What is the application rate you used for citric acid? How much per gallon of water, and 1gal/1000sqft for application and all set or water in afterward? Also, you said citric acid every 30 days and elemental sulfur every 30 days. So did you alternate between the two every two weeks, e.g. apr.1 citric acid; apr. 15 sulfur; may 1 citric acid, may 15 elemental sulfur?
Great questions. The citric acid was applied at a rate of 1lb/1000sqft with a mix ratio of 1lb of citric acid to 1 gallon of water. I immediately water this into the lawn after apply. In regards to the intervals for the elemental sulfur and citric acid. The two can be on separate 30 day intervals. It does not matter how close these two are applied.
Ben, congratulations on dropping your pH that much. It's bit freakish how much it changed. I don't think folks realize that to drop .5 is definitely not the norm!!! After using just elemental sulfur the past 3 years, I'll be going to the same program as you (I spoke to Greendoc). So happy to see that it works. 🍸 Here's to getting into the 6's.
@@TheLawnGuardian So what are your elemental sulfur apps looking like this season? You did 5 lbs/1m every 30 days last year. Are you doing something like every 45 days or 60 days? I’m assuming you’ll probably continue with the 1 lb/1m of citric acid, right?
"He moved the needle so much." I would tend to argue this assertion. One soil test, from one lab, does not make for a reliable test upon which hypotheses can be made. I don't doubt that the ph went down, but quantifying it is a bit more nuanced.
I'm in Canada... you can't imagine how difficult it is for us to find these products easily, especially if you don't live in or near a major urban center.
Im tryin to lower ph just a bit. Im at 7.2. I looked up the citric link, its really inexpensive. I have my elem. S already, so im gonna give it a go. Thanks for all the info.
Awesome! Sounds good, Ned! Check Amazon too, I have purchased the citric acid from the same company through Amazon as well and it can be a bit cheaper do to free shipping on there. Thanks for watching and I hope you have a great season!
I don't remember what I had mine set at and I don't have that spreader anymore. I'd recommend putting the spreader on a low setting, go over the lawn once and adjust it from there. This is a good way to find a setting that works for products that don't have a setting. I hope this helps. Thank you for watching!
This is only time I’ve ever heard people stressing importance of water. You can add all the sulfur you want but if you’re water is 8/9 then the soil will be alkaline Great video 👍
Awesome Vid Ben and Matt! Two of the most UN-talked about subjects! How to lower soil PH and the over looked need for potassium in soils for plant performance! I've seen hundreds of vids on increasing soil PH but maybe 2-3 on how to decrease it. This vid was super informative and explains a lot of the balancing act that needs to be done to unlock all the nutrients in the soil all because of soil PH. Very well done! Peace and God's Love! Chad Upstate NY
Thank you for your kind words, Chad! I'm glad I was able to share this experience with the community because it was a huge learning opportunity for me so I knew it could be the same for a lot of people. I appreciate all of your continued support!
Hey man! Don't know how I missed this video. Did the citric acid give a long lowering effect? I'm waiting until the end of this season to do a final soil test. I'm betting that will citric acid AND sulfur, i'll have to wait until next Spring to attempt a change..... do you think? Or as long as the soil is in the 70ish?
Sorry, I didn't reply to this earlier. When the soil pH is as high as mine was, the micro organisms in the soil aren't able to oxidize the elemental sulfur to turn it into sulfuric acid, which is what helps lower the soil pH. This is where the citric acid comes into play. The citric acid helps lower the soil in a quicker more "temporary" way, which in turn helps the micro organisms oxidize the elemental sulfur, which in turn provides a more long term drop in soil pH. Warmer soil temperatures are important for elemental sulfur to function, so I'd only apply it during the warmer months. On the other hand soil temperatures are not a factor for citric acid to have an impact. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have anymore questions. Additionally, I'd recommend asking Matt your questions as well because he'll be able to provide you with more information than I will. Thank you for your comment and asking this question. I hope all is well and have a great 2024 lawn care season.
Been waiting for this video! Crucial content for so many of us with alkaline soil/water. Question though: how much water is required after applications of citric acid? just enough to get it off the leaves, or more to push it down through the soil?
