If your lawn is full of weeds and just not performing as well as it should, despite regular fertilising, it could be that the soil is too acidic.
Grab a soil pH kit or you can take a soil sample to your local nursery for testing. A reading in the pH range of 5.5 to 7.5 means that your lawn is able to absorb all the nutrients it requires for good growth. But if the reading is lower than 5.5 then the soil is just too acidic to really thrive.
An easy way to raise the soil pH level and reduce the acidity is to apply lime. Lime is a naturally occurring mineral that is used to neutralise acidic soils while also providing the lawn plants with essential nutrients. By raising the pH it will assist in releasing nutrients trapped in the soil.
While each different brand will come with its own specific application instructions, you are typically looking at applying about a handful per square metre and make sure you do this two weeks before fertilising.
Another option to raise the soil’s pH level is an application of Dolomite. Dolomite is used to sweeten sour or acid soils whilst at the same time provide plants with two essentials plant nutrients – calcium and magnesium. Dolomite helps to raise the pH, and assist in releasing nutrients trapped in the soil.
Typically Lime works faster than Dolomite, but either product will help with the acidity issue and have your lawn performing well in no time at all.
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