Audio Blog: Soil Testing 101
If knowledge is power, then soil testing just might make you Superman. Soil test results provide insights about soil and plant health so you can give your grass what it needs—and not what it doesn’t.
Soil tests measure the pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), electrical conductivity, and organic matter of the soil. The results allow you to recognize problems and adjust your program accordingly. Test results reveal nutrient deficiencies or excesses, helping maximize the return on your fertilizer investment. A customized fertilizer program also minimizes runoff, as you apply only what the soil needs and what the turfgrass can actually use.
The timing and frequency of soil tests depend on whether the turf is cool- or warm-season. For cool-season turf, one soil test a year is sufficient. It’s important to complete the test during the growing season so you can evaluate the effects of irrigation and fertilizer applications. That means not testing cool-season sites in the winter. For warm-season sites where turf grows all year, it’s helpful to complete two soil tests a year.
How many samples should you collect for annual or biannual soil testing? The answer may be fewer than you think. In a golf scenario, sampling three or four greens on an 18-hole course is sufficient. Any more than that, and you’ll have too much information to make sense of. You risk “paralysis by analysis,” not to mention the results will likely be redundant. Save yourself time, energy, and money by focusing your attention on a small number of samples. You’ll still find the recommendations you need.
Consistency is crucial for effective soil testing. Specifically, be consistent with the depth at which you take samples. A depth of three to four inches is appropriate, depending on the quality of