Hi Ron, I have been asking Trugreen for a soil analysis to be conducted on my Lawn for it seems like 5 years now. I was so pissed last week, I talked to the GM, he must have talked to the Supervisor. Because he finally came out and verified everything that I have been complaining about for years. He said they will start addressing the problem areas (PH being one of them). I said, sir. I have been begging for you guys to do a soil test. This problem could have been rectified years ago. I mean everything that I have been calling about, he finally came out and saw first hand. I told him, that I will give him a chance to fix it. If I do not start seeing progress in the right direction, then I will just have to go with another company. Thanks for the video.
Thanks Ron for taking about Soil Test. I am in Austin and I have year after year taken care of my yards from several homes that I have bought and sold. Now I find it comforting to know that the best pH range for St. Augustine grass is between 5.0 and 7.0
Most definitely Welco. It's not an overnight process to alter pH for sure. Definitely part of the long game. It's definitely worth working on though. This video talks more about pH and why you should care about it: ruclips.net/video/jBp1JZSbpx4/видео.html Thanks for watching.
@@RonHenry My soil is the opposite, it's basically sand and seashells. I just dump a ton of grains to at least get some organic material and slightly lower the PH.
Re G using a broadcast spreader. The granules are much bigger than table salt. No issue with applying with a spreader. Let me know if I can help answer anything else. 👍😎
Been working all year to bring mine down. My first soil test was at 7.8. Will see at next years soil test. Been adding elemental sulfur and ammonium sulfate based fertilizers all year. The problem with elemental sulfur is that you have to put large amount of it to bring down the PH.I have 15K sq/f of Bermuda so it’s requires a lot!
I hear you Scott. Doing major soil amendments isn't cheap. Still it's worth doing because you'll see more benefit from the fertilizers and more expensive products you're applying. At least you know where your pH levels are.
My local site one recommended Sulfur as well. I was borderline high at 7.2ph. I’ve been using Martin Disper-sul. It does require a lot to bring down. I’ve been adding it to the yard periodically. I’ll be curious to see the dent I made if any on my PH next spring when I do another soil sample.
Ron Henry agreed.. I’m just not expecting a huge point drop. I guess we will see how it turns out. Yard is improving so all of these things are working together well so far.
Ron, I wanted to point out that the Sulfur (referred to as sulfate sulfur) in Ammonium sulfate is not the same as elemental sulfur which is used to lower ph. Ammonium Sulfate does have an effect of lowering ph but I believe those effects are more temporary and is actually cause by the Ammonium. Elemental sulfur is broken down over time by the bacteria in the soil to form sulfuric acid, which is what has a more permanent PH lowering effect.
Great point about elemental sulphur having a more permanent lowering effect. To your point it takes longer to break down in comparison to ammonium. I suppose in a perfect world, you'd apply both to get both short and long term results. I wanted to keep the video short and simple though so viewers wouldn't get confused. Either product can be used for lowering pH with pretty good results.
Ron Henry I would agree applying both makes sense with a high ph. I’ve read that elemental sulfur doesn’t work as well once your ph gets to a high 7 or 8. So you have to bring it down other ways (Ammonium Sulfate or spraying citric acid) to help the sulfur work. But I’m guessing you don’t worry much about a high ph in Georgia. Ha
@@scotsthrower Elemental sulfur or acidic irrigation is about the only way to lower high PH in clay soils in an affordable manner. Other methods are actually more costly and/or more damaging if not slower. When PH gets into the 8s or higher in heavy clay calcium carbonate soils the issue is that it may take 100s of lbs per 1000 ft of pure elemental sulfur to lower PH to the appropriate levels. Some heavy clay soils have thousands of parts per million of calcium so it eventually would take tons of sulfur or sulfuric acid to lower the PH and those of us with established lawns can only apply 10 lbs per 1000 ft per year without causing turf damage. If we irrigate with water with a PH of 8 obviously the PH is going to slowly climb up anyway. For these reasons I'd skip trying to amend soils if your soil PH is higher than 7.5 maybe 8 and you have high calcium carbonate heavy clay soil. Grow a local grass that can live with that soil. Some consider adding peat moss (ph around 4) and working it in to the soil, top dressing with black dirt or adding organic matter to amend the clay soil first but some may never get there through just sulfur or similar products.
Great information in this video!! I know this video is from August but I had a couple questions. I got my soil test done last month and my PH is low at 4.25. My lawn is 5000 sq ft so I picked up the Pennington lime from Home Depot and if I read it correctly it said if PH was in 0-5 range & mine was 4.25 that it will take about 24lbs per 1000 instead of the normal 30 pound bag for a 5000 lawn. So roughly I needed 120 pounds for my 5000 lawn since my ph was 4.25. So at 30 pounds per bag I put down 4 bags last month. I see everything starting to green up with my Tall Turf Fescue here in VA but still lagging a little bit. I was wondering if I should put down another round of the lime at the 30 day mark to get the PH a bit higher. I know some would use the regular basic lime a couple times in the spring like 1 app of lime then 30 days another app of lime but didn't know if I should hold off till summer or not with this kind of Pennington lime.
