As a homeowner, you may wonder what you can do to keep your lawn green and beautiful. There are several different lawn treatments that people swear by, though they may not be the right treatments for your lawn. So, how can you know what your lawn needs? A good place to start is by figuring out your lawn's pH. There are simple pH tests, which you can perform by collecting a small sample of soil from your lawn. Grass grows well at a slightly acidic level, usually between 6.2 and 7. Interestingly, there seems to be a bell curve effect on how grass is affected by having a pH that is too high or too low. The effects on either side of the ideal range are actually quite similar.  A pH that is too low or too high will not yield healthy results, such as the following.

Slightly Too Acidic or Too Alkaline

Grass that is only slightly off the desired pH will just not be a great color. Most of the time it will be very yellow-green. Generally, you simply add lime to raise the pH of your lawn, while you can add sulfur to lower it. How much you add will depend on how off your levels are. 

Moderately Too Acidic or Too Alkaline

If your grass is very acidic (3.5-5.5) or very alkaline (8.5-10) it will likely start to grow a lot of weeds instead of grass. If you can't seem to get your dandelions and crabgrass under control, that should be a sign to you that the pH of your lawn is off. Correcting it will likely be just what you need to finally get rid of them once and for all. 

Extremely Too Acidic or Alkaline

Grass that is extremely acidic (less than 3) or extremely alkaline (greater than 10) will likely just be dead. You obviously have a lot of work cut out for you, though beginning with correcting the pH through different fertilizers and treatments will be a great start. 

In conclusion, the pH of your lawn really does matter. It will have a direct effect on how the grass grows, looks, and feels. Instead of just hoping that whatever lawn treatment you apply will solve the problem, do your research. If you are still unable to figure out what your lawn needs, call a lawn treatment service in your area to help you. Professionals have the skills, know-how, and tools to make almost any lawn look incredible through regular lawn treatments.