Lawn not responding to fertiliser - incorrect soil pH (2024)

FAQs

Lawn not responding to fertiliser - incorrect soil pH? ›

One of the main causes of lawn not responding to fertiliser is the pH level or your soil being too high or too low. In order for the lawn roots to take in nutrients the soils pH needs to be between 6 and 7. Anything outside of this and the lawn will struggle to absorb the goodness from fertilisers.

Often the key is to just release enough of the fertilizer to stimulate growth, and this amount can be difficult to gauge. Cutting the grass too short or cutting it with a dull blade can send the roots into shock, which can inhibit growth and thin out the grass over time. Leave 70 percent of the blades with each mowing.

If your soil is too acidic, spread granulated lime, this will break down during the winter and colder weather and raise the pH balance when the temperature rises slightly. Calcium lime granules provide an easy solution to fix your soil if it is too acidic.

Applications of lime or sulphur are typically needed when your soil is suffering from an unbalanced pH level. If you have thin, discolored turf that does not grow very well, unbalanced pH may be at play.

If your lawn has a high pH level, it is likely to be unhealthy, and the grass and other plants might not grow properly. The pH of your soil is a general indicator stating lawns' acidity and alkalinity. Higher pH means more alkaline, which is unhealthy for your plants.

How to Repair Burned Grass from Fertilizer. Burned lawns will need a generous amount of water to get back to green. It's important to water your lawn as soon as you spot any brown or yellow patches to prevent further damage. Slowly soak the affected areas every day for about a week to fully flush out the salt.

Certain fertilizers have concentrated salts that can cause burns on your lawn or other signs of damage like wilting or dying grass. Burns might occur if you apply too much fertilizer to your lawn, if there is little moisture due to weather, or if you use specific fertilizers.

After using lime, baking soda is the best way to increase the pH in soil, plus it is one of the easiest, fastest, and most cost-effective methods. Baking soda is also a very gentle method, so you do not need to worry about harming your plants.

Lowering the pH is a slow process and will take 1-2 years to see a reaction. Sodium sulfate is then leached out of the soil by rainfall or heavy irrigations. The removal of sodium lowers the sodium permeability hazard allowing for soil aggregation and improved drainage.

If your soil pH is too low, add lime or wood ash to raise it. If your soil pH is too high, add organic materials, sulfur, or aluminum sulfide to lower it. Till the soil and mix the material of your choice into the topsoil. Continue watering the soil and re-check the pH levels as needed.

What fertilizer lowers pH in lawns? ›

Elemental sulfur. Elemental sulfur is the top dog when it comes to acidifying your lawn. It produces two hydrogen reactions when mixed with soil, which causes the pH to decrease. However, it can harm your grass in high amounts.

Some people say Epsom salt will make soil more acidic because of its sulfur content, but field tests usually show it has miniscule to no effect on pH. Unless you really overdo it, you probably won't do any plant damage by adding the suggested amounts of Epsom salt.

Nitrate-based fertilizers have no acidification potential and actually can increase soil pH as one H⁺ ion is absorbed by the plant (or OH⁻ excreted) in the uptake of nitrate.

The cheapest way to lower the soil pH is to add elemental sulfur to the soil. Soil bacteria change the sulfur to sulfuric acid, lowering the soil pH.

Bermudagrass or Zoysia grass, which both tolerate higher soil pH and salinity, are better choices in such areas.

Since peat moss is acidic, it has the effect of reducing pH levels in alkaline soils.

One possibility is that you might have applied either too much or too little fertilizer, or perhaps you used it at the wrong time.

Applying too much fertilizer to your lawn will cause the nitrogen and salt levels in the soil to increase rapidly, which can damage or even kill the grass. When this happens, it is known as “fertilizer burn” and looks like yellow and brown strips or patches of dead grass.

You've Watered after Fertilizing — Now What? After this initial watering, avoid watering your lawn for a couple days so the nutrients can settle in. Then, return to your regular lawn-watering schedule, and remember these tips: Don't water every day.