Hi DeeJay Busta B. You absolutely can put down more lime. Would you mind sending me your soil test results? ron@golfcourselawn.com Want to make sure you're using the correct lime for your soil. Thanks for watching the content sir. I appreciate the support.
Another great video Ron. I got results from my soil test and my pH came back 5.95. Most all nutrients came back optimal with the exception of Iron 1.04 and Boron 0.05 which were low. P 11.26, K 77.53, Mg 71.67 and Mn 12.02 were slightly high. I have had a lot of rain here in Alabama but I do have regular watering with irrigation. My bermuda lawn is not thickening up or filling in bare spots. Should I add some lime to raise pH? What would you recommend? Thank you.
Hi Jeff. 5.95 really isn't bad. Adding a bit of lime won't hurt, but I doubt that's the reason your lawn isn't thickening up. Getting Bermuda to grow in thick is mainly a function of frequent mowing at heights of 1.5" or lower. That promotes much thicker turf. Good job on getting a soil test done btw. Hope this helps.
how long does it take to bring up your pH level ? my pH is 4.7 I put down 5/50 lb bags of lime for 5000 sqft of Bermuda. plus my phosphorus level is very high . I'm really concerned my sod is not gonna make it ?? great video
Good info Ron. Of the two main lime sources (Dolomitic and Calcic) the determination of which one to use also depends on the Magnesium levels and the ratios with calcium present. For a good Calcic limestone product, I can recommend Solu-Cal. It is also noteworthy that the pH levels constantly fluctuate. As long as it's around 6.2-6.5 you should be great. I have also experienced turf burn when applying sulfur containing materials. Caution would be advised... along with post-application waterings.
Great points Richard. I didn't cover the individual lime types for soil amendments. Thanks for the Solu-Cal recommendation. Do you find that a heavy watering along with the sulphur application reduces turf burn? So far with my lawn I've been fortunate enough that I've only had to apply lime so far.
@@RonHenry My pH here was 5.3 so lime was required. My sulfur / turf experiences were in Florida where some pH values were 8.5 - 9.0. Thorough waterings helped after the elemental Sulfur apps.
@@richardgleason5953 thanks again. I know every lawn responds differently but as far as raising your pH from 5.3 into the low 6s do you find that applying at bag rate raises the levels enough? I know it's a difficult question to answer.
@@RonHenry Great question Ron. I'm having an issue here along those lines. My pH was 5.3 and both the Ca and Mg levels were low. I applied Dolomite at the rate of 55# per 100 s.f. in late February of 2020. Theoretically, this should raise the pH about one unit to the 6.3 range. Normally, it's a slow reaction, and may take up to one year or longer. I did a follow up soil test a couple of weeks ago (mid July). Supposedly, the pH rose to 7.3 in about 5 months time. The Ca and Mg levels rose to satisfactory levels, and the Ca/ Mg ratio was pretty good at about 6.2 / 1. I'm just not comfortable with the readings from the UGa Soils Lab. They use the MEHLICH I EXTRACTANT methodology. I have also sent in soil to Clemson to see their results (however, I do not know if their methodology is the same as UGa, so a comparison may be invalid). Additionally, there are still some algae and moss issues which are indicative of a low pH. I'm also fighting light levels, and have removed three trees and raised canopy levels up. I will overseed this fall with a blend of creeping red fescue, KBG and perennial rye. Maybe next year will bring better results... if I don't croak first! LOL This turf stuff can be perplexing at times.
Thanks for the feedback Richard. It’s wild that the levels rose that quickly. As far as testing method, are you collecting samples from various parts of the lawn just to ensure that one area isn’t skewing your results? I can totally see how chasing the perfect pH could have you pulling your hair out. I’m realizing more and more than lawn care at a high level is a blend of science and art. The appearance of the lawn can tell you a lot.
Thanks for the video!!! I got my soil test back and half of my front yard is 6.0 and the other half is 5.0. Is it okay to lime during the summer? Most recommend Fall and Winter but I want my green up now, lol Thanks again for sharing your knowledge!!
Hi chirsdadda. Yep. No issue with applying lime now. It will help move you soil pH in the right direction. Let me know if I can help answer anything else. 😎👍
@@RonHenry I'm going to the Depot today. I was researching this type of lime. It says that 1 bag is equal to 5 bags of regular lime. I think I will apply a light amount in stages and see how the grass responds.
@@chrisdadda nice Chris. It's good stuff. Should be just what you need to raise the soil pH. One bag covers quite a bit of square footage. Applying at the specified rate should work out well.
Ron, just got MySoil results today, and have 5.04 ph. Live in KC, transition zone, with Zoysia and some weak stuff in the shade thats wispy, thin, and brown/tan. How often do you put calcitic lime down? Like, can i put it down now, wait another month and hit it again the end of Sep (zoysia goes dormant in Oct, greens up in early May)? Then get a soil test again in the spring, or in late fall after 2nd application of lime, if that's not too soon? Thx, i enjoy the content and thorough explanations.
You can apply i now if you want ImHoTep. I wouldn't do more than 40 lbs per 1k at any given time. At 5.04 it's going to take a while to move pH up. Nothing stopping you from starting the improvement process now.
