If you’ve got an established lawn that isn’t thriving, it could be that your soil is to blame. The soils underneath all grass, including those at Wild Horse Turf’s three farms, are more responsible for delivering good lawn health than anything else.
How can I check the quality of my soil?
Because you can’t visually tell whether your soil is in good shape or not, it’s best to get a pH test kit. Large hardware stores and garden centres sell these for a few dollars. Turf grows well in well-drained soils with a pH level of about 6.0 and 7.0 but usually flourishes at about 6.5. Anything out of this range might go some way to explaining why your lawn isn’t as lush as it could be.
Why is soil so important to lawn health?
A lawn’s soil provides nutrients, water and oxygen to the grass we grow, and if any of these things aren’t right then your lawn will not thrive. And because removing your entire lawn and replacing the soil isn’t an option, there are other ways you can improve the wellbeing of your soil.
Just keep in mind there’s no quick fix and most treatments require time and some expense, but consider it an investment in the long-term health of your lawn.
3 ways to improve your lawn’s soil
Top dressing
Applying a rich organic soil mixture to the top of your turf can improve soil quality. If you know you’ve got sandy soil then top dressing is the best way to give it a boost, just apply a layer of rich soil about 1cm thick on top of your lawn.
It’s important you water it into the grass; if done correctly you shouldn’t be able to see any trace of the rich soil on top of the lawn. If repeated regularly, over the years you will continue to improve your lawn’s soil and the health of your turf.
Wetting agents
If your lawn is repeatedly deprived of water during long hot summers, then over time soils may naturally repel water, this is particularly the case with many Australia soil types. Obviously this isn’t conducive to a happy lawn, so by applying a wetting agent you will break down the repellent waxy coating on the grains of soil.
This opens up the top of the soil to allow more water to flow into and throughout the soil. Once it’s made its way into the soil, the wetting agents help the soil to hold the water for longer and distribute it more effectively. Do this up to three times a year for best results.
Organic Fertilisers
Based on naturally occurring substances, organic lawn fertilisers are usually made up of manure products or substances such as seaweed. Easily bought from your local garden shop or hardware stores; try Seasol or Dynamic Lifter for lawns. If used a few times a year they can help boost the organic richness of the soil that is feeding your lawn.
Hint: Before applying organic fertiliser and wetting agents, aerate your lawn to help the goodness reach soil easier. If you haven’t got a proper lawn coring machine, a garden pitchfork will do the trick.
Improving the quality of your soil is an ongoing process of lawn care and it pays to keep monitoring the health of your lawn and the soil as required. Think of it as helping your lawn to thrive from the inside out.
If you have any questions or are unsure if you soil quality or something else is to blame for your lawn’s lacklustre appearance, get in touch with Wild Horse Turf today on 5496 9790.