Thank you, Cody! I shot for around a .25" to .5" of water after each citric acid application. I plan on doing a video showing how I apply citric acid to help with some of these questions I've been getting. Thank you for watching!
Hello, my dear brother, I am speaking to you from Bahrain. I have a contradiction in the elements in the soil. I put a lot of calcium in the soil, but the roots did not absorb the calcium, and I have small, burning leaves, and the plants are standing and not bearing fruit at all. Thank you for your appreciation.
Hi Ben thanks for an very informative video! I’m assuming you mixed the citric acid powder with water and sprayed - what was your dilution ratio; how much water to citric acid? Thanks in advance!
Hey thanks for reaching out! Yes, I apply the citric acid by itself by dissolving it in water. My application rate is 1lb citric acid/1000 sqft and mixed 1lb/gallon of water.
I just ran across your channel and I am excited. I have a PH of high 7’s and low 8’s. Also fungus issues. Please please give some tutorials on the applications.
Thank you, Eric! I do plan on making a video on how I make citric acid applications that I think will help people that have had several questions about these applications.
I have a new Johnathan BBU PR lawn again this year because i think the split pre emerg.harmed my new lawn. It was lush and perfect until summer. I had a bad crab grass problem before . this summer i had none from the split app i did. but the roots just did not dig in. Ph was 6.3 i just applied lime. So i guess come next summer spray and pray with tenacity when i see the crabs?
We were mentioning you the other night and how much your ph dropped. I remember last year when you,me and rey were discussing the citric acid. Keep at it, mines dropped a fair amount as well, its a solid and great regimen.
I remember that as well. I definitely didn't think I'd make these kind of improvements in a single season. Getting this years soil test results was so awesome! Thanks for watching and for your help as well Daniel!
With adjusting you're ph are you applying ammonium sulphate, citric acid , and elemental sulphur in conjunction with one another ? I think I heard you right but not sure. Also when using ammonium sulphate 21-0-0 this would now take place of N from my actual fert program correct?
I applied all of those things you mentioned separately on 30 day intervals. As far as how close each material is applied to one another does not matter. You are correct. Ammonium sulphate is fertilizer, so it can be implemented in a fert program.
Finally a lawn video about lowering pH instead of raising it. I was also told that Carbon Pro G will help because it buffers. Wondering what you and Matt think of this as an option.
One of the best videos on this subject that I've seen in years. Extremely precise questions and very knowledgeable responses. Very well done Ben and Matt.
Had you known this plan in the beginning of last season, would you have timed your apps of elemental sulfur and citric acid differently? E.g. start earlier than July and space then more than 30 days.
Hey Alex! Thank you for your kind words. I more than likely would have started this earlier if I had the plan earlier. I don't know if I would have made additional elemental sulfur apps if I did this but I would have probably ran more citric acid apps.
@@TheLawnGuardian Last year I made 2 apps of elemental sulfur at 5lb/1k and pH stayed put at 8.4. This year I'll add 4 apps of citric acid to the plan. Question: any idea if I can tank mix citric acid with hydretain? I reached out to ecologel but no response yet.
I’m at 7.8 and put 6 lbs/k of sulfur this year and now realize that it’s not nearly enough to fix my pH. My garden is also at a 7.8pH. Do you know the max rate of sulfur I can put in my garden if I’m going to till it in? How’s your pH for 2022?
Ben just wanted to get back to you and report in. That red bag of sprayble AMS is INCREDIBLE. It was my maiden voyage today. I was nervous about burn so I applied 1 lb AMS per 1k sq feet. It took me a long time because I delivered 11.3 pounds total in 22 gallons of water. So ultimately, my mix rate was 0.5 lb AMS per gallon. Just curious if you experienced any burn at 1lb AMS per Gallon?l per 1K sq feet Thanks for this video!!!!
Try wood ash to raise it buddy, its like 9 or higher, and its full of calcium, phosphorous and lower in some other elements, try a Teaspoon (5ml) per gallon of medium as a top dress evenly, or same amount premixing a batch for pots:) This will raise it 100%, so i hope you try it and good luck:) I like wood ash mainly for raising as its full of calcium and calcium is king;)
Thanks for doing this interview style. Matt is so gracious to explain what each part of the process contributes to the outcome. I also am surprised at the role citric acid plays in the immediate correction to the soil. The results are plan to see in your turf.
