Simply put, you need good soil if you want a healthy lawn. A healthy lawn, like a healthy person, requires a balanced diet. Similarly, lawns need nutrient-rich soil, not macronutrient tracking or a workout regimen. After applying these fertilizers, your grass will be more resilient to drought, weeds, and other lawn problems. Fertile soil is teeming with good bugs and microbes. Grass stays healthy because of this intricate feeding chain. Assessing your lawn’s condition and requirements is the first step in establishing a safe, healthy routine.

Importance of Soil Health

The key to lush grass isn’t on display since most people are too busy worrying about what’s above ground. The quality of the soil dictates the whole lawn’s health.

Fertilizing microbes such as fungi and bacteria populate inherently healthy soil and aid plants in nutrient digestion. In addition to improving your lawn’s natural defenses, these microbes may ward against pests and diseases. This very wide assortment of microbes is present in biologically active, healthy soil.

Most people think of fungus and bacteria when they hear this word, but it also encompasses many other types of organisms, such as protozoa, mites, and micro arthropods. A little teaspoon of dirt may potentially contain up to fifty thousand different species. This balanced combination of species helps cultivate the ideal grass growth environment.

Signs of an Unhealthy Soil

You can tell if your soil is healthy enough by looking at various indicators. Some signs of unhealthy soil include the following:

• When the soil has excess sand, it will show the first indication. Find light-colored, airy sand or silt when you dig into your garden plot. It doesn’t have enough nutrients to support life. 
• A second indicator is very dark soil, ochre, or reddish-brown. This might be an indication of a clay issue. When there’s an excess of clay in the soil, plant roots can’t stretch out and get enough oxygen. Just wet the dirt and then form a ball with your fingers to be sure. Heavy clay soil is characterized by its ability to remain cohesive in a slimy lump. 
• It probably has low quality if you can’t find any traces of plant life or insects in the soil. Worms are a sign of good soil and condition, enriching garden soil with nutrient-rich castings. 

A pH issue may be plaguing your soil. The nutrients plants require to thrive won’t be able to reach them in soil with an acidic or alkaline pH. Get a soil testing kit at a nearby nursery to get a more objective assessment of your garden soil’s quality. 

What Makes A Soil Healthy?

To know the health of your soil, a person must examine the following five components.

Oxygen

Soil oxygen is as essential to all subterranean life as water is to all aboveground life. Your soil contains oxygen in about half of its pore space. Aeration has a key role in plant development since airflow is essential. Also, soil microbes release a lot of carbon dioxide during respiration. Therefore, it’s important to provide more oxygen to the air.

Minerals

The many minerals found in soil are all necessary for plant development. Carbon, magnesium, iron, nitrogen, sulfur, sodium, and phosphorus are essential elements. Grass, trees, bushes, and even the microbes that depend on them for survival rely on these minerals. 

Organic Matter

You know those plants, insects, leaves, and everything else that surrounds your lawn? That is called organic matter. Every healthy soil should have at least 3 to 5% of organic matter to be called healthy. 

Water

Every living creature on Earth relies on water. Soil that contains this element is essential for plant growth. When water is absent, the soil becomes inhospitable and dries up, rendering it unable to support life. Soil health and a beautiful lawn depend on water, and plenty of it.

Microorganisms

Incredibly, there are as many as one billion bacteria in only one teaspoon of dirt. I agree! These microscopic creatures are worms, nematodes, protozoa, algae, fungi, and bacteria. Even if there are more bacteria in the soil in agricultural landscapes, they are still necessary for lush grass.

Identifying Your Soil Type

Soil is soil, at least to a gardener just starting. A seasoned gardener will know that different kinds of soil may support different plants and grass. The soil in your garden may have an impact on your grass, and there is a vast array of soil types in Pennsylvania. Gardeners in Pennsylvania may choose from three distinct soil types, each of which uniquely impacts plant and grass health.

Loam (Sandy)

If you’re fortunate enough to have this soil, maintaining your grass shouldn’t be a problem. Soil profiles like this often include a healthy mix of loam and sand, with the former comprising roughly 30% and the latter 70%, respectively. 

Sandy 

Soil profiles based on sand are more common in areas near shore. Although this kind is great for new lawns, be careful not to use too much sand since it won’t hold water well and can eventually dry up your grass and plants. If you want your sandy soil to soak up water from sprinklers or rain, you’ll probably have to buy a wetting agent.

Clay

Less air and room exists between the soil particles in heavier soils like loam, clay loam, or clay. Increased water retention and decreased downward water flow are outcomes of soils with a higher clay content due to lower interparticle space and air. Soil types like these can retain more water and so need less irrigation overall.

The Process of Identifying the Type

Put some dirt in your palm and see what sort of soil it is; that’s a simple and fast approach to finding out what’s beneath your lawn. The following results will dictate the kind of soil once you add water till it forms a flexible ball: 

• The soil is sand-based if it is gritty, won’t ball up, and doesn’t leave any visible stains on hands.
• Gritty, sandy loam soils are characterized by their ability to be compacted into balls, rolled into cylinders, and gently bent into soil that breaks apart. 
• Loam is the soil that forms a ball and rolls into a cylinder when bent. It does not feel gritty, smooth, or sticky. 
• Soil that is clay loam has a smooth surface, is sticky, and looks like loam. 
• Soil is considered clay when it has characteristics such as being sticky, having a very smooth exterior, and sticking together more strongly than any other kind of soil.

Ways to Improve Your Lawn Soil

Anyone may benefit from better soil in their garden; it’s not just for experts. To help you achieve better soil quality and greater soil health, here are some tips:

Know Your Soil

It is critical to know what kind of soil you have. No matter whether it’s sandy, clay, or any combination of the two, different soils have different requirements. More organic matter may be necessary for sandy soil, while improved drainage may be necessary for clay soil.

Organic Matter Addition

Soil improvement relies on organic matter, such as compost and manure. Organic matter improves soil structure and facilitates root growth. It also improves the cohesiveness of sandy soil and increases its capacity to retain water and minerals.

Fertilizers

Fertilizers come in several forms. The delayed nutrient release and improved soil structure of organic fertilizers make them a great option for the soil’s long-term health.

Mulch

Mulch has practical uses. In addition to decomposing into organic matter, it aids in soil moisture retention, weed suppression, and insect control.

Cover Crops

Legumes and other cover crops may fix depleted soil nutrients and stop soil erosion. In addition to improving drainage and aeration, they make your soil a better environment for plants to thrive.

Soil Testing

You need to have a soil test to find out the pH and nutrient levels in your soil. To enhance your soil, follow these steps for what amendments and fertilizers to use.

Good Drainage

Poor drainage results in soggy soil that rots at the roots. While organic matter addition may help with drainage, a drainage system may be necessary in really bad situations.

Maintaining A Healthy Soil with WeedX Fertilizing

To keep your soil healthy, you need more than a good fertilizer. The best thing would be to consider professional services. WeedX Fertilizing‘s exclusive combination of bio-nutrients, enzymes, biostimulants, and microbial food sources results in increased Brix levels, better seed germination rates, stronger stalks, and an optimal lawn environment.

We employ the most effective and safest techniques to reduce weeds, illnesses, and insects because we adopt an IPM (Integrated Pest Management) approach to lawn care. 

Choose the best for your law soil and keep it healthy and beautiful with WeedX Fertilizing.