Soil conditioners are any products that purport to improve the quality of the soil by physically or chemically altering the soil. Soil health is vital to your lawn's health so you want to make sure that you have healthy soil before you plant. Soil is a plant's lifeline that provides nutrients, water and stability. No matter how much you fertilize or water, a plant cannot flourish without the proper soil conditions.

A residential lawn is not the ideal place to be growing plants and grasses. Often, the ground is packed from foot traffic, and the soil is lacking in nutrients due to years of use. In a natural habitat, plants and grasses have a soil that is naturally rich with vitamins and minerals needed to grow. With soil conditioners, we can do our best to recreate ideal conditions.

The process of conditioning your soil can include improving water retention, improving nutrient retention, and improving the pH level. There are a large variety of products available that will help improve the state of your soil. Some conditioners come from purely organic means, while others are man-made synthetic conditioners.

Organic Soil Conditioners

Organic soil conditioners most closely recreate the natural humus that plants thrive on. Humus is a substance that exists in nature and is composed of broken down or decomposing plant matter. Organic soil conditioners like compost, peat moss, and aged manure add nutrients to the soil and aid in water retention and nutrient absorption. Because these conditioners are mostly decomposing plant matter, organic conditioners tend to build stronger and more resilient plants and grasses.