Do I Need a Soil Test For My Northeast OH Property?

You want a green lawn in Northeast Ohio, and that’s not a crime. 

But you may not have thought about the fact that when you see problems above ground in your lawn, it can sometimes mean the issue causing the visible issue is below ground. That’s right: Having a green, thick lawn can mean addressing soil care, as well as lawn care. 

In fact, your soil is actually the foundation for the health of your grass. 

Your poor soil might be compacted, lacking organic matter, or its pH might be way off the mark. And since your soil can’t tell you what’s wrong, you may be completely missing the problem. 

But there are things you can do, including giving your lawn the right organic nutrition and possibly soil testing. 

Let’s talk about soil testing in Northeast Ohio and what a soil test for land can reveal.

Soil Testing in Northeast Ohio

Before we get into whether or not you need one, let’s talk about soil testing. 

Soil tests provide you with some details about what’s happening beneath your grass. 

When you hire a lawn care professional to maintain your lawn, and they suggest doing a soil test as part of their program, you know they are looking into the health of your soil as a way to improve your grass. And this is a good thing. 

Here are some key insights you learn through soil testing. 

Soil Test Timing

Good news: You can get a soil test for land at any time of the growing season in Northeast Ohio. You just want to avoid a few times when soil conditions make it harder.
For instance, when your soil is hard in winter, it may be tougher to gather soil samples. 

Another thing you want to avoid is soil testing when there is excess moisture. You really never want to take a fully saturated soil sample and send it in. Your soil should be dry. 

Many lawn care companies will conduct or recommend soil testing on an as-needed basis or when a problem arises in your lawn. The test will mean grabbing soil samples from different areas of your lawn to ensure a cross-section of soil. The samples are usually sent to a local extension service or lab for analysis. 

Soil testing can help you understand what nutrients your soil may be lacking, aiding in what your lawn care treatment program might need. 

Soil Testing Can Help You Discover Your Soil pH 

One of the key facts soil testing tells you is your soil pH. 

Why does soil pH matter? You want your lawn soil to be in a pH range that puts it in an ideal position to take in nutrients. Northeast Ohio lawn soils thrive in a pH range between 6.0 and 7.0. 

But our soils tend to be on the acidic side, so if your soil isn’t in the optimum range, it’s usually low. And very acidic soils have a hard time growing grass. Shaded areas of lawns may also often have low soil pH.

Lime applications can help bring your soil up to the right pH. Maintenance lime applications can be something a lawn care program offers, and if your pH is excessively low, opting for corrective lime applications can help get your soil back to the right pH levels. 

In addition to soil test results, some other signs your lawn may need a pH adjustment include: 

• Yellowing grass
• Excessive weeds
• Lawn diseases
• Pests
• Thinning lawn areas

Soil Tests and Soil Fertility 

Another reason you might question, “Is a soil test necessary?” is for measuring factors that can influence soil fertility. 

The cation exchange capacity is a useful indicator of soil fertility because it reveals your soil’s ability to supply three important plant nutrients to your lawn: calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

Low soil fertility means you’re lacking organic matter in your soil and it might not be able to receive nutrients or release them to the plants. 

When you get a lawn fertilization program that focuses on organic nutrients, it can help correct a lot of your soil issues, including increasing microbial activity. This lets the lawn tell you if there is an issue and if soil testing is necessary. 

Learn More About Soil Testing in Northeast Ohio 

To get a great looking lawn, organic fertilization can help replenish your soil. 

And if you find you continue to have problems, soil testing can help you get to the bottom of the issues. 

We hope our data about soil tests helps you better understand their importance in an overall lawn care program for Northeast Ohio lawns.  

If you’re still wondering about how organic nutrient-based fertilization can make a difference in the health of your soil and the aesthetics of your grass or if you have more questions, call Turf Pride. We can help you better understand what your lawn is missing and provide suggestions on what it needs to look and perform its best. 

Looking to improve the look of your lawn in Northeast Ohio? Turf Pride would love to help. Get started today with a free quote. Together, we’ll prepare a customized plan so you can have the kind of lawn you love.