Healthy Soil Means a Healthy Lawn!

/

Guest blogger Ali Drew

Did you know that healthy soil means a healthy lawn? Healthy soil is vital for thick, strong grass. Healthy soil is rich in organic matter, earthworms, air, water & nutrients.

 
dew-1867519_960_720.jpg
 

How do you create healthy soil?

  • When creating new lawn:

    • Add organic matter, like compost, to your existing soil by tilling or turning a layer of it into your existing soil.

    • Then rake the soil so it is smooth and will drain properly, and then scatter the grass seed or lay the sod grass.

  • For existing lawn, you can top dress with compost by spreading about a 1/4 inch of compost right over the grass and then gently raking in.

Don’t forget to test your soil!

It’s good to test your soil every so often to see what it needs for nutrients and organic matter - this will help you choose the best compost, and amount of compost, to add to your soil!

How do you maintain healthy soil?

  • Aerate your lawn at least once per year. “Aeration perforates the soil with small holes to allow air, water and nutrients to penetrate the grass roots. This helps the roots grow deeply and produce a stronger, more vigorous lawn” (Briggs & Stratton).

  • Introduce earthworms to your soil! Simply by adding organic matter to your soil, you create an environment that earthworms will be attracted to and thrive in. If there are no earthworms present you can actually purchase them from local worm farms or from online sources. 

 
earthworm-686593_1920.jpg
 

How do you maintain healthy lawn grass?

  • Mow regularly and mow "high" (3+ inches for cool season grasses).

  • Let the clippings stay on the lawn as they naturally recycle fertilizer nutrients.

  • Regularly watering your lawn maintains healthy grass & soil life. As you build the organic matter in your soil, you’re actually increasing its water-holding capacity, which means you won’t need to water as much! As your soil health improves, and the turf roots grow deeper, they also have more access to moisture and nutrients. Over time your lawn will look better and be easier to maintain.

For more information see Lawn to Lake’s Raise the Blade Campaign and Wilson Bros Gardens.