How you doing Ron, huge fan, so I took your advice about getting a soil test done and got my results back. I'm low on nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium. The recommendations is a 18-24-12 fertilizer is there any particular brand you would recommend??
Heya Rodney. If you can find Lesco or Andersons 18-24-12 locally, that'd be a great choice. Alternatively, you can get it here: amzn.to/3gkvWxn For a lawn that needs a bit of everything, it's a good choice for an 18-24-12. Thanks for watching the content sir. Appreciate the support.
Hi Ron, question for you and hoping you can share some insight. I have Kentucky glue grass and my soil ranges from 5.5 to 6. I noticed that some areas of my lawn are not growing as fast and thick as others. I have added lime already this spring. but i read that adding baking soda to your lawn can help increase the PH levels faster. Is there real truth to this and is it safe for my KBG? Thank you. Paul
I would stick to lime elqwan. Depending on the amount of sunlight and other factors, some areas can take longer than others to grow in. Just a time thing.
Hmmmm. I guess it depends on the type of flying insect Evelio. You could use one of those plug-in bug zappers. It’s difficult to answer without know which insect you’re trying to eliminate.
My spring rest was like pH so I did a lime app. I was planning to foil test again next spring because I’ve heard many times it’s not accurate while your actively applying apps. Although not sure pH would be impacted. How often do you soil test?
Hi Lawn Journeys. I typically test twice per season. I'll do my next soil test next month. pH can usually be fixed in a growing season if you apply enough of the correct product.
Just received my soil sample results and they recommend a dolomitic lime application. The pH level is 5.8. Can you explain dolomitic lime. I have a Bermuda lawn and located in middle TN Thanks.
Hi Les. If your soil also needs magnesium in addition to raising soil pH levels then dolomitic lime is a good option since it contains magnesium. If you don't need magnesium, then find a more calcitic lime. The Pennington lime I show in the video will work in your case. amzn.to/2PTPwCA Let me know if I can help with anything else.
Heya Jon D. You can use citric acid of elemental sulfate to lower pH over time. I wouldn't worry too much about the higher sulfur levels. You can bag your clippings to reduce levels over time but you're also going to be lower all other nutrient levels along with sulfur. I personally wouldn't worry about it.
Another good informative video, Ron. Thanks!! I recently got the results of my soil test. I’m low in pH (4.99). I plan to over seed with tall fescue in the fall. I have two questions: 1) Should I wait to apply the lime when I over-seed in the fall (Approx October) or can it be done now? 2) The area that I plan to over seed is about 20% weeds and the rest is dirt. If I applied Round Up now to kill the weeds would that hinder the over seeding in October?
Hi D Tisdale. You can apply lime now. With your plan to overseed in October, I'd do all I reasonably can to improve soil health. I'm really not a fan of round up on areas you're trying to grow turf grass. It's not supposed to nuke the soil for much more than a few weeks, but I've also seen situations where the grass hasn't grown properly for an entire season after spraying with round up.
Yes Steve M. Citric acid can be used as well. Applying citric acid shouldn't affect your ability to seed your lawn this fall. Soilab has a great video on using citric acid to lower pH: ruclips.net/video/CESZuovODmc/видео.html Hope this helps.
I use the Pennington lime. Not sure if it's working. There's a lot of moss in my shady area, and I've heard moss is a sign the soil is too acidic. Hope I'm right.
Hi Eric. It should help with the moss. Have you done a soil test as yet? www.mysoiltesting.com/shop?aff=11 Moss is often a sign of low soil pH. In addition to adding lime, you might consider, Scott's MossEX product. It's very effective against moss too. amzn.to/3awEYTG Let me know if I can help with anything else.
@@RonHenry thanks for the product recommendation. I'll try that. I've killed and raked a lot. Yet even after the lime application, the moss is coming back. I suspect it's snuffing out my Bermuda.
@@RonHenry to answer your earlier question: yes. I've done a soil test. Poor soil, overall. Ph is low, but not far from the ideal zone. As for shade: that's hard. The houses are close to each other. Plus my neighbor has a high fence. In the morning, the shadow of my house shades that area. Then there's a small break with direct sunlight. Then the neighbor's fence shades it again. I might use Zeon zoysia in the shaded area to see it that helps. It can grow short, with fine blades like Bermuda. Plus it needs less sunlight.
@@nikiruwar2987 Do you know what your pH currently is? It might already be fine. If not, I'd suggest doing a soil test, since that will tell us how much lime to apply if any. golfcourselawn.store/products/mysoil-starter-pack Hope this helps.
Elemental sulfur is what I used to drop my pH from a 8! Very hard to break down but really the only way to really drop soil PH ( soil amending) not plant available sulfur
@@RonHenry about 2 years... But gonna confirm with another soil sample this spring still need a lot of (K) been applying potassium sulfate all year to help that still find pieces of it every once in awhile in the grass. They make better more water soluble sulfur than I applied
@@mattfraser2136 you can apply it now. Whenever the moss is actively growing which it sounds like it is in your case. For best results, I'd apply it in the morning when the lawn is wet from dew. Can reapply in another 3 or 4 weeks if needed.
