Earth Day 2013
As a homeowner, have you ever wondered the best, most strategic way to grow an environmentally friendly lawn? Now that today is Earth Day, let’s focus on some integral points to attaining this high level landscaping goal. Homeowners can reduce their carbon footprint and water usage this Earth Day by planting an environmentally friendly lawn!
Ironically enough, typical homeowners’ yards are not eco-friendly due to variables like water inefficiencies and lawn mower pollution. To keep lawns green, Americans are using more than 7 billion gallons of water per day, roughly 60 gallons per household according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). When renovating to a water-efficient lawn, the EPA states, each household can reduce their outdoor water use by up to 50%. Nearly every homeowner desires and deserves and attractive and green-efficient lawn because these are features which most enhance the appearance of the average home grounds. Healthy, attractive lawns are not made by accident but are the direct result of regularly maintained and executed maintenance programs. This applies to the soil as well as to the turf grass itself.
In the Mid-Atlantic, turf will not grow well, full of vigor in highly acidic soils. Since most soils in the Mid-Atlantic are acid by nature, well established lawns even require applications of liming. Lime is a compound of calcium or calcium magnesium and is capable of counteracting the harmful effects of an acidic soil on turfs. Acidic soils are commonly referred to as “sour,” whereas alkaline soils are called “sweet.” The reaction of soils is measured by the quantity of hydrogen (-H) ions in the soil which is expressed by numerical units numbered between 1 and 14, with 7 being neutral, according to West Virginia University Extension Service.
Lime pH
In the Mid-Atlantic, soil reactions may vary between pH 4.0 and pH 7.0. Soils with a reaction of less than pH 7.0 are acid and those with a reaction greater than pH 7.0 are alkaline. Most lawn grasses perform best at a reaction between pH 6.5 and pH 7.0.
All soils have a pH reading. pH is the degree of acidity of your soil and can range from 0 to 14. Here at Green Lawn Fertilizing we like to see soils right around 7.0 which is neutral. Soils below 7.0 become more acidic due to both human and natural activities. Here in the Northeastern United States, rainfall removes calcium and magnesium and replaces them with acidic ions leaving our soil in the acidic zone on the scale.
This Earth Day, Green Lawn Fertilizing is offering free soil pH testing. Your Green Lawn technician will test your soil pH for FREE to determine the amount of lime and number of applications needed to properly balance your pH. We use granular limestone to reduce the dusty residue that is common with the powdered lime. These granular are held together with a water-soluble substance that dissolves quickly when wet to allow it to absorb deep into your soil. Green Lawn Fertilizing is also offering, for a limited time, other Special Offers—only available on our website! To get your hassle-free Lawn Care Analysis call today!