A healthy lawn requires time, water, and seeds. You must also have healthy soil. It takes much more than dirt to make your lawn thrive. 

Some areas naturally have healthy soil, but many do not. In and around the Reno area, the soil quality can vary greatly. The soil here is made up of sand, silt, and clay. But the ratios of these materials can vary. 

Soil bacteria are necessary to ensure your soil has enough nutrients to keep your lawn healthy. And they provide many benefits, like breaking down pollutants and purifying water that moves through the soil. 

What are Soil Bacteria?

While soil in desert regions often doesn’t look like it is filled with living things, it is. Even a small cup of soil has billions of microorganisms. Some of these are bacteria, while others are fungi, nematodes, insects, and earthworms. 

These organisms ensure enough nutrients for plants - including lawns - to remain healthy and lush. They maintain soil health so that growing plants do not deplete their nutrients.

Most soil microorganisms thrive in soil with a pH between 6 and 8. If the pH drops below 6, fungi will proliferate at greater levels, as bacteria find this level too acidic. They generally do best when the soil pH is neutral to slightly alkaline. 

How can you identify if you have sufficient soil bacteria?

Northern Nevada’s soil is predominantly clay. The ideal microbe density for clay is hard to determine, as it depends on the type of clay and the type of microbe.

To truly understand what is happening with your soil, you will want to test it first. You can test the pH, nutrients, and texture. When you have results from soil samples, you can determine whether you have sufficient soil bacteria. Soil tests can be purchased from any lawn and garden center. Alternatively, you can contact a professional lawn servicing company, who can come and conduct a test on your lawn. 

How can I increase soil bacteria and maintain an optimal level?

All living things need food, and microorganisms are no different. They are attracted to decomposing organic material, such as plant or animal matter. One of the best ways to increase your concentration of soil bacteria is to introduce more organic matter. 

This is the reason manure and triple mix makes excellent fertilizers. Microorganisms are able to feed off the residual nutrients in them. As they feed, they break up the soil to ensure more carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen are available for other bacteria and organisms. This process also ensures plant roots get enough air and water. 

And as these microorganisms die, they decompose. This process releases nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium - all required to keep plants healthy and vibrant. Some bacteria also can protect plants from disease by increasing their immune systems. 

However, having too much bacteria in your soil can also be bad. Excess bacteria often leave your lawn struggling with disease or infested with parasites. It will inhibit growth in the same manner that not enough bacteria will. Therefore, maintaining a healthy level of microbes is a delicate balance.

Healthy soil is a complex composition that includes dirt, microorganisms, nutrients, air, and nitrogen. Healthy microbes can be maintained by adding natural organic matter to your lawn, such as manure or triple mix. You can also use a probiotic to optimize soil conditions in a way that supports the long-term health of your lawn!

How to Increase Organic Material on Your Lawn

There are several ways to increase the amount of organic material in your lawn, such as:

Composting

Composting is a great way to improve soil structure, particularly in clay or sand-heavy soils, as it is full of beneficial microbes, such as bacteria, algae, fungi, and nematodes. Compost is made up of decomposing organic plant material, similar to what may be found on a forest floor. Compost can be purchased at nurseries, or you can create it with a bin in your yard. 

Add Manure or Triple Mix

Manure are Triple Mix are excellent ways to add organic material to your lawn. This material can be purchased at a garden center, or you can arrange with a local entity that keeps farm animals. Using a manure spreader is recommended to spread the material evenly and at a sufficient amount.

Organic Lawn Fertilizer

Organic lawn fertilizers contain natural ingredients like seaweed, bone meal, and feather meal. They also contain synthetic nitrogen to help your lawn thrive. Organic lawn fertilizers can be purchased online or at a garden center.

These strategies can help you ensure a sufficient level of microbes to keep your lawn healthy, even in clay-rich soils found in Northern Nevada.