Is your soil alkaline, acidic or neutral? In this case, let’s dig deeper into what it means for your soil to be alkaline. 

Let’s start at the beginning, what is pH? pH is a gauge of the hydrogen concentration in a substance. pH is measured on a scale of 1-14 with 7 as the neutral mark. pHs of 1-6 are acidic, while pHs of 8-10 are alkaline. The pH of acidic soil is raised by adding lime and the pH of alkaline soil is lowered by adding sulfur. 

Sometimes alkaline soil can be referred to as sweet and has a pH of more than 7. Alkaline soil can typically be found in areas with little rain fall such as desert areas. Soil could also become more alkaline due to lime in hard water. Alkaline soil contains heavy amounts of sodium, calcium and magnesium. It can lead to stunted growth and nutrient deficiency in plants. pH can be lowered to create less alkaline soil by adding sulfur. pH can be raised to create more alkaline soil by adding lime. 

Several weeds thrive in alkaline soil. If certain weeds pop up, it could signal that the soil is alkaline. Weeds that grow in alkaline soil include Dandelions, Chickweed, Goosefoot & Queen Anne’s Lace.

Some vegetables & flowers also thrive with slightly alkaline soil. These include Asparagus, Okra, Cucumbers, Zinnias, Hostas & Lavender. 

If you are curious about what your soil’s pH there are several DIY testing kits available at home & garden stores. You could also have a soil sample sent off to a lab for the most precise reading. We also offer free soil testing and yearly pH testing here at Turf Boss!

Give us a call at (864) 777-8873 with any questions!

By: Hannah Raines
​Copyright Turf Boss 2022

Is your soil alkaline, acidic or neutral? In this case, let’s dig deeper into what it means for your soil to be acidic. 

Let’s start at the beginning, what is pH? pH is a gauge of the hydrogen concentration in a substance. pH is measured on a scale of 1-14 with 7 as the neutral mark. pHs of 1-6 are acidic, while pHs of 8-10 are alkaline. The pH of acidic soil is raised by adding lime and the pH of alkaline soil is lowered by adding sulfur. 

Sometimes acidic soil can be referred to as sour and has a pH of less than 7. Acidic soil can normally be found in wooded areas and is the reason why several woodland plants thrive in acidic soil. During decomposition, organic matter breaks down and makes the soil more acidic. Soil could also become acidic due to the use of chemical fertilizers or the leaching out of calcium & magnesium during a big rain. pH can be lowered to create acidic soil by adding fertilizers that contain ammonium-N. pH can be raised to create less acidic soil by adding lime. 

Several plants not only prefer, but thrive in acidic soil. Hydrangeas, Daffodils, Azaleas & Tomatoes are just a few plants that prefer acidic soil. 

If you are curious about what your soil’s pH there are several DIY testing kits available at home & garden stores. You could also have a soil sample sent off to a lab for the most precise reading. We also offer free soil testing and yearly pH testing here at Turf Boss!

Give us a call at (864) 777-8873 with any questions!

By: Hannah Raines
Copyright Turf Boss 2022

Is your soil alkaline, acidic or neutral? In this case, let’s dig deeper into what it means for your soil to be neutral. 

Let’s start at the beginning, what is pH? pH is a gauge of the hydrogen concentration in a substance. pH is measured on a scale of 1-14 with 7 as the neutral mark. pHs of 1-6 are acidic, while pHs of 8-10 are alkaline. The pH of acidic soil is raised by adding lime and the pH of alkaline soil is lowered by adding sulfur. 

For plants, it is important to know whether your soil is alkaline, acidic or neutral to know if the soil is healthy enough to grow certain plants. While most require neutral soil, there are certain shrubs and flowers that perform better when the soil is more alkaline or acidic. If the soil’s pH doesn’t fall into an acceptable range, no amount of fertilizer will improve plant health until the pH is balanced. Most plants prefer a more neutral soil with a pH level of 6-7!

If you are curious about what your soil’s pH there are several DIY testing kits available at home & garden stores. You could also have a soil sample sent off to a lab for the most precise reading. We also offer free soil testing and yearly pH testing here at Turf Boss!

Give us a call at (864) 777-8873 with any questions!

By: Hannah Raines
​Copyright Turf Boss 2022

Want to prevent all of these weeds from popping up this spring? Give us a call! We are here to answer any of your questions about preventative care!

By: Hannah Raines
​Copyright Turf Boss 2022

The arrival of fall means that it is time to prepare your lawn for winter and beyond. Fall is the perfect time to prepare your lawn for the coming cold weather months and to ensure that your lawn comes back green in the spring. Fall is a great time because the air temperature is cooler, but the soil is still warm. 

Before you begin to aerate, it is important that your lawn isn’t dry. The ground should be moist so you should either aerate the day after a rainfall, or water your lawn the day before.  The most effective way to aerate your lawn is with a machine called a core aerator. The core aerator pulls out small cores of grass and soil. After aerating, spread fertilizer. Then, overseed your lawn. After overseeding, rake the grass seed in, to make sure there is good seed-to-soil contact. Finally, make sure that you are properly watering your lawn to ensure that the new grass seeds will grow. 

Turf Boss offers services to aerate and overseed your lawn for you! If you have any questions or concerns about your lawn, drop us a comment, send us a message, or give us a call. We will be happy to answer any of your questions!

By: Hannah Raines
Copyright Turf Boss 2021

Rain + Summer Heat = The Perfect Combination for Fungus & Disease.

Are you seeing patches of discoloration pop up on your lawn? These could be fungus or disease trying to attack your lawn. Give us a call as soon as you see these patches! The earlier these patches are addressed and treated, the better chance you have of saving your turf.

How do you spot these patches? If you are looking at your yard look for any sort of irregularity. Look for areas that are brown, darker than normal or seem to be lower than your other turf. These patches can come on FAST. You may have just seen a perfectly green yard two days before and then all of a sudden today you have patches popping up. Don’t wait before calling for help. The longer the fungus or disease is able to spread, the more damage that will be done. Fungicide needs to be applied as soon as possible to stop the spread. 

If you notice any irregularity at all, send us an email or give us a call so that we can get your yard back to it’s former glory!

If you’ve noticed in our weekly posts about summer weeds, it seems like all of them are deterred when a lawn is rich with nitrogen. But what exactly does nitrogen do for grass other than keep the weeds away?

You’ve probably noticed that on most fertilizer bags, the key ingredient is nitrogen. That is because every plant needs it to survive and thrive. Nitrogen is the single most important nutrient to add to your lawn. It helps grass grow above the soil and then helps it photosynthesize. Without nitrogen, plants are unable to produce enough chlorophyll. Without chlorophyll, plants are unable to produce energy and feed themselves to grow. 

If a lawn doesn’t have enough nitrogen, the grass will be weak and susceptible disease. Think about it like our immune system. If we eat healthy foods and intake the correct vitamins and minerals, we have a strong immune system and thrive. If we eat unhealthy foods and don’t get the correct vitamins and minerals, we have a weak immune system and are susceptible to getting sick more often. Nitrogen keeps the grass healthy and thriving. 

Moral of the story: make sure your grass (and really all of your plants) have plenty of nitrogen!

By: Hannah Raines
Copyright Turf Boss 2021