@@FrankieKennethL agreed. Definitely work on fixing your soil pH Matthew. MossEX is a great product but the moss will keep coming back until the underlying issue is taken care. Low pH is definitely a contributing factor.
It does lower soil pH Kevin but I don't personally know anyone that's used it. Most people I know use some type of sulphur to lower pH. If you decide to go the citric acid route, let me know how it works out for you.
That Greenway biotech stuff works great! I did a review on that product earlier this year, great price per application. Still need to do a follow-up soil test again to see where I'm at now. Before I applied that stuff I had a pH of 8!
Hi Elder. I'd start with bag rate and see how the pH levels respond. You don't want to go so heavy that you end up moving the soil pH to alkaline levels.
No problem James. We definitely need to add lime to your lawn. The Pennington product should work well in your situation. amzn.to/3kJY1yu Let me know if I can help with anything else.
@@jamesandrews8469 with a pH of 5.23, we need to get some lime into your lawn to get those levels up. Focus on the pH instead of the current sulphur levels. Once we fix pH, it'll be interesting to see the sulphur levels land.
Hi KD kD. You can use citric acid or elemental sulfur to reduce pH. Here's a great video by Soilab, explaining several options. ruclips.net/video/9YBz2ctdSds/видео.html&t Sorry for the delayed response.
![Soil pH Explained - [The Faster Way to a Greener Lawn]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/jBp1JZSbpx4/mqdefault.jpg)
How to Read Soil Test Results: ruclips.net/video/nihudOjO32I/видео.html
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Hi Ron, I have been asking Trugreen for a soil analysis to be conducted on my Lawn for it seems like 5 years now. I was so pissed last week, I talked to the GM, he must have talked to the Supervisor. Because he finally came out and verified everything that I have been complaining about for years. He said they will start addressing the problem areas (PH being one of them). I said, sir. I have been begging for you guys to do a soil test. This problem could have been rectified years ago. I mean everything that I have been calling about, he finally came out and saw first hand. I told him, that I will give him a chance to fix it. If I do not start seeing progress in the right direction, then I will just have to go with another company. Thanks for the video.
Thanks Ron for taking about Soil Test. I am in Austin and I have year after year taken care of my yards from several homes that I have bought and sold. Now I find it comforting to know that the best pH range for St. Augustine grass is between 5.0 and 7.0
Very nice Pablo. Appreciate you watching
Apologies for the colors being weird in this video. My camera settings were messed up and I didn't catch it until after filming.
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Patience is key with the lawn, plan to put down lime annually or more often
Most definitely Welco. It's not an overnight process to alter pH for sure. Definitely part of the long game. It's definitely worth working on though. This video talks more about pH and why you should care about it: ruclips.net/video/jBp1JZSbpx4/видео.html Thanks for watching.
Good Tips. Getting a soil test every few years is very important. Bermuda loves Nitrogen, but it can lower the PH.
Definitely Richard. I've had to add lime every now and then but never had to lower the pH. Not yet anyways.
@@RonHenry My soil is the opposite, it's basically sand and seashells. I just dump a ton of grains to at least get some organic material and slightly lower the PH.
Awesome feedback. This is something I haven’t paid attention to in the past. I’ll keep you posted.
Sounds good man. Let me know if I can help with anything else.
@@RonHenry One last question! :-) The ammonium sulfate looks like the consistency of table salt. How do you apply this to the lawn?
Re G using a broadcast spreader. The granules are much bigger than table salt. No issue with applying with a spreader. Let me know if I can help answer anything else. 👍😎
Lime helps protect against some weeds too. Weeds like low ph
Agreed Advanced Lawn & Garden. I forgot to mention that. Great call.
Been working all year to bring mine down. My first soil test was at 7.8. Will see at next years soil test. Been adding elemental sulfur and ammonium sulfate based fertilizers all year. The problem with elemental sulfur is that you have to put large amount of it to bring down the PH.I have 15K sq/f of Bermuda so it’s requires a lot!
I hear you Scott. Doing major soil amendments isn't cheap. Still it's worth doing because you'll see more benefit from the fertilizers and more expensive products you're applying. At least you know where your pH levels are.
My local site one recommended Sulfur as well. I was borderline high at 7.2ph. I’ve been using Martin Disper-sul. It does require a lot to bring down. I’ve been adding it to the yard periodically. I’ll be curious to see the dent I made if any on my PH next spring when I do another soil sample.
@@AUav8r05 hopefully you'll see a change. It wouldn't make sense for you to be consistently applying sulphur and the pH not going lower.
Ron Henry agreed.. I’m just not expecting a huge point drop. I guess we will see how it turns out. Yard is improving so all of these things are working together well so far.
@@AUav8r05 good deal. As long as it's also visually looking better, I'd say you're good to go.
Ron, I wanted to point out that the Sulfur (referred to as sulfate sulfur) in Ammonium sulfate is not the same as elemental sulfur which is used to lower ph. Ammonium Sulfate does have an effect of lowering ph but I believe those effects are more temporary and is actually cause by the Ammonium. Elemental sulfur is broken down over time by the bacteria in the soil to form sulfuric acid, which is what has a more permanent PH lowering effect.