Ben, can you please clarify the AMS amount you use? I’m going to do the same and don’t want to burn my grass and want to be SUPER CAREFUL. Are you applying 1 pound of the red bag AMS by weight 1 pound or are you applying 1 pound of nitrogen (4.76 pounds) per 1K sq feet every 2 weeks? Thank you so much. Lastly, did you mix it with the citric acid same tank mix and water at once?
For sure! When I make applications of AMS I am generally only applying 1lb/1000sqft of AMS per application. This will give you just under .25lbs of N. Since I am able to keep my lawn irrigated during the summer I apply 1lb/1000 of AMS per month and then in the fall I apply every other week. I'll do a few apps in spring but my heaviest fertilizing time will be in fall. I have never mixed citric acid with my AMS apps, I've always kept them separate. I'm not sure if you can mix the two together, so to play it safe I make them separate. I hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions.
Hello great video one question where do u buy citric acid for lawns ? The only stuff I can find in Australia is on eBay and it's for food is it all the same stuff ??
Ben, This video was so educational and eye opening. I wish there was more lawn community videos like this. Your plan has yielded outstanding results. Your lawn is Top Notch and looks picture perfect. Thanks for putting this video together.
Thank you, sir! I was really excited to share this with the community and thought it was such a cool learning experience that everyone could learn from. I appreciate you watching and your continued support!
Very informative vid on dropping PH. I have used elemental sulfur on my lawn. I would like to also use citric acid. What are some of the ins and outs as far as mixing and applying citric acid?
Hey Thomas! Thanks for watching! I plan to make a video this year about how I apply it. But here's a little explanation about what I do. Every time I apply it to my lawn, I always make sure it's early morning before it's hot or the sun is high in the sky, even if it's during the cool time of year. I will then water sections of my lawn that I am making an application on for about 5 min to get the grass wet. (This helps prevent the application from drying on the grass) Then I'll apply the citric acid with a battery powered backpack sprayer. Once I make my application I immediately get it watered in with at least .25" of water. Rather than spraying the entire lawn, then water it in, I spray sections of my lawn at a time so I can easily get it watered in immediately after an application. As far as mixing, the product I use dissolves very easy into water and I never mix more than 1lb of citric acid into a gallon of water and 1 gallon of water covered 1000sqft. I hope this helps.
So what if you have generally sufficient to high levels of S already and you’re at 7.6 on pH? What are the risks/negative impacts of pushing S so hard?
Hey thanks for watching and leaving a comment. I don't know if there is time needed to wait to apply citric acid before or after seeding. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.
I found it interesting after having stopped applying elemental sulfur two years ago, my lawn started having problems. Guess it’ll be something I have to regularly use
1 gallon of water per 1000sqft. Then water in immediately after with .25" to .5" of water. It's also helpful to do a light watering on the lawn before your application so help prevent the citric acid from drying on the leaf blades.
Great video. One question as I have the opposite problem. I need to raise pH per soil test. I am using dolomitic lime but are there any supplement that I can use to move the needle faster? Like you use citric acid and elementary sulfur.
I mixed 1lb of citric acid to a gallon but then immediately turned on my irrigation to get it watered in. I did not let this sit on the grass. Sprinklers were coming on as soon as I finished spraying a section of my lawn. Thanks for watching!
Do you have info or links to how you calculated how much sulfur and citric acid to use? I have high pH soil but I haven't attempted any correction yet and I want to make sure I get my math as close as possible.
I do not. The rates I used were given to me from Matt. I think a general rule of thumb when applying citric acid is 1lb/1000sqft and elemental sulfur is generally at 5lbs/1000sqft. In regards to the number of applications I think can vary depending on your soil type and soil test results. I recommend reaching out to Matt or your local county extension office.
Ben, Great video! Was there any reason why the timing of the Citrus Acid lagged behind the Elemental Sulfur? Or was it simply availability? What did you uses as a PK and micros source?
