Prepare Your Landscape For A Fruitful Season

Spring is in full swing and it’s time to start reviving your landscape and getting the soil primed for flowers and veggies. However, before you think about sowing any seeds, it’s important to make sure the ground is healthy and able to nurture the seedlings.

1. Test your soil’s pH level. Before you get caught up in the appearance of your greenery, or lack there of, you should first test your soil’s pH level. You want to be sure that your soil is not too acidic or too alkaline before you spread grass seed or fertilizer. To test the pH level you can use a home testing kit or hire a professional testing service. Your soil should be a neutral 7 for it to support a healthy lawn and garden. If your soil tests below a 7, meaning that it’s more acidic, or above a 7 meaning it’s more alkaline, here’s how you can restore it to it’s neutral state.

• Acidic Soil Remedy: Using a soil amendment like lime will reduce the acidity of your soil. Glenn Farrell, co-owner of Lawn Doctor in Fairfield County, Connecticut, suggests using pelletized lime because it’s a more direct treatment. He says that homeowners should use 25 pounds per 1000 square feet and this can be done in conjunction with seeding and fertilizing.

• Alkaline Soil Remedy: Alkaline soil is more common for landscapes located in the Southwest where clay is abundant in the ground. If you find yourself dealing with alkaline soil, Glenn suggests using a gypsum treatment at 25 pounds per 1000 square feet.

2. Aerate your lawn. Aerating your lawn helps roots receive air and allows water and nutrients to more easily penetrate those roots, cultivating a healthier lawn. Landscapes that benefit the most from aeration are those that are compacted by heavy traffic from kids, pets and construction, landscapes that have clay soil, sloped landscapes that aren’t able to absorb water and landscapes that aren’t able to stay moist. Also, if your lawn has puddles of water it’s likely that your soil is compacted and that air and water are not able to penetrate the grass roots. Find an aeration professional in your area to help restore air to your roots.

3. Seed and fertilize your lawn. While springtime may seem like the best time to start seeding and fertilizing your lawn, it’s not right for every landscape. Glenn tells us that lawns with high sun exposure should be seeded and fertilized in the fall. Sunny lawns are more susceptible to weeds and crab grass in the springtime and the products used to abate these weeds also prevent your lawn seed from germinating. Planting grass seed and fertilizer in the fall will give your grass the ability to properly germinate without any competition from those pesky weeds. You can also use a four-step fertilizer program that will provide the right nutrients and grass food for each season so you can keep your lawn healthy all year round.