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Soil pH - Easy Solutions
By Beth Comer

Simply stated, grass grows best in "neutral" soil. The reason it grows best in neutral soil is that neutral soil has the most microbial activity. The more soil microbes you have, the more nutrients in the soil that are available to the roots of grass plants. The more nutrients the roots are able to use, the healthier the grass plant will be. The healthier the grass plant, the better your lawn looks!

What The Numbers Mean

A pH level of 7.0 is exactly neutral. A pH value less than 7.0 means the soil is acidic. A pH value greater than 7.0 means the soil is alkaline. The majority of grasses will grow well in soil with a pH level between 6.5 to 7.5.

Testing Soil pH

The easiest way to test your soil pH is to purchase a pH tester or soil test kit and do it yourself. If you want it tested by an expert you can take a sample of soil to your state cooperative extension office. Many garden centers also offer soil testing services. If you take soil from your lawn to be tested, take a small amount of soil from a variety of locations throughout your lawn. The total soil sample should fill a sandwich size baggy. Be sure to use clean soil, soil free of sticks, rocks, or other debris.

Adjusting The pH

When the pH is less than 7.0, you will need to raise it. The soil pH can be raised by adding lime to the soil. When the pH is more than 7.0, you will need to lower it. The soil pH can be lowered by adding sulfur (gypsum, cottonseed meal) to the soil. Regardless of what you are adding to the soil, use a lawn spreader to apply the material evenly. If you have to adjust by more than a full number, do it over a couple of applications. The exception to this is if you have a new lawn, you can till the proper amount of material into the soil before seeding or sodding. Note that lime takes time to act, so don't expect results for the a few months.

How Much Lime/Sulfur Do You Need

It's not a huge mystery how much lime or sulfur to add to your soil, but it is dependent upon a couple of factors. The first consideration is the degree of change that is needed, or how far your pH level varies from 7.0. The second consideration is the type of soil you have; sandy, loam or clay. Any store that you purchase the material from will be able to tell you how much to use for the particular type soil in your geographic area. This information will also be printed on the bags of material. You will also need to know the size of your lawn as most instructions are listed for pounds of product per 1000 square feet.

A good rule to follow once your soil pH has been neutralized is to periodically add organic matter to the soil. Organic matter will keep the soil pH at the proper level. Organic matter will also improve the soil texture and provide a balance of nutrients for better plant growth. Synthetic fertilizer will often throw these balances off. Organic fertilizers and compost add the proper balance of soil nutrients.

This article was written by Beth Comer. Please visit our website for organic/natural lawn care products (http://www.backto-nature.com) or for controlling ground moles visit http://www.moleinator.com

All About Organic Gardening
By Jack G Gordon

 

The following article presents the very latest information on organic. If you have a particular interest in organic, then this informative article is required reading.

The best time to learn about organic is before you're in the thick of things. Wise readers will keep reading to earn some valuable organic experience while it's still free.

The following article covers a topic that has recently moved to center stage--at least it seems that way. If you've been thinking you need to know more about it, here's your opportunity.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on gardening now have at least a basic understanding. But there's more to come.

Organic Gardening

Organic gardening is the exact same as regular gardening except that no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides are used. This can make certain aspects difficult, such as controlling disease, insects, and weeds. Organic gardening also requires more attention to the soil and the many needs of plants.

Organic gardening starts with the soil. Gardeners must add organic matter to the soil regularly in order to keep the soil productive. In fact, compost is essential to the healthiness and well being of plants grown organically. Compost can be made from leaves, dead flowers, vegetable scraps, fruit rinds, grass clippings, manure, and many other things. The ideal soil has a dark color, sweet smell, and is full of earthworms. Some soil may need more natural additives than regular compost can give, such as bonemeal, rock phosphates, or greensand. A simple soil test will tell you the pH balance and which nutrients you will need to use.

One thing that makes even gardeners that are very serious about organic gardening reach for pesticides is insects on their plants. The best way to defend plants against insects is to take preventative measures. One thing that can be done is to make sure plants are healthy and not too wet or dry because insects usually attack unhealthy plants and if healthy, they can often outgrow minor insect damage. A variety of plant types is a good idea to keep pests of a particular plant type from taking out the entire garden.

Perhaps the best way to defend against insects is to make your garden enticing to insect predators, such as ladybugs, birds, frogs, and lizards. You can do this by keeping a water source nearby or by growing plants that attract insects who feed on nectar. Other ideas are sticky traps, barriers, and plant collars. There are some household items that prevent against insects too, like insecticidal soaps, garlic, and hot pepper.

To avoid plant disease in organic gardening, choose disease resistant plants and plant them in their prime conditions. Many diseases will spread because of constant moisture and bad air circulation, so the site of your garden and the way it is watered can help ensure against diseases.

Weeds can be an annoying and frustrating part of organic gardening. Organic mulch can act as a weed barrier, but for even better protection put a layer of newspaper, construction paper, or cardboard under the mulch. Corn meal gluten will slow the growth of weeds if spread early in the season before planting, as does solarization. There's also the old-fashioned art of hoeing and hand pulling that always works. Your best bet in weed prevention is persistence. Mulch well and pull and hoe what you can; after a few seasons you can beat the weeds for good.

Organic gardening is an excellent way to assure that your plants will be free and clear of all pesticides and, if taken care of properly, will be as healthy as possible. Organic gardening may take a little more time and care than regular gardening, but after gardeners get the hang of it and figure out all the quirks of their garden, it is definitely worth the extra time.

There's no doubt that the topic of gardening can be fascinating. If you still have unanswered questions about gardening, you may find what you're looking for in the next article

There's no doubt that the topic of organic can be fascinating. If you still have unanswered questions about organic, you may find what you're looking for in the next article.

Read more about gardening at Jacks Learn to Garden http://learntogarden.info