and how to test it correctly. With that in mind, let’s explore some of the most common questions you might have and the information you need to know about soil pH.

What is the perfect lawn pH for green grass?

If you want to grow healthy, luscious green grass on your lawn, you will have to ensure that the soil has the correct pH level.

This is essential because if the pH level is too low or too high, you will have issues. If you’re dealing with low pH in your soil, this means your grass won’t be able to absorb enough of the nutrients that it requires. Your lawn will look yellow because the soil will be too acidic. By comparison, if the soil has a high pH, this means it’s too alkaline. You will see that the grass isn’t growing as it should because its growth will be stunted.

The ideal pH level of your soil should be between 6.5 and 7.0, so it’s slightly acidic but not too much. This will ensure that the grass can properly absorb the nutrients that it needs from the soil. To lower the pH, usually sulfur is added to the soil. To increase the pH, lime is usually added.

Conducting a soil test is therefore essential so that you know exactly what you should do to improve the quality of your soil. This will ensure that it’s healthy and nutritious so that grass can grow.

How do I lower the pH in my lawn soil?

If you need to lower the pH of your lawn soil, in other words, your soil is alkaline, you should do this by sprinkling granular sulfur all over your lawn. If you want to lower the pH level by just one point, then using a garden spreader to sprinkle sulfur all over the grass is ideal. After you have sprinkled the sulfur over your lawn, you will have to wait for three months before retesting the soil. If at this time, the soil pH is still low, you will have to reapply the sulfur.

Note that you should apply sulfur to the soil before you plant or install new grass. It takes a few months for the sulfur to break down so that the grass can pick it up properly, and this is why it’s advisable to apply it to your soil well in advance of planting the grass.

What are some other measurements important for a soil test?

You should test your soil’s pH, but that’s not always enough. If your soil pH is at a good level but your garden or lawn is still struggling to thrive, then that should be a red flag that your soil could be battling to get enough nutrients it needs.

It’s, therefore, a good idea to test for essential nutrients so that your grass can be healthy and green. These nutrients include the following:

• Phosphorous. This mineral promotes the growth of plant roots. If your plants don’t get enough phosphorus, their growth can be stunted or they might have a dark-green color.
• Potassium. This nutrient provides plants with the health they require for functions such as protein synthesis, the movement of water throughout them that ensures water can get to all parts of the plant, and photosynthesis. It also ensures that the plant can absorb and maintain water to grow.
• Nitrogen. This is essential for plants to get enough of because nitrogen is a component of chlorophyll. Plants require chlorophyll because it’s a compound that plants need to use sunlight energy so that they can produce sugars from carbon dioxide and water. Nitrogen is also the main component of amino acids, which are building blocks of protein. Without protein, plants simply won’t survive.

When should you test soil for your lawn?

There are some important tips to follow when testing the soil to grow a healthy lawn. This will ensure gardening success. Here’s what to know.

The best time to do a soil test is during the fall if you have an established site where you want to grow a lawn. If you have a new site, you can take soil samples at any time when the soil is workable. If you test your soil during the season of fall, this will ensure you have enough time in which to apply lime to increase the soil pH if you’re dealing with a low pH.

On the other hand, you should apply sulfur in the early spring to give your soil enough time to become healthier.

While it’s important to test your soil, you don’t have to do it very regularly. Ideally, you should test your soil every two to three years. If you’re dealing with sandy soils, such as because you have high levels of rainfall and irrigation in your region, you should commit to taking soil samples every year.

Purchasing a soil testing kit is great because you won’t have to use it very regularly, which makes it more affordable. However, always check the expiry dates on the soil test kits for gardening so that you don’t accidentally allow them to expire before you can put them to good use!

Conclusion

If you’ve always said that you don’t have green fingers, make sure that your garden soil isn’t the culprit for why your lawn and plants don’t have a chance to grow properly and thrive.

The truth is that you need to conduct soil tests to ensure that your soil quality is conducive to planting success.

After reading this guide, you now know more about the best soil test kit for your lawn. We’ve featured not one but five of the most effective soil tests to purchase that are valued for money, accurate, and will ensure you can get healthier soil for your lawn and garden. These are ideal for beginners and advanced gardening enthusiasts alike.

We’ve also broken down some important information you need to know about testing your soil, such as its important pH levels. Make sure your soil has the correct pH and essential nutrients such as nitrogen and potassium to enable it to thrive.

Sources:

• SFGate
• Crop Nutrition