How well do you know the soil of your landscape? Familiarizing yourself with the texture, structure and fertility of your soil will help you and your lawn care professional design a program specific to your lawn’s needs. There are three key measures that indicate the health of your soil: fertility, acidity and compaction.

You can purchase a pH test kit to measure acidity yourself, or arrange for a soil test by your lawn care professional to check the pH (acidity), fertility and compaction. When collecting test soil, five to ten samples from different parts of your lawn should be collected as deep as the roots go into the ground. A soil pH reading above 7 or below 6 will deprive your lawn of the necessary nutrients it needs, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron, manganese and calcium, leading to a less healthy, yellowish colored turf. In order to raise soil pH, an application of limestone should be performed. To lower pH, an application containing sulfur is applied. The condition of your soil will dictate the cultural practices of watering and fertilizing. The next time your lawn care professional visits, mention the possibility of receiving a soil test and core aeration. Establishing the proper pH and core aerating annually will improve your lawns nutrient availability by increasing root structure, resulting in a thicker, greener, healthier lawn. It will also save you time and money in the future and help keep your lawn looking great.

Click or call today to arrange a complimentary consultation from our fully trained and certified arborists for lawn care, fertilizer and tree care services from SavATree. Contact the office nearest you.

SavATree provides lawn care and soil tests in the following areas: