Spring Is Here – How Healthy Is Your Soil?
It’s all about the soil…
Spring is here, and naturally we start thinking about feeding, growth, renovating and getting our lawns looking their best again.
But let’s talk about the soil!
Good soil health is the foundation of a healthy lawn. It’s where your roots grow, where your lawn gets its support and where we want to build strength before we head into the warmer months.
Healthy soil > Strong foundation > Strong roots
With the heat and renovation season ahead of us, if you haven’t thought about your soil health yet, now is the time to get it on your radar.
Building Your Soil Foundation
For me, GROW is the foundation.
It’s your slow-release granular fertiliser, sitting there and ticking away in the soil, providing foundational nutrition over time and supporting root development and resilience.
I then use ENRICH Kelp as part of the soil program. It’s an organic kelp powder packed with natural nutrients and trace minerals to help support soil health from the ground up. I apply ENRICH with VITAL Wetting Agent but I’ll talk a bit more about that next.
We still feed and look after the plant as part of our complete lawn program. Here, we’re putting the focus on the soil and building a strong foundation for your lawn.
Is Your Lawn Repelling Water?
As we head towards the hotter weather, this is something I want you to be aware of.
Have you ever had a dry patch that you keep watering, but it just seems to stay dry? You water it again and again and nothing seems to change. It’s frustrating but there could be a reason for it.
Your soil may have become hydrophobic, which simply means its repelling water. Sometimes these dry patches can be mistaken for grub or insect damage, when the problem may actually be that the soil isn’t taking in water properly.
Instead of the water soaking into that dry area, it can drawn away from it. So simply putting more water out isn’t necessarily going to fix the problem.
That’s where VITAL Wetting Agent comes in. VITAL helps water penetrate and distribute more evenly throughout the soil, helping to prevent those stubborn dry areas.
What’s Your Soil pH?
Another thing I talk about a lot is soil pH. If you haven’t tested yours for a while, it’s worth checking because you really don’t know where your pH is sitting until you test it.
Ideally, we want your soil pH around 6.5 to 7.0.
Getting your pH right is important. If it’s out, the products you’re putting on your lawn may not be working at their full potential. You could be wasting product and basically throwing money in the bin.
If your pH is low, your soil is acidic. That’s when we use lime to help bring it back towards the right range.
For a moderately low pH, apply lime at 5 kg per 100 m² every four weeks and keep checking your pH. If your reading is extremely low, around 3.0, fortnightly applications may be needed.
Once you’re back around 6.5 to 7.0, job done! Stop applying lime and then monitor your pH around every three months so you know where it’s sitting.
Your Steps to Healthy Soil
Keep it simple.
Step 1: Test your soil pH
Step 2: Apply GROW
Apply GROW Granular Fertiliser - every 12 weeks.
Apply VITAL Wetting Agent and ENRICH Kelp together every 2 to 4 weeks.
Step 4: Water it all in
Once everything is applied, give the lawn a good water in.
And while we’re talking about water, have a look at how you’re actually watering your lawn. Hand watering can make it hard to know whether the whole lawn is getting enough water and whether you’re getting even coverage.
If you have pop-up irrigation, that’s a great option. Otherwise, a good oscillating sprinkler is what I recommend to help get more even coverage across the lawn.
As a guide, aim for around 15–20 mm of water, twice a week, so you know your lawn is getting a good, consistent water.
Why My Lawn Co Products?
I’ve been a professional Greenkeeper for over 40 years, so I’m particular about the products I trust.
Throughout my career, I’ve worked with professional lawn care products and know what works and what delivers results.
When I developed the My Lawn Co range, I wanted to bring that same professional quality to everyday lawn owners. Products that are strong, reliable and get results.
They’re the products I trust, recommend and continue to use professionally today.
I’ve also made the program simple, so you know what to apply and when to apply it at home.
Want to Know What to Do All Year?
Don’t forget to check out my Ultimate Lawn Program. It includes an easy-to-follow yearly lawn care calendar, showing you what to do, what to apply and when to apply it throughout the year.
I’ve also packed it with plenty of tips, hints and information from my years as a professional Greenkeeper, so you’ve got something to refer back to whenever you’re not sure what your lawn needs next.
Check out my Ultimate Lawn Program.
And don’t forget, if you feel like you need a bit more personalised help with your lawn, I also offer phone consultations. You can send through photos beforehand, and we can talk through what’s happening with your lawn and put together a plan for what to do next.
Book a phone consultation with me
Look after your soil, keep your program consistent and don’t overcomplicate it. Get the basics right and you’re well on your way to a healthy lawn.
And don’t forget if you feel you need more personal help I offer lawn consults by phone
Dave
Professional Greenkeeper
My Lawn Co
