Every lawn improvement endeavor, no matter how big or small, must begin somewhere.
Because healthy soil is the foundation of healthy lawns (and all gardens, for that matter), we recommend taking the soil-first approach when planting grass seed, laying sod, or just looking to improve your current lawn. Beginning with a soil test is important because it tells you your soil’s pH and nutrients.
Let’s delve into why soil testing is so important in guiding you to have the most beautiful lawn possible. At the end we’ll provide a link to another article where we explain how to take soil samples and where to send for lab testing.
pH is the measure of acidity and alkalinity of your soil.
It’s the same 0 to 14 scale you learned in chemistry class. The pH scale is logarithmic, so a change from 5 to 6 is a significant leap.
Fun Fact: To determine acidity or alkalinity, hydrogen ions are measured in aqueous solution. The long name “Potential of hydrogen” (or “power of hydrogen”) is shortened to pH.
Our understanding of pH has helped create better cleaning products, improved healthcare, and even create tastier foods.
For us lawn enthusiasts it has helped us ensure healthier soils. Most lawn grasses prefer a slightly acidic or neutral pH in the 6 to 7 range. When soil pH is in the preferred range, turfgrasses are able to absorb the nutrients they need.
A soil test is important because it tells us where our soil lands on the scale so that decisions can be made to adjust pH. In our Southeastern clay and sand soils, lime or compost are the products added to raise pH to at least 6.
Did you know that different lawns thrive in different pH ranges?
Even if you lean on the side of natural fertilizer options, it’s still critical to consider the pH of your lawn. If the soil is too acidic or alkaline for your grass type, your lawn can suffer. This is especially problematic in the Southeast due to poor soil conditions. Do yourself a favor and conduct a soil test, even if it’s just to see if the pH needs some work.
Further Reading: Understanding Lawn pH
Soil fertility is the measure of nutrients in your soil.
Turfgrasses need 16 nutrients for growth, but nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N-P-K) are the 3 nutrients most commonly needed, so are the basis for most fertilizer blends. The fertilizers we sell also contain micronutrients for the overall health of your lawn.
Just like for pH, a soil test will tell us the levels of nutrients available so that decisions can be made on how much of each nutrient need to be added.
Different lawns need different amounts of nutrients. For this article, we’ll kept it simple and talk in terms of low, medium, or high nitrogen requirements:
Further Reading: Look up the Maintenance Guide for Your Grass (including specific fertility requirements)
Soil reports contain charts showing nutrient levels that are low, high, and within range. The soil reports can be somewhat complicated so let us help you interpret the results and give you expert direction by signing up for Lawn Coach.
I’ve given several reasons why soil testing and pH are so important but possibly the most important is cost.
Soil testing is important because pH determines a lawn's ability to take up nutrients. Your soil could be full of nutrients that you’ve spent time and money on, but if grass roots can’t absorb them due to improper pH, they’re not doing your lawn any good. By taking the time to take a soil sample, you will be rewarded by getting the most out of your fertilizers, have the healthiest soil you can, and have a lawn that all your neighbors will envy.
Since soil pH and nutrient availability changes over time, we recommend taking yearly soil tests and adjusting how you fertilize based on the feedback from the reports.
Now that we established why it’s a good practice to take soil tests, the next step is show you how easy it is to take soil samples and send them to a lab.
Further Reading: How to Conduct a Soil Test for Your Lawn
Got questions? Leave a comment below!