Learn the benefits of measuring nutrient concentrations in your turf soil.
A healthy lawn begins with healthy soil. Testing your soil is a critical first step in deciding what nutrients your lawn and garden need to grow to their full potential.
Understanding your soil's nutrient deficiencies and excesses helps you wisely invest in lawn care products. You won't apply too little or too much, and you will maximize the product's performance if you know what's missing. Applying lawn fertilizers at appropriate levels is important for the environment, watersheds and aquatic life. A quality soil test analyzed by a soil lab will provide you with a yearlong plan of what to apply, when to apply it and how much to use.
Natural Alternative's soil test reports your property's detailed test results and offers recommendations based on those results. Using a computer program, we can even calculate your lawn's square footage to ensure you don't overbuy or under-apply. No tape measure required!
While a soil probe is the preferred method to extract soil samples, a trowel or shovel can also be used. We recommend you take the soil from a depth of 4 inches when the ground is soft. Take 6 samples from different areas throughout the yard and mix the soil in a bucket for a blended sample. For more tips, check out our video on how to test your soil.
If you would like to have your soil tested, follow these easy steps:
- Order your soil test kit.
- Collect your soil sample.
- Indicate if the soil is from your lawn or garden on the form provided.
- Mail the soil to the lab address on the kit.
- We will contact you with test results and recommendations in 7 – 10 days.
- Based on the results, order and apply products as recommended.
If you have questions about soil testing or the results you receive from our soil test, call us at (888) 546-5941. Sign up for our e-newsletter, The Monthly Dirt, follow our social channels or give us a call for the latest seasonal tips and DIY know-how.