Great point about elemental sulphur having a more permanent lowering effect. To your point it takes longer to break down in comparison to ammonium. I suppose in a perfect world, you'd apply both to get both short and long term results. I wanted to keep the video short and simple though so viewers wouldn't get confused. Either product can be used for lowering pH with pretty good results.
Ron Henry I would agree applying both makes sense with a high ph. I’ve read that elemental sulfur doesn’t work as well once your ph gets to a high 7 or 8. So you have to bring it down other ways (Ammonium Sulfate or spraying citric acid) to help the sulfur work. But I’m guessing you don’t worry much about a high ph in Georgia. Ha
@@scotsthrower Elemental sulfur or acidic irrigation is about the only way to lower high PH in clay soils in an affordable manner. Other methods are actually more costly and/or more damaging if not slower. When PH gets into the 8s or higher in heavy clay calcium carbonate soils the issue is that it may take 100s of lbs per 1000 ft of pure elemental sulfur to lower PH to the appropriate levels. Some heavy clay soils have thousands of parts per million of calcium so it eventually would take tons of sulfur or sulfuric acid to lower the PH and those of us with established lawns can only apply 10 lbs per 1000 ft per year without causing turf damage. If we irrigate with water with a PH of 8 obviously the PH is going to slowly climb up anyway. For these reasons I'd skip trying to amend soils if your soil PH is higher than 7.5 maybe 8 and you have high calcium carbonate heavy clay soil. Grow a local grass that can live with that soil. Some consider adding peat moss (ph around 4) and working it in to the soil, top dressing with black dirt or adding organic matter to amend the clay soil first but some may never get there through just sulfur or similar products.
Good points Ron on soil Ph...its very important. ANOTHER GREAT INFORMATIVE VIDEO 👍🏽
Thanks Wize Guy. 👍I appreciate it!
Great video and timely! Was just working on a video for my soil test. My Bermuda is on the line for high, so great reminder of things to consider.
Glad it was helpful Lawn Shark. You're applying some kind of sulphur to you lawn to lower your soil's pH?
Ron Henry I will be. Just going over results for the next video.
Good deal. 👍😎
Another great video. Thanks, Ron.
Thanks so much for watching Sheril. I really appreciate it. 👍😎
@@RonHenry I enjoy all your videos, even if they don't pertain to my current situation.
Thanks so much. 😎
Thanks Ron, it really helped me and gave me lots of info
Absolute legend
Glad it helped Daniel. I really appreciate you watching sir.
Great information in this video!! I know this video is from August but I had a couple questions. I got my soil test done last month and my PH is low at 4.25. My lawn is 5000 sq ft so I picked up the Pennington lime from Home Depot and if I read it correctly it said if PH was in 0-5 range & mine was 4.25 that it will take about 24lbs per 1000 instead of the normal 30 pound bag for a 5000 lawn. So roughly I needed 120 pounds for my 5000 lawn since my ph was 4.25. So at 30 pounds per bag I put down 4 bags last month. I see everything starting to green up with my Tall Turf Fescue here in VA but still lagging a little bit. I was wondering if I should put down another round of the lime at the 30 day mark to get the PH a bit higher. I know some would use the regular basic lime a couple times in the spring like 1 app of lime then 30 days another app of lime but didn't know if I should hold off till summer or not with this kind of Pennington lime.
Hi DeeJay Busta B. You absolutely can put down more lime. Would you mind sending me your soil test results? ron@golfcourselawn.com Want to make sure you're using the correct lime for your soil. Thanks for watching the content sir. I appreciate the support.
@@RonHenry WOW that was fast!! Sure I'll send it over to your email in a few min. Thanks!!
No problem at all sir. Happy to help.
Another great video Ron. I got results from my soil test and my pH came back 5.95. Most all nutrients came back optimal with the exception of Iron 1.04 and Boron 0.05 which were low. P 11.26, K 77.53, Mg 71.67 and Mn 12.02 were slightly high. I have had a lot of rain here in Alabama but I do have regular watering with irrigation. My bermuda lawn is not thickening up or filling in bare spots. Should I add some lime to raise pH? What would you recommend? Thank you.
Hi Jeff. 5.95 really isn't bad. Adding a bit of lime won't hurt, but I doubt that's the reason your lawn isn't thickening up. Getting Bermuda to grow in thick is mainly a function of frequent mowing at heights of 1.5" or lower. That promotes much thicker turf. Good job on getting a soil test done btw. Hope this helps.
how long does it take to bring up your pH level ? my pH is 4.7 I put down 5/50 lb bags of lime for 5000 sqft of Bermuda. plus my phosphorus level is very high . I'm really concerned my sod is not gonna make it ?? great video
You'll typically see improvement within a few months. I'd measure again in January and apply more lime if necessary.
Good info Ron. Of the two main lime sources (Dolomitic and Calcic) the determination of which one to use also depends on the Magnesium levels and the ratios with calcium present. For a good Calcic limestone product, I can recommend Solu-Cal. It is also noteworthy that the pH levels constantly fluctuate. As long as it's around 6.2-6.5 you should be great. I have also experienced turf burn when applying sulfur containing materials. Caution would be advised... along with post-application waterings.
