Bermuda grass is a popular warm-season turf renowned for its resilience and dense growth. It does not naturally thrive in highly acidic conditions. This turfgrass requires a specific chemical environment to flourish, and when acidity levels become too high, its health and appearance quickly decline.
Preferred Soil pH for Bermuda Grass
The chemical balance of soil is measured by its pH, a scale from 0 to 14 where 7.0 is neutral. Bermuda grass performs optimally in a soil environment that is slightly acidic to neutral, targeting a pH range between 6.0 and 7.0. Within this band, the grass efficiently absorbs the necessary elements for growth.
Maintaining this pH range ensures that macro-nutrients like Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K) are readily soluble and available to the root system. This ideal chemical balance maximizes nutrient uptake, leading to robust root development and a dense, healthy lawn. Conditions below a pH of 5.8 quickly become problematic for sustained, vigorous growth.
How Acidic Soil Affects Bermuda Grass Health
When soil acidity drops below a pH of 5.5, it creates two problems for Bermuda grass: nutrient lock-up and toxicity. The low pH changes the soil’s chemical structure, causing essential nutrients to become chemically bound to soil particles. This makes them unavailable for absorption by the grass roots, a phenomenon known as nutrient lock-up.
Phosphorus, important for root development, is particularly susceptible to this issue. Even if fertilizer is applied, the low pH prevents the grass from accessing it, mimicking a nutrient deficiency. Highly acidic soil also releases elements like aluminum and manganese into the soil solution.
These elements become highly soluble at low pH levels, leading to toxicity in the plant. Free aluminum ions are damaging because they interfere with root growth, inhibit cell division, and impair the plant’s ability to take up water. This toxic environment results in stunted, yellowing grass with poor root structure, making it less able to withstand environmental stresses like drought.
Practical Steps to Adjust Soil Acidity
The first step in correcting acidic soil is obtaining a professional soil test. This provides an accurate measure of the current pH level and the specific quantity of amendments needed. Reliable testing services, often available through local agricultural extension offices, specify the amount of liming material required to raise the pH to the optimal range. Inexpensive, at-home pH kits are not recommended for determining precise application rates.
The correction process involves applying lime, a soil amendment derived from ground limestone rock. The two common types are calcitic lime (calcium carbonate) and dolomitic lime, which also supplies magnesium. Lime works by neutralizing the hydrogen ions responsible for acidity, effectively raising the soil’s pH.
Lime is available in granular (pelletized) or pulverized forms. The pelletized version is easier to spread evenly using a standard fertilizer spreader. Because lime is slow-acting, it takes several months to fully dissolve and change the soil pH. The best time for application is typically in the fall or early spring, as rainfall helps move the product into the soil profile where it can react with the acidity.