What Does A Lawn Soil Testing Serviceinvolve
Proper lawn soil test servicesfeature a careful examination of the soil in various parts of your lawn. The bigger the lawn, the more samples are needed to get accurate test results. Soil testing services for lawns dont just involve examining the soil for the lawn but for any shrubs, trees, or gardens on your property. All of these things can be adversely affected by soil problems.
A typical soil testing service involves measuring certain aspects of the soil. These areas include the soils pH level, nutrient content, and organic matter. In essence, this helps to determine how good the soil is at holding nutrients vital to grass growth or if it contains elements that may prevent proper growth. For example, soil that is more acidic may hurt plant roots and eliminate necessary nutrients. Ideally, the pH level for lawn soil should be within the range of 6.0 and 7.0, though that can depend on the type of lawn you own.
A soils CEC is also an important factor that needs to be measured. CEC is an indicator of a soils ability to have and keep nutrients while also providing a significant barrier against the acidification of the soil.
In other words, think of lawn soil analysis and soil testing services as similar to medical testing as it can not only help you diagnose a variety of things that could be keeping your yard from thriving, but it can also help your lawn reach optimum levels of growth and health.
Soil Testing For Other Elements
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs always soil test for phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and soil pH. However manganese, zinc and organic matter tests are also available for a fee.
Manganese soil tests: The availability of manganese is greatly determined by soil acidity. There is an equation that combines soil pH with manganese and therefore is used to determine a manganese soil test value. Soil tests can be unreliable if not adjusted for pH. Manganese toxicity can occur in very wet soils rarely is there a deficiency in turf. Poor aeration causes an increase in the availability of manganese.
Zinc soil tests: The availability of zinc is highly dependent on soil acidity. There is an equation that combines soil pH with zinc and therefore is used to determine a zinc soil test value.
Organic matter tests: These tests are not helpful in determining requirements for nitrogen fertilization.
Micronutrient soil tests: Plant tissue analysis is done in several laboratories for several micronutrients. OMAFRA only tests for manganese and zinc.
Nitrogen soil tests: At the present time there are no known nitrogen soil tests. The nitrate form of nitrogen, which is most available to crops, is very difficult to determine what proportion of soil organic nitrogen that will become mineralized and available for crops. The OMAFRA nitrogen recommendations are based on the intensity of turf management desired e.g. low, medium or high maintenance use.
From April November Have Your Soil Tested At No Charge
For questions, contact Matt Jones
Soil testing is the only accurate way to know if you should add nutrients to your lawn or garden.
Healthy soil is the foundation of successful gardening. The first step to cultivating healthy soil is having your soil tested.
Collecting soil samples only takes a few minutes and has many benefits. It can help you save money in your lawn, garden and landscape, can result in healthier plants by telling you which nutrients are already in your soil and which you need to add, and can protect water quality by preventing unnecessary fertilizer applications.
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Submitting Samples To The Mu Soil And Plant Testing Labs
Samples can be submitted through the County Extension Centers or directly to the lab.
To get information on submitting samples duly filled to the MU Soil and Plant Testing lab, visit the lab’s website at or email or call 573-882-0623. Samples submitted directly to the lab should be accompanied by a duly filled sample submission form and check written in favor of “MU Soil Testing” for the amount due.
Yard Mastery Soil Testing Kit
October is Soil Health Awareness month and to celebrate, inside of 5 random soil test boxes this month will be a golden ticket!If you get the golden ticket, you will receive a custom program based on your soil test results and fertilizer for one full season will be sent to you.You can choose between liquid, granular or both.Must reside in the lower 48 states.5 Tickets will be placed into 5 random soil test boxes between Good luck!
Yard Mastery Soil Testing Kit
- Grow The Healthiest Yard & Garden!
- The Yard Mastery Soil Test Kit is the most Accurate and Easy-To-Use professional soil test kit available and is designed for the DIY community
- Organic and Synthetic fertilizer recommendations tailored to your soil
- Report provides 13 plant available nutrient levels including Nitrogen and pH
- Perfect for all growing scenarios .
- Promotes sustainable practices
- Each kit provides everything required for use
- *including prepaid return postage & dedicated customer support.
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Soil Testing Offered By Ut Extension
Ready your garden for spring by learning what is in your soil. The University of Tennessee Extension offers an affordable basic test so gardeners can learn the proper amount of lime and fertilizer needed for lawns and gardens. Heres how to get your soil tested:
- Get a soil sample box from your countys UT Extension agent, or use a sandwich bag with a zip seal.