The citric acid applications didn't line up merely because that's just how the timing of each worked out for me. They can be applied on the same day if you wanted. For potassium and phosphorus I just used some generic triple 12.
The citric acid seems to be a powder. Do you have any tricks or hints to get it into a solution for the sprayer? (I'm guessing you used a sprayer tip that creates large droplets)
The citric acid I used dissolved really well in water so I didn't have issues getting it into solution. I didn't use a tip that provided larger droplets last year but I have moved to a tip like that this year.
Thanks for the informative video as I'm trying to lower my ph as well from 7.8. Might be a better question for Matt or Rey, but do you still recommend citric acid even if I don't have an irrigation system? I know it's supposed to be watered in immediately, and if I don't have the option, I'm worried about burning the lawn.
That would be a good question to ask them but I'd suggest spraying the lawn in sections at a time and after spraying each section use your hose to spray down that area to help water it into the soil. Thank you for watching!
Applying the citric acid via a hose end sprayer is time consuming because you have to dissolve the citric acid in water, then put it in the hose end sprayer multiple times because it doesn't hold a lot of product. You would have to dissolve 1lb of citric acid in a gallon of water and 1 gallon of this mixture covering 1000sqft, so you will be refilling your hose end sprayer multiple times just for one section of your lawn. I plan on doing a specific video on how I apply citric acid.
thank you for sharing. Can you tell me how long does the sulfur last in the soil? How long does it maintain at that level? How often do I have to add sulfur to the soil?
I do not know the answer to how long the sulfur lasts in the soil. I would imagine there are several variables that impact this. As far as how long will it maintain at this level, this is something I am also not sure of because multiple variables can impact this, such as the alkalinity of the irrigation water is one thing that can begin to raise soil pH. Depending on how high you pH is and what may be causing it, it may be something you have to apply annually. Testing the soil annually or every 2 years will help guide you on the frequency. I hope this helps. Thank you for your support!
Matt Martin is the best. Much respect for him being such an honest person. Your lawn looks great. His Thursday night streams are amazing. Have you had an opportunity to watch them?
Thanks, Tony! This was one of my favorite videos to make because I was able to have Matt share a bunch of info on a topic that I don't think is covered very well on RU-vid. I hope it helps you on your quest to lower you soil pH.
I have not had a chance to check the pH of the water coming into our house but I suppose it's something I could do moving forward to help with this problem.
thank you guys for giving all those valuable informations for free. after 2 years of not having any problems in my soil i have started to face the same problem . limestone soil + sheep manure and a high ph water to water the plants destroyed my ph . but not any more thanks to both of you . really legends
I'm glad the information was helpful! I know this topic has not been covered in a lot of videos so I was excited to have Matt come on to help explain the process he helped me work through. Thank you for the support!
How do you apply elemental sulfur to the lawn? From what I've seen, it needs to be tilled in. Is that true? Or can it be applied via a broadcast spreader?
Cool deal. How would aerating the lawn prior to the initial application work out? I'm wondering if the the holes would allow some of the product to get deeper into the soil in a faster time frame.
Do you have an update to what your ph level is now and are you still working the same program. I started this program right after watching and am awaiting this years soil test results. Very interested and in long term success.
So after this video my soil pH has continued to drop utilizing everything mentioned in this video except for citric acid. I only used the citric acid the first year in 2020. In 2021 and 2022 I only did 3 apps of elemental sulfur instead of 4 like I did in 2020. I will stick to 3 apps of ES this year as well. In 2022 my pH dropped to a 7.7 and this year's result showed it dropped to a 7.5.
pH Nutrient Availability Chart is interesting. My pH is 5 and I’m trying to bump it up. Lime last season didn’t budge it (likely need to load in more) so trying different approach this season. Matt is fantastic, great video!
Thanks, Russ! That chart makes a lot of sense after seeing the what was going on in my soil before and after starting to adjust the pH. Good luck with your soil this year! I hope you have a great lawn care season!
North Carolina State has a great write up on the different mesh size lime. As each different mesh have a different reaction time for soil Ph. The article is titled, Soil Acidity and Liming for Agricultural Soils. Hope this helps.