Great points Richard. I didn't cover the individual lime types for soil amendments. Thanks for the Solu-Cal recommendation. Do you find that a heavy watering along with the sulphur application reduces turf burn? So far with my lawn I've been fortunate enough that I've only had to apply lime so far.
@@RonHenry My pH here was 5.3 so lime was required. My sulfur / turf experiences were in Florida where some pH values were 8.5 - 9.0. Thorough waterings helped after the elemental Sulfur apps.
@@richardgleason5953 thanks again. I know every lawn responds differently but as far as raising your pH from 5.3 into the low 6s do you find that applying at bag rate raises the levels enough? I know it's a difficult question to answer.
@@RonHenry Great question Ron. I'm having an issue here along those lines. My pH was 5.3 and both the Ca and Mg levels were low. I applied Dolomite at the rate of 55# per 100 s.f. in late February of 2020. Theoretically, this should raise the pH about one unit to the 6.3 range. Normally, it's a slow reaction, and may take up to one year or longer. I did a follow up soil test a couple of weeks ago (mid July). Supposedly, the pH rose to 7.3 in about 5 months time. The Ca and Mg levels rose to satisfactory levels, and the Ca/ Mg ratio was pretty good at about 6.2 / 1. I'm just not comfortable with the readings from the UGa Soils Lab. They use the MEHLICH I EXTRACTANT methodology. I have also sent in soil to Clemson to see their results (however, I do not know if their methodology is the same as UGa, so a comparison may be invalid). Additionally, there are still some algae and moss issues which are indicative of a low pH. I'm also fighting light levels, and have removed three trees and raised canopy levels up. I will overseed this fall with a blend of creeping red fescue, KBG and perennial rye. Maybe next year will bring better results... if I don't croak first! LOL This turf stuff can be perplexing at times.
Thanks for the feedback Richard. It’s wild that the levels rose that quickly. As far as testing method, are you collecting samples from various parts of the lawn just to ensure that one area isn’t skewing your results?
I can totally see how chasing the perfect pH could have you pulling your hair out. I’m realizing more and more than lawn care at a high level is a blend of science and art. The appearance of the lawn can tell you a lot.
Thanks for the video!!! I got my soil test back and half of my front yard is 6.0 and the other half is 5.0. Is it okay to lime during the summer? Most recommend Fall and Winter but I want my green up now, lol
Thanks again for sharing your knowledge!!
Hi chirsdadda. Yep. No issue with applying lime now. It will help move you soil pH in the right direction. Let me know if I can help answer anything else. 😎👍
@@RonHenry I'm going to the Depot today. I was researching this type of lime. It says that 1 bag is equal to 5 bags of regular lime. I think I will apply a light amount in stages and see how the grass responds.
@@chrisdadda nice Chris. It's good stuff. Should be just what you need to raise the soil pH. One bag covers quite a bit of square footage. Applying at the specified rate should work out well.
Ron, just got MySoil results today, and have 5.04 ph.
Live in KC, transition zone, with Zoysia and some weak stuff in the shade thats wispy, thin, and brown/tan.
How often do you put calcitic lime down? Like, can i put it down now, wait another month and hit it again the end of Sep (zoysia goes dormant in Oct, greens up in early May)? Then get a soil test again in the spring, or in late fall after 2nd application of lime, if that's not too soon?
Thx, i enjoy the content and thorough explanations.
You can apply i now if you want ImHoTep. I wouldn't do more than 40 lbs per 1k at any given time. At 5.04 it's going to take a while to move pH up. Nothing stopping you from starting the improvement process now.
My PH is at 7.29, but my sulfur is high as well, is at 37.99, will the ammonium sulfate affect my lawn?
You can use this to lower soil pH amzn.to/3oj9L1D
I am wondering if Ironite (iron sulfate) would be a quick fix to lower pH vs. elemental sulfur or in your case the ammonium sulfate.
I would use this Stewie: amzn.to/3W5OZPi
How you doing Ron, huge fan, so I took your advice about getting a soil test done and got my results back. I'm low on nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium. The recommendations is a 18-24-12 fertilizer is there any particular brand you would recommend??
Heya Rodney. If you can find Lesco or Andersons 18-24-12 locally, that'd be a great choice. Alternatively, you can get it here: amzn.to/3gkvWxn For a lawn that needs a bit of everything, it's a good choice for an 18-24-12. Thanks for watching the content sir. Appreciate the support.
Thanks, grabbed a bag of lesco from home depot today.
@@rodneyreid4844 Good deal Rodney.
Hi Ron, question for you and hoping you can share some insight. I have Kentucky glue grass and my soil ranges from 5.5 to 6. I noticed that some areas of my lawn are not growing as fast and thick as others. I have added lime already this spring. but i read that adding baking soda to your lawn can help increase the PH levels faster. Is there real truth to this and is it safe for my KBG? Thank you. Paul
I would stick to lime elqwan. Depending on the amount of sunlight and other factors, some areas can take longer than others to grow in. Just a time thing.
