Lawn Soil Test Kits & PH Adjustments

What should my soil pH be?

All soil is either more alkaline or acidic on the pH scale, dependent on your location. The ideal soil pH should be a neutral pH of six to seven. If your soil has a pH reading that’s below or above six or seven, you’ll need to get a pH soil adjustment to raise or lower your soil’s pH.

What happens if soil pH is too low or too high?

When your soil’s pH is too low or high, grass will struggle to absorb nutrients through its root system. As a result, nutrient deficiencies can lead to yellow turf and stunted growth. But, certain grass types have their own ideal pH range, and some thrive in acidic or alkaline soil. We recommend researching your grass type before conducting a soil test to determine which nutrients would best supplement your lawn.

What kind of fertilizer does my lawn need?

Your grass needs three key macronutrients in large amounts to feed your lawn and keep it in top condition. Micronutrients are the opposite and are what your soil needs in lesser amounts. If you find after using your soil test kit that your lawn lacks certain micronutrients, use NutriSolve.

Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are the holy trinities of macronutrients. Nitrogen is a chlorophyll component, providing grass with a healthy green color. If your grass is yellow and brittle, it’s probably lacking in nitrogen, and, as a result, is more susceptible to disease. Phosphorus strengthens the root system, and potassium promotes healthy grass growth. You’ll notice on most bags of fertilizer that all three of these nutrients are abbreviated to “NPK,” with a number above each letter. This number will indicate how much macronutrient is supplemented in a particular fertilizer.

Lawn Soil Test Kit and pH Adjustment FAQs

If you’re unfamiliar with soil test kits and pH adjustments, we’ve put together a few frequently asked questions to help you on your way. For more specialist lawn-care tips and tricks, head to our blog or subscribe to our YouTube channel.

How do I adjust soil pH?

First things first, get the results of your lawn soil test kit in before you start adjusting soil pH levels. Lawns thrive in slightly acidic to neutral soil with pH levels between 6.2 and 7. If your soil shows a high alkaline pH reading, you’ll need a product like MAG-I-CAL® PLUS from Jonathan Green to lower your pH. It contains sulfur and calcium sulfate dihydrate to aid cell development and helps loosen hard soils to increase porosity. When soil is too alkaline and compacted, vital water, air, and nutrients can’t be absorbed by grass roots effectively — leading to weak, spindly grass.

To raise pH levels in your soil, Jonathan Green offers another product by the same name: MAG-I-CAL® PLUS. It contains calcium carbonate in a soluble form that boosts your soil’s pH levels. It’s important to remember that proper soil pH and loose, biologically active soil are the winning combinations to achieving a golf course lawn.

Can I test the soil myself?

Yes! The great part about our range is that you can easily use all of our products at home. Our soil test kits are no exception. The basic MySoil test kit contains a registration card with a number that needs to be registered on mysoiltesting.com. The soil kit has all the instructions you need to conduct a soil test and an envelope to send off your soil samples. After a week, you’ll receive your results — it’s as easy as that.

Which is the best soil test kit for my lawn?

In our range, we stock test kits from MySoil. MySoil’s products are the best soil test kits out there, using a synthetic root to absorb nutrients from the soil. Instead of grinding or baking the soil as most test kits do, MySoil’s test kit simulates the behavior of your grass in your current soil conditions. We recommend choosing one type of soil testing and sticking to it so you can accurately judge your lawn’s progress.

We offer three different soil test kits. Our first is the basic package, which has all you need to conduct your first soil test. Our Starter Pack comes with a stainless steel soil probe to make collecting samples easier, and our Pro Pack contains two testing kits and a soil probe. The MySoil probes have been specially designed for the DIY community. Using a soil probe ensures each sample is taken at a consistent depth and quantity — so you’ll get the best quality soil sample possible.

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