I don't know where to get the tigersul. The elemental sulfur I show in this video will work just as well though. I get this at my local MFA Ag Store. Thanks for watching!
Hey Tom! I did not apply elemental sulfur and citric aid on the same day but that was merely because of how the timing worked out for me. They could be applied on the same day though. I plan on making a video on how I make citic acid apps soon, but here's a little explanation about what I do. Every time I apply it to my lawn, I always make sure it's early morning before it's hot or the sun is high in the sky, even if it's during the cool time of year. I will then water sections of my lawn that I am making an application on for about 5 min to get the grass wet. (This helps prevent the application from drying on the grass) Then I'll apply the citric acid with a battery powered backpack sprayer. Once I make my application I immediately get it watered in with at least .25" of water. Rather than spraying the entire lawn, then water it in, I spray sections of my lawn at a time so I can easily get it watered in immediately after an application. As far as mixing, the product I use dissolves very easy into water and I never mix more than 1lb of citric acid into a gallon of water and 1 gallon of water covered 1000sqft. I hope this helps.
You mentioned the importance of K (potassium). If soil sample was really low. If I discontinue bagging, amend the soil with 0-0-48 one time. One season. Am I done? Or do I need to reapply next season? Obviously I will have a routine feeding program. Thanks
Awesome plan. My pH is 7.4, and I will implement these techniques this year. How many pounds per 1000 sq feet of ammonium sulfate did you use and how often? Also, is that product diluted and sprayed via spreader?
Thank you for watching! I'm glad this was helpful. I use straight ammonium sulfate (AMS) or a bag of fertilizer that has nitrogen in it that is from AMS in it, year round. I do this because of my soil pH. During the summer I use 1lb of AMS per 1000sqft each month and in the spring and fall I'll put it down at the same rate but every 2 weeks or so. The AMS I use is a spray grade that easily dissolves in water but there is AMS available that can be applied via a traditional rotary spreader.
Awesome - I got the same red bag you used. However, my first application I’m going to use the Yard Mastery Starter since it’s all AMS and I’m still not fully comfortable spraying and my irrigation is not on yet (cold weather in CT) May 1 I will use the sorayable AMS. I am totally ready to tackle my 7.4 ph similar to yours but not as aggressive.
Ben y Matt Gracias por compartir su experiencia en regular el PH en un suelo alcalino, ver su perseverancia en mejorar las condiciones del suelo se manifiestan en la belleza de su césped. Saludos Hidalgo, México.
Hi Ben, Great video - and I don't throw that word around much. I've got a new lawn and a new soil test revealed a 7.8 pH and a similar, so I will be instituting a similar regime to yours going forward. ... Just curious, what kind of seed or sod do you have growing there? It looks fantastic. I've got an initial application mix of perennial rye, fescue, and Kentucky bluegrass, but I will be overfeeding this fall in order to help to make it a fuller/thicker lawn, and I'm just wondering if your growing one pure variety, or if you can recommend better success with one variety over another - and, if you're seeding, which particular company provided that seed? Thanks!
Got a question I'm hoping someone could help me with. Half of my lawn's ph level is spot on and the other half is alkaline. Any ideas on what would cause this almost perfect line between the two sides?
Thank you, Pam! This was one of my favorite videos to make since it was loaded with great information on a topic that has not been covered in detail on the RU-vids.
Just subscribed. Such a good video! Thanks for sharing your experience and this info. This is the type of video that is an order of magnitude more beneficial than the usual videos out there watching someone spread a bag of fertilizer, for example. Thanks again. I have very alkaline soil. This gives me hope for my situation.
I got my first soil test results a few days ago and it was almost identical to yours. Thanks for the great information. I'm hoping to follow some of the same steps this year, and hopefully I'll have similar results.
Thanks for this great info. My soil pH was on the high end of the scale (but still in the "acceptable" range when i did my soil test this spring, and i got hit hard with fungus this year. I didn't really think i needed to lower it, but I guess i really need to address that!
Thank you! Yeah from what I have learned and experienced getting things corrected with soil pH has a major role in helping the plant stay healthier to be more resilient to disease. I hope things are going well for you this year!