Thanks for the info! Great video!
Glad it was helpful!
Hi Ron, I would like to ask in your opinion, what is the best way to eliminate some small flying insects that I have on my lawn?
Hmmmm. I guess it depends on the type of flying insect Evelio. You could use one of those plug-in bug zappers. It’s difficult to answer without know which insect you’re trying to eliminate.
Ron Henry I’m will do
@@evelioalmeida1646 something like this: amzn.to/3h1O0KH
Well done, great video, you know your stuff
Thanks for watching Rick! I appreciate it.
My spring rest was like pH so I did a lime app. I was planning to foil test again next spring because I’ve heard many times it’s not accurate while your actively applying apps. Although not sure pH would be impacted. How often do you soil test?
Hi Lawn Journeys. I typically test twice per season. I'll do my next soil test next month. pH can usually be fixed in a growing season if you apply enough of the correct product.
Just received my soil sample results and they recommend a dolomitic lime application. The pH level is 5.8. Can you explain dolomitic lime. I have a Bermuda lawn and located in middle TN Thanks.
Hi Les. If your soil also needs magnesium in addition to raising soil pH levels then dolomitic lime is a good option since it contains magnesium. If you don't need magnesium, then find a more calcitic lime. The Pennington lime I show in the video will work in your case. amzn.to/2PTPwCA Let me know if I can help with anything else.
Hey Ron. If using a liquid sulfur would you recommend watering the lawn afterwards?
I’ve never applied liquid sulphur to my lawn. What does the label call for?
@@RonHenry it doesn't state if you need to water it in. It's call Soil Sul liquid sulfur for lawns
Hey Ron. I found out I have a high PH level but but I am also high in sulfur. Any suggestions?
Heya Jon D. You can use citric acid of elemental sulfate to lower pH over time. I wouldn't worry too much about the higher sulfur levels. You can bag your clippings to reduce levels over time but you're also going to be lower all other nutrient levels along with sulfur. I personally wouldn't worry about it.
@@RonHenry Sounds good. Thank you. I live in a desert so we have very sandy soil. The sulfur comes naturally with sandy soil. Thanks again.
Another good informative video, Ron. Thanks!! I recently got the results of my soil test. I’m low in pH (4.99). I plan to over seed with tall fescue in the fall. I have two questions:
1) Should I wait to apply the lime when I over-seed in the fall (Approx October) or can it be done now?
2) The area that I plan to over seed is about 20% weeds and the rest is dirt. If I applied Round Up now to kill the weeds would that hinder the over seeding in October?
Hi D Tisdale. You can apply lime now. With your plan to overseed in October, I'd do all I reasonably can to improve soil health. I'm really not a fan of round up on areas you're trying to grow turf grass. It's not supposed to nuke the soil for much more than a few weeks, but I've also seen situations where the grass hasn't grown properly for an entire season after spraying with round up.
Hello Ron. Good morning. My pH is 4.5. How often do I need to put lime down? I am in NJ area
I'd apply every 2 - 3 months for the first year. It's going to take several applications to raise levels.
@@RonHenry Thank you for letting me know. Your chanel is very helpful.
Ron, I heard citric acid is also a good way to lower PH? If so how long would I have to wait to reseed after applying citric acid ?
Yes Steve M. Citric acid can be used as well. Applying citric acid shouldn't affect your ability to seed your lawn this fall. Soilab has a great video on using citric acid to lower pH: ruclips.net/video/CESZuovODmc/видео.html Hope this helps.
@@RonHenry thanks Ron! It was a great video, just wanted to make sure I wouldn’t burn my seeds when I put them down in a week.
I use the Pennington lime. Not sure if it's working. There's a lot of moss in my shady area, and I've heard moss is a sign the soil is too acidic. Hope I'm right.
Hi Eric. It should help with the moss. Have you done a soil test as yet? www.mysoiltesting.com/shop?aff=11 Moss is often a sign of low soil pH. In addition to adding lime, you might consider, Scott's MossEX product. It's very effective against moss too. amzn.to/3awEYTG Let me know if I can help with anything else.
@@RonHenry thanks for the product recommendation. I'll try that. I've killed and raked a lot. Yet even after the lime application, the moss is coming back. I suspect it's snuffing out my Bermuda.
@@throatoysters MossEX should help knock the moss back. Is there anything you reasonably do to reduce the amount of shade?
@@RonHenry to answer your earlier question: yes. I've done a soil test. Poor soil, overall. Ph is low, but not far from the ideal zone. As for shade: that's hard. The houses are close to each other. Plus my neighbor has a high fence. In the morning, the shadow of my house shades that area. Then there's a small break with direct sunlight. Then the neighbor's fence shades it again. I might use Zeon zoysia in the shaded area to see it that helps. It can grow short, with fine blades like Bermuda. Plus it needs less sunlight.
Changing the grass might be your best bet Eric. Bermuda is going to have trouble doing well in the environment you described.
Hi Ron, have you ever tried Liquid Lime with 62% ECC?
Hey Black Horse. No I haven’t. I’ve only used granular lime.
