Understanding lawn treatments.

Understanding begins with the science of horticulture. This is a large subject consisting of principles for producing a healthy lawn turf and plants. We’re going to keep it short and explain the importance of soil fertility and how it relates to lawn treatments for improving growth and preventing weeds. Soil fertility is determined after a soil test is performed. A soil test will explain which nutrients and how much is needed. The easiest way to understand the importance of soil and how it relates to your lawn and plants is, " Think of a vegetable garden. You can not grow the same vegetables, year after year and expect good results". Keep in mind, that several companies do not start with a soil test to insure lawn treatments are 100% effective. 

 

Soil fertility.

Measured on a pH scale of 0 (extremely acidic) to 14 (extremely alkaline) with 7 being neutral.

 

Soil fertility.

Consists of nutrients that allow grasses and plants to thrive. 

 

Soil fertility.

Consists of several nutrients or elements. For example: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, boron, chlorine, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, molybdenum, and nickel.

 

Soil nutrients.

Resemble vitamins people take.

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All grasses.

Plants, trees, and weeds require several nutrients. These nutrients can be measured on the pH scale. Different grasses, plants, trees, and weeds grow best in their pH range. The pH range allows nutrients to interact with each other in a variety of ways. The most common problem with nutrients is.

 

Low or high levels of a particular nutrient.

Can interfere with a plant’s availability to absorb other nutrients. In simple terms: nutrients can block nutrients.

 

What does this mean?

Most people think plants absorb nutrients based on the amount of what's available in the soil. This is true until a plant’s pH level goes outside of its ideal range. This is important because some nutrients will start to block other nutrients. What happens next is nutrients can block a turf lawn or plant's ability to absorb lawn treatments. 

 

In summary.

A soil test takes the guesswork out of lawn care.

Bad soil pH levels prevents a lawn or plant's ability to absorb the treatments effectively.

Lawn treatments can become a waste of money or not 100% effective. 

 

The Gateway difference starts with eliminating guesswork.

Soil tests ensuring pH levels are correct.

When needed, pH levels are adjusted to the correct range. The correct pH range allow 100% absorption of lawn treatments. To better understand why this is important, imagine a seesaw on a playground "weeds vs lawns". As pH levels decrease, weeds grow more. Weeds moving into their ideal pH range "grow faster" and lawns move out of their ideal pH range "grow slower".  Slower lawn growth can be explained by bad soil fertility and it's lack of ability to absorb treatments. Lawn treatments have little effect on plant growth when soil nutrients block the absorption of Lawn treatments.

 

Using the science of agriculture insures great results!