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One of the biggest secrets to having a lush green lawn lies underneath: soil with the proper pH.
"Getting the proper pH for the soil in your lawn is really more important than putting seed on," said Consumer Reports' Peter Sawchuk, "When you have the proper pH, your fertilizer works better, it lasts longer, and you get much healthier grass."
Sawchuk evaluated six home soil-test kits designed to measure the pH level. "A pH scale consists of numbers from zero to fourteen, with seven being neutral," he said. "Lawns require a pH of approximately six-point-five to seven."
Testers took dozens of samples at seven different locations. They also sent soil samples to two outside laboratories to confirm the soil pH. Those results were then compared to the home test kits.
"Unfortunately they weren't all that accurate," Sawchuk said. "They were inconsistent. So they're not the best choice for determining your soil pH."
Instead, Consumer Reports says you can have testing done by your local cooperative extension, a private lab, or a lawn-care service.
"Soil in the Northeast and Midwest almost always tends to be acidic and the correction for that is to use lime," Sawchuk said. "The best lime to use is the pelletized version, which is easier to handle and it also lasts longer."
Soil in many parts west of the Mississippi and in Florida tends to be alkaline. To solve that problem, you'll need to put down sulfur, or its equivalent, to get your soil to the proper pH.
Soil tests can provide other helpful information, like the mix of fertilizer you'll need. Consumer Reports says when you fertilize is critical to getting good results.
Here in Pennsylvania, Consumer Reports advises home owners to fertilize their lawn once in the late spring, once or twice more from late summer into the fall, and a last application right before the final mow of the year.
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