What dose calcium carbonate will not harm standing crop? Or is it possible to increase the ph during cropping?
What kind of crop Nikiru War? I apply lime to increase soil pH while the lawn is growing. No problem with doing that.
@@RonHenry ginger, what dose please?
@@nikiruwar2987 Do you know what your pH currently is? It might already be fine. If not, I'd suggest doing a soil test, since that will tell us how much lime to apply if any. golfcourselawn.store/products/mysoil-starter-pack Hope this helps.
@@RonHenry 4.9ph required ph is 6.0 - 6.5ph
In that case, start with 20lbs per 1000 square feet.
is that golf grass, what type of grass is that?
would like that grass as im out of az
It's Bermuda red4ever1776
Elemental sulfur is what I used to drop my pH from a 8! Very hard to break down but really the only way to really drop soil PH ( soil amending) not plant available sulfur
Thanks for sharing your experience Camilo. How long did it take for you to get your pH levels where you wanted them?
@@RonHenry about 2 years... But gonna confirm with another soil sample this spring still need a lot of (K) been applying potassium sulfate all year to help that still find pieces of it every once in awhile in the grass. They make better more water soluble sulfur than I applied
@@camiloovalle2069 thanks. 2 years for a major soil improvement isn't too bad.
@@RonHenry yes Sir very small yard and a lot of Sulfur
Nice. Glad you got a good result.
Thanks for the info 👍🏾
Very welcome Maceo. Let me know if there's anything else. :-)
Can I add lime to my yard anytime of the year
Hi Ronald. Yes. Most people with warm season lawns do it in the fall but that's not really a requirement / restriction. Hope this helps.
@@RonHenry thanks Ron. I like your information
How do you fix moss in your yard , I’m from Massachusetts
Hi Matthew. In addition to fixing the soil pH (raising it) you can try a product like Scott's MossEX: amzn.to/3h1sIwM
Ron Henry thank you so much! And when should I put it down or can I put it down any time of the year
@@mattfraser2136 you can apply it now. Whenever the moss is actively growing which it sounds like it is in your case. For best results, I'd apply it in the morning when the lawn is wet from dew. Can reapply in another 3 or 4 weeks if needed.
Moss thrives in acidic soil...so you would want to raise the PH towards making your soil more optimal to make the turf thrive instead
@@FrankieKennethL agreed. Definitely work on fixing your soil pH Matthew. MossEX is a great product but the moss will keep coming back until the underlying issue is taken care. Low pH is definitely a contributing factor.
How long will take the lime to take a place?
I’ve seen pH movement in a few months KD kD. It depends on your soil and how much lime you’re applying. Thanks for watching.
@@RonHenry it will be the first time for 2600 Sq and the acid is 5.0!
does citric acid help in lowering pH?
It does lower soil pH Kevin but I don't personally know anyone that's used it. Most people I know use some type of sulphur to lower pH. If you decide to go the citric acid route, let me know how it works out for you.
That Greenway biotech stuff works great! I did a review on that product earlier this year, great price per application. Still need to do a follow-up soil test again to see where I'm at now. Before I applied that stuff I had a pH of 8!
Thanks for sharing your experience DIY Dad
Do you wanna get decked?
Good stuff. Thanks
Thanks David. Hope all is well with you sir.
My ph is 5.4 so I need to put down a good amount of lime to adjust ph
Hi Elder. I'd start with bag rate and see how the pH levels respond. You don't want to go so heavy that you end up moving the soil pH to alkaline levels.
Advice noted and appreciated!!! Thanks
No problem Elder! 😎
How long will take the lime to take a place?
Low = Lime
High = Sun /Sulphate
That's it!
oh dude your early what part of Ga you live ?
Northeast GA. In the Gainesville area. 😎👍
@@RonHenry i live in the metro area
@@margaritabrown3348 very cool. So not too far away. Anything under 90 minutes in the Atlanta area is *close* :-D
my soil test revealed that I have low sulfur and low ph. I'm a bit confused as to the remedy
Hi James. If your pH is levels are low, you'll want to add lime to soil. I'd focus on fixing pH before adjusting sulphur levels.
@@RonHenry I should have added the actual levels the PH is 5.23 and sulfur 2.89. also k is 29.72
@W Jack I agree. Fixing pH should be the primary goal. How pH goes, the lawn health goes.
No problem James. We definitely need to add lime to your lawn. The Pennington product should work well in your situation. amzn.to/3kJY1yu Let me know if I can help with anything else.
@@jamesandrews8469 with a pH of 5.23, we need to get some lime into your lawn to get those levels up. Focus on the pH instead of the current sulphur levels. Once we fix pH, it'll be interesting to see the sulphur levels land.
My Ph in too hight over 7.5 how can I reduce it
Thanks
Hi KD kD. You can use citric acid or elemental sulfur to reduce pH. Here's a great video by Soilab, explaining several options. ruclips.net/video/9YBz2ctdSds/видео.html&t Sorry for the delayed response.
Hey Ron m, you're sweating. Why Ron?
Heya Will I. It was hot outside that day. :-)
👌🏽
Thanks Charlene!