Soil Testing

Here’s a question for you – what defines the "landscape" that contractors are responsible for caring for? For many contractors, the landscape is all of the plant materials they can see growing on a property. While this is certainly an understandable answer, not paying proper attention to what lies beneath these plants can reduce the effectiveness of the work a contractor does.

Indeed, many companies have bolstered their lawn care fertilization programs by incorporating soil analyses into their program. While soil testing services aren’t likely to be large profit centers for companies, they can be a key to earning new customers who are impressed by the scientific approach a company employs or retaining current customers by taking the extra step necessary to keep their turf green and their plants healthy.

For other contractors, however, the science involved in soil testing can be intimidating and needlessly confusing. This is exactly the notion that soil testing laboratories want to dispel.

"We’re not trying to teach contractors soil chemistry," noted Dr. Chuck Darrah, general manager and consulting landscape agronomist, CLC Labs, Westerville, Ohio. "We are trying to make contractors feel comfortable with what a soil test tells them and how to relate that information to their customer.

"The bottom line is that a soil testing program will help contractors grow better turf and ornamentals," Darrah continued. "The test doesn’t give all of the answers all of the time on every property as infrequent users believe it will, but successful soil testing programs have been implemented by a number of contractors."

In an effort to paint a clearer picture of soil testing, Darrah provided additional answers to questions relating to soil testing:

Q. What is a soil test?

A. A soil test is a series of tests done on a soil sample to check the pH and nutrient status of a lawn or landscape. A soil test is like a "physical exam" for a yard. It shows contractors what shape the soil is in and what corrective applications, if any, are needed for the grass, trees and shrubs.

A soil test is a laboratory analysis that extracts the plant available nutrients from the soil sample and measures them. A pH measurement is also done. This information is then converted to lime and fertilizer recommendations for the grass types in the specific lawn or the plants in the landscape.

A. Plant available nutrients are the elements necessary for plant growth. Soil testing laboratories routinely test for the nutrients that are most important for plant health.

Q. How do you test for these nutrients?

A. Laboratories use special extracting solutions to remove the available nutrients from the soil sample. The filtered extract is then measured to determine the level of plant nutrients in the soil. The soil pH is also carefully measured to determine its acidity or alkalinity and the need for lime.

Q. What kind of soil tests are available?

A. The series of tests that are available in-clude tests run on the soil samples to measure pH, buffer pH (or lime requirement), available phosphorous, and exchangeable potassium.

Q. Why are soil tests necessary when the lawn, shrubs and trees all look fine?

A. Soils constantly change. The quantity and availability of plant nutrients in the soil, as well as the pH, change as a result of clipping removal and/or the addition of fertilizer, compost, lime or other materials.

Q. If a property suffered from certain insects or diseases in previous years, will a soil test find evidence of those insects or diseases this year?

A. A soil test reveals the nutrient status and pH of your soil. It does not test for insects or diseases, however. Quite often, insects or diseases are more severe when there is a nutrient deficiency or low pH. Weak plants are more susceptible to insects and diseases and less able to recover when they do attack the lawn or landscape.

Q. How much soil is necessary for a soil test sample?

A. In a lawn, it is recommended that contractors take a minimum of eight to 10 core samples, each about 3 inches deep. Also, be sure to take the sample before treating the lawn.

In a landscape bed, contractors should take eight to 10 core samples about 5 to 6 inches deep for the sample.

Q. What should contractors do with the information received from the soil test?

A. The laboratory report will show the actual data from the laboratory tests. The report generally indicates the levels (high, medium, low) of pH and nutrients in a bar graph. It also gives contractors an independent recommendation for the lime and fertilizer needs of the sampled property.

Q. Can a soil test confirm whether or not an application of some pesticide product caused problems in a lawn or landscape?

A. A typical soil test determines the amount of nutrients in the soil, not the presence of pesticides.

Q. Does the soil test diagnose turf or ornamental diseases?

A. Most soil test programs do not diagnose turf and ornamental diseases. Soil testing companies recommend contractors contact their county extension agent for diagnostic services.

Q. How long does it take for contractors to receive the results of a soil test?

A. Generally, soil testing takes about two weeks for the laboratory to present the results of the test back to the contractor.

The author is Editor of Lawn & Landscape magazine.

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