Before you begin planting your new lawn, you want to take the necessary actions to create your new soil as healthy as possible so that plants and grasses will have the ability to grow healthily. Here are eight steps to get your soil ready for planting.
Decide how big your yard will be
This is the first step and is quite important, as many areas of lawn maintenance require this information. Get a measuring tape and figure out the size of your lawn.
Do a soil test
Send a soil sample to a soil test laboratory for testing. The result is considerably more accurate. Basically, you will need to understand the soil composition and its pH level, which vary from 1 to 14. The pH level measure how acidic or alkaline your soil is and for many soil, a pH level of 6.5 to 7.0 is deemed ideal and balanced.
Adjusting your soil pH
Most of the time, your new soil pH is very likely to be off balance. If the test result showed that it’s more acidic, you may add limestone to decrease the acidity. On the other hand, if it’s too alkaline, you may add sulfur to bring the soil back into equilibrium.
Improve your soil texture
If your soil is too sandy, it won’t have the capacity to keep water very well. On the other hand, clay soil will have the ability to keep water very well but because of poor aeration, the water takes a lengthy time to reach the main level. The perfect soil type is loamy that provide good aeration and water retention capacity. You may add organic matters like compost to change the texture of your soil. Organic matters can help loosen and aerate clay soil. They can also help improve the water holding capacity of sandy soil.
Add natural starter fertilizer
A starter fertilizer is one that you’ve got to work in the soil prior to planting. It’s normally higher in phosphorous than nitrogen and will assist the root system to be established from the soil. Adding more phosphorous at this stage is appropriate as phosphorous doesn’t move in the soil with water readily. However, if your soil test indicate that there’s already enough phosphorous from the soil, it is possible to switch to a different fertilizer with a higher nitrogen concentration.
Dig them into the soil
Once you spread the organic things, the sulfur or lime and starter fertilizer, you’ll need to use a rototiller to dig these stuffs to the top four to six inches of the ground. Dig in a crisscross pattern, which guarantee that all of the materials will be well integrated into the soil. This digging pattern breaks up dirt clods and large clumps so that your soil is smooth and well aerated.
Level the soil
It is possible to use a rake to create your dirt smooth and even. You need to get the dirt to the perfect amount for sowing seeds or laying sod. If you would like to sow seeds, the soil should be on exactly the exact same level as your encompassing walk trails or edging. If you’re taking the sod route, make certain that the soil level is about 1 inch lower to accommodate the sod thickness.
Pull the rake in a back and forth fashion over a specified place until the soil seems smooth. Then flip the rake over and try to make the soil simpler. As you rake, proceed backward in order to don’t leave your footprint on the new ground.
Let the weeds grow
There might be weed seeds on your new soil today. Water the new soil and allow the weeds grow. Once the weeds seem, uproot them so they will dry out and die. You might need to do these a few time but this procedure will greatly reduce the amount of weeds growing in your yard in the future.
All new lawns start with healthy soil. Apply and refine these eight steps to receive your new land ready for planting and you’ll have a lush and green yard in the immediate future.
