Do Your Part, How to Be and Live Green in Charlotte, NC

Test Your Soil Before You Fertilize

Spring and fall are the best times to fertilize your lawn. But just because it's the season doesn't mean you necessarily have to.

The mistake that many of us make is over or under fertilizing and the same goes for applying lime. When you use too much or too little your lawn will lack the proper nutrients for a healthy green lawn. And a stressed-out, unhealthy lawn becomes a haven for weeds. So how do you know how much fertilizer or lime to apply? There is only one right answer and that's to have your soil tested. The NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services offers free soil testing. All you have to do is pick up one of these boxes and the instructions from your local cooperative extension office. You can also find them at many county operated recreation facilities.

Then all you have to do is take six to eight samples of the soil in your yard. You want to dig about four inches down for the best sample. Combine all the samples in a clean plastic bucket. Mix the cores and fill the box to the sample line. Clearly label the box and fill out the form. Ship the sample and form to the Department of Agriculture and one to two weeks later you'll get recommendations for exactly what your lawn needs. In my case, I don't need any lime at all but I do need one pound of nitrogen for every thousand square feet of lawn.

Lime neutralizes the naturally acidic Carolina clay soil, but as you can see, you don't always need it. In fact when you use too much lime you can acutally create a toxic environment in your lawn where weeds will thrive and grass will not.

Plus, plants can only use so much food. When you use too much lime or fertilizer the excess can wash off your lawn when it rains. The chemicals flow with the rain into the nearest storm drain where they are dumped untreated into a nearby creek or stream. The excess nutrients cause algae blooms that choke the life out of the aquatic ecosystem. The chemicals then empty into larger rivers and lakes that are the source of clean drinking water for millions of people in the Charlotte region.

So before you start spreading fertilizer and lime, get a free soil test. You'll create a more balanced environment in your yard where grass will thrive. You'll save money because you won't use more fertilizer or lime than you need. And you'll be doing your part to keep harmful chemicals out of our water supply.