Do you have a lawn that’s struggling? Is it plagued with thin areas or maybe discoloration? If your lawn constantly seems to be in poor shape and never appears to be making improvements, you could have a lawn soil problem that needs to be addressed.
A lot of homeowners don’t realize that the “root” of their problem is below the surface! The truth is, if you don’t have great soil, your lawn is never going to reach its full potential. That even means that the efforts you’re employing now might be a waste of time and money.
Although you might be feeling frustrated, take heart that you can fix lawn soil. But it comes down to figuring out exactly what’s going on.
Let’s look at how you can improve lawn soil at your Memphis, TN, or Northern MS home.
As we mentioned, the process of how to fix lawn soil really does begin with a proper diagnosis. If you don’t know what’s going on in your soil’s chemistry, you can’t begin to make meaningful changes.
That’s where a lawn soil test can come into play.
A soil test is a high-level analysis of your soil’s makeup. It’s performed by pulling multiple cores of soil from various areas of the lawn and having them analyzed by a lab. The results will include your soil pH and your soil’s nutrient make-up (the amount of phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen). 
A lot of folks are surprised to hear that their soil health can be completely different from that of their neighbors. But this is why it’s important to figure out what’s going on at the subsurface level.
Based on the results of a soil test, we can make adjustments to the soil’s conditions to help improve the lawn soil as well.
Generally speaking, the soil here in Memphis, TN, and Northern MS is known for struggling with acidity. This means that the soil pH is likely to run on the low side. This particular issue can be corrected with the proper application of limestone with magnesium and calcium. 
The application of limestone with magnesium and calcium is included in all of our lawn care programs.
In addition, we can also correct soil fertility concerns. The fact is, lawns use up nutrients a lot faster than homeowners tend to realize. Your soil can become depleted in a surprisingly short amount of time. But lawn fertilizer treatments can help replace what was lost.
Fertilizer provides your lawn with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are called the lawn’s “primary nutrients.” Each has an important role in your lawn’s overall health. While nitrogen helps make your grass blades grow and spread, phosphorus helps to increase your lawn’s root growth. Meanwhile, potassium plays a vital role in disease resistance. Together, when in the proper balance, your lawn can begin to reach its full potential.
Of course, it could be a soil composition problem that your lawn is also struggling with. When it comes to how to fix lawn soil, you must also consider whether you could be dealing with compaction.
A problem like this can become apparent while trying to perform a soil test. If it’s difficult to get the soil probes into the soil, then you might be dealing with compaction. You can perform a simple “test” on this yourself. If you can’t stick a screwdriver easily into your soil, then it may be compacted.
The trouble with compacted soil is that it will cause your lawn to struggle with receiving the nutrients, water, and oxygen it needs to thrive.
The solution to compacted soil is a lawn aeration service. 
Lawn aeration is the process of making small holes throughout your lawn by pulling soil plugs (also called “cores”) and depositing them on the lawn where they will naturally decompose. This allows your lawn to “breathe.” By doing so, you ensure a favorable environment for your root system to be able to develop and grow.
Healthier roots mean a healthier lawn!
It’s important to note that if you start a lawn fertilization program but don’t address soil compaction, those nutrients are just going to sit atop the soil instead of penetrating down to the subsurface level where they’re needed. In order to get the most out of a lawn care program, it’s ideal that you’re also receiving lawn aeration.
This service is included in our Platinum Lawn Care Program.
There’s no question that soil problems can be the culprit behind some of the lawn problems you’re experiencing—particularly if you feel as though you’ve tried everything but nothing is working. However, there are other non-soil issues that can also be at the heart of your lawn problems. These can include disease, insects, or even environmental stressors.
That’s why it’s so important to have a lawn care professional on your property regularly, analyzing what’s going on.
This is the best way to be proactive and to get ahead of problems before they become potentially serious. A professional can determine if you have a soil problem or if it’s something else entirely. Oftentimes, there can be more than one issue occurring at once.
With a lawn care expert on your side, you’ll no longer have to worry about what’s wrong with your lawn. Instead, all you’ll have to do is enjoy the benefit of having an amazing lawn that looks and performs its best because a professional is handling any problems that might arise.
Ready to hand your worries over to the best lawn care company in Memphis? Talk to a lawn care expert, choose from 3 program options, and become the master of your lawn.
Image Sources: Soil pH meter
