Soil Testing

What Does a Lawn Soil Test Involve?

Once you have scheduled your first service with OrganicLawns, we’ll perform a soil test on your lawn as soon as possible. The results, which we’ll deliver to you personally, will help you see what your lawn needs to function and perform. We’ll then work with you to develop a common-sense approach to produce results you can see. Basically, soil testing gives us a road map to use throughout the season, helping us create your lawn care program around your lawn’s unique needs.

Soil Testing pH Levels Explained

Determining your soil’s pH level allows us to put a basic number to your lawn’s acidity. From there, we can adjust accordingly. For example, if your lawn is tested and it carries a pH of 5.0, this is a clear indication that your lawn is acidic. We can then apply dolomitic limestone to your property to actually raise the pH naturally. This very simple solution allows your lawn to feed better and grow thicker and more beautiful throughout the season.

Lawn Soil Amendments

At OrganicLawns, we believe in natural remedies for your lawn care program. Based on the information that we achieve from your soil test, we can add soil amendments to produce the best possible results. Soil amendments are natural elements added to your soil to improve its physical properties — including pH balance, soil structure, aeration, water retention and infiltration. To put it simply, lawn soil amendments improve your soil’s ability to support plant life and create a better environment for roots.

Soil amendments fulfill a different role than fertilizers. They build your soil from the ground up, correcting any problems that have been preventing you from getting the lawn you’ve always wanted. Depending on the unique needs of your soil, we may recommend these or other natural soil amendments:

• Lime:

  Reduces acidity and raises soil’s pH level.

• Sulfur:

  Increases acidity and lowers soil’s pH.

• Gypsum:

  For compact soil, improves aeration and water drainage.

• Compost:

  Decomposed organic matter that can enrich and naturally aerate the soil while also improving water retention.

• Biochar:

  Increases soil fertility and protects against certain diseases.

• Fulvic acid:

  Stimulates plant growth by improving mineral uptake.

• Humic acid:

  Aids in the transportation of water and nutrients from the soil to the plant.