- Fill the box or bag with at least one cup of soil collected from several areas of the yard or garden. Dig down six inches for your sample.
- Enclose a check for $15 made out to the University of Tennessee, and send the package or deliver it to the Soil, Plant and Pest Center, 5201 Marchant Drive, Nashville, Tennessee, 37211. Your soil will go through a nine-step process in the lab and will be checked for potassium, phosphorus and other elements.
Your report should arrive in a week or so by email or mail. It will show the phosphorus and potassium levels you want both to be high. The report will make recommendations for amending the soil to give you a proper balance for a productive crop.
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When Is The Best Time For A Soil Test
Soil samples can be taken in the spring or fall for established sites. For new sites, soil samples can be taken any time when the soil is workable. Most people conduct their soil tests in the spring. However, fall is a preferred time to take soil tests if one suspects a soil pH problem and wants to avoid the spring rush. Fall soil testing will allow you ample time to apply lime to raise the soil pH. Sulfur should be applied in early spring if the soil pH needs to be lowered.
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Why Get A Lawn Soil Test Done
If you arent sure of the benefits of testing your soil yet, lets take a look at some of the advantages of soil tests.
Basically, a lawn soil test gives you an insight into the condition of your soil. From this, you can then craft a tailored care program and clear up any issues that your lawn might have.
Soil Analysis Results Of Micronutrients
Micronutrients are nutrients used by grasses in small amounts. However, they are still very important.
Boron . Grass needs only very small quantities of B for healthy growth. As a result, B is rarely added to any fertilizer mixture and is rarely deficient in soils.
Copper . Cu is used only in very small quantities. It is rarely deficient in soils and is rarely added to fertilizer. Organic fertilizers may contain traces of Cu and other elements. How grasses use Cu is still not completely understood. When too much copper is used it causes lesions that look similar to a disease.
Iron . Iron is the most common micronutrient to be deficient in soils. Deficiency problems, in most cases, occur when soil pH is high . In alkaline soils, the iron becomes bound up in a form that the roots cant take up. It is also the most common micronutrient to be included in fertilizer.
Iron chlorosis is the term used to describe iron deficiency. The symptom is a pale green color. Iron is not a part of chlorophyll, but without iron, grass will not produce any.
If the pH is high, the additions of granular iron such as ironite or fertilizer containing iron will probably not help. Instead, foliar applications of liquid iron are a better choice and will provide temporary relief. This way, the iron is absorbed through plant tissues and not taken up by the roots.
Iron causes rust stains on concrete, so make sure you rinse off sidewalks and driveways after spreading.
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Caros Soil Testing Capabilities Are Classified Into 5 Categories:
Physical Tests
The size of soil particles is important when considering both fertility and mobility of contaminants. The amount of open space between the particles influences how easily water moves through soil and how much water the soil will hold. Some methods used to assess the physical properties of your soil are:
- Particle Size
- Asbestos
- Foreign Matter
Fertility & Microbiology
Whether its for a home landscaping project, a public area like a golf course, or for a general assessment of soil suitability for growth, our testing services have you covered!
- Nutrients
When Should I Sample
Submit samples for planting and gardening projects several weeks before you plan to plant. This will allow plenty of time for you to get the results back and amend the soil before planting.
Soil samples can be submitted for testing any time of the year. Results are usually ready within a few weeks and are posted online. Winter and spring are the labs busiest seasons. Samples submitted during these times may take longer to process. Check current processing times.
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When To Get Soil Tests
You can have your soil tested at any time of year, but fall is the best time for homeowners, Florence said.
“By sampling in the fall, you can get a head start on moving their pH, if needed,” he said. “It generally may take six months or longer for lime to fully react with the soil.”
Conducting the test in the fall “also reduces the rush feeling. If they get their results a month or two ahead of planting, they do not feel quite as rushed about the fertilizer part of gardening,” Florence said, adding that it is “important to not sample right after just applying liming or fertilizer.”
Q: Who Do I Contact Regarding My Soil Test Results And Recommendations If I Dont Understand The Numbers
A: The Soil Test Report provides an interpretation of all soil tests done by the Soil Testing Lab and is accompanied by appropriate nutrient and lime recommendations. If you need further information about your test results, contact your local University of Georgia Cooperative Extension office at 1-800-ASK-UGA1.
This brochure was modified and adapted in part from the materials prepared by Dr. Owen Plank titled Soil Testing for Home Lawns and Gardens.
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When To Carry Out A Soil Test
You can test at any time you want to be honest. Just remember that you could get misleading results if done within 3 months of a lime, fertiliser or organic matter application.
They can cause changes in soil moisture level, plant growth and microorganism activity which in turn affect soil nutrient level.
In saying that however, most soil tests are carried out in spring and its probably a good idea to ask your local agronomist of the best time to test in your area. This just means you can continue with absolute certainty.
Many homeowners also carry out a soil test when they move into their new house. It can save lots of money on purchasing plants that will simply not grow well, or at all, in that particular soil. By carrying our a simple DIY soil test, they will know what plants are suitable and will thrive rather than struggle, saving time and money.
Soil Testing For Lawns
Manjula Nathan and Brad FresenburgDepartments of Agronomy and Horticulture
Soil testing provides an estimate of the plant-available nutrients in the soil and is an essential tool for a sound fertilization program. Periodic soil testing will help to correct nutrient deficiencies, avoid excess fertilizer applications and maintain a healthy lawn.
A routine soil fertility test is recommended under the following circumstances:
- Before establishing a new lawn, whether from seed, sod, or sprigs.
- Every three years on established lawns .
- Annually when attempting to correct a nutrient deficiency or change the soil pH.
- When fertilizers containing phosphate or potash have been used on a regular basis for a number of years.
Figure 1If your lawn has areas with distinctly different soil conditions that need to be considered separately, collect soil samples from each area .
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Instructions For Dropping Off Samples At The Other 3 Locations:
Sampling Instructions
Use a spade to collect a thin slice of soil from the root zone, about 6 inches down. Take about 12 cup from each of several spots in the same area and mix them together. Allow the soil to air dry on newspapers. Put about 1 cup of the mixed soil into a clean plastic or paper bag and label it with the area it came from.
- Bring it in for a FREE test! Trained URI Master Gardener volunteers will test your soils pH, evaluate its texture and give you a report with recommendations for actions to improve it.
Soil Nutrient Analysis
Complete soil analysis is available through the University of Connecticut Soil Lab and the University of Massachusetts Soil & Plant Nutrient Testing Laboratory for a nominal fee. It is suggested to test soil every few years, and is particularly important when installing new garden beds or in established gardens that are not performing well. These tests determine:
Diy Vs Professional Soil Testing
When comparing DIY and professional soil testing, its a bit like DIY versus professional lawn care.
Doing a DIY lawn soil test is not a bad idea if you just want to get a broad idea into what your soil profile looks like. Because store-bought soil testing kits can be re-used, you can stick them into various areas of your property to satisfy your curiosity.
However, you should not rely on DIY soil testing if you want to use the results to treat your lawn. Because store-bought soil tests do not give detailed info on nutrient levels, you wont be able to tailor a feeding program from them.
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Soil Tests Are The First Step For Effective Organic Growing
With an Easy Organic soil test, testing your home garden or lawn soil has never been easier! No need to wait for us to send you a kit. Send in your sample today! Our test results identify all key nutrients in your soil, as well as acidity. For organic growing, moderation, balance and diversity in the soil are critical to create the right relationship between the soil and your plants. A soil test gives you the map to find the balanced relationship between your soil and plants.
Reading Your Soil Test
Your soil test will report ranges and numbers for various nutrients extracted from the soil. Plants can use only certain forms of nutrients, which account for a small portion of the total amount of that nutrient measured by your soil test. So how do you interpret the measurements? Below are some of the more important results to review for lawns soils.
pH
- If your pH is below 5.6, and you have weeds or moss invading your lawn: Add wood ash or wood ash tea to raise the pH to a more desirable level.
- If your pH is above 7.6, and you have weeds invading your lawn: Apply compost or pine needle mulches to slowly lower the pH.
- Avoid lime, gypsum, or sulfur, as they can be toxic to microorganisms, leach out other important nutrients, and they are mined, non-renewable resources.
Calcium and Magnesium
Balanced soil has between 65-80% Calcium and 10-13% Magnesium , which are both salts.If your Magnesium is a lot higher than 10-13%, and/or your Calcium a lot lower than 70-80%, soils can become very compacted and grass may not thrive. How to adjust calcium and magnesium levels:
Phosphorus
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What We Do With Your Dirt
Once we receive your soil test, we will examine it for baseline nutrient levels. Healthy soil is a combination of three properties, Physical, Chemical and Biological. Our soil tests focus on the chemical properties, allowing us to pinpoint the ideal nutrient solution for your lawn. Learn more about Why Soil Matters and how to
Once weve gotten to the bottom of your soil needs, well create a custom lawn plan and ship it directly to your door. No mess. No guesswork. Simply follow the easy directions, apply your custom nutrients and well take care of the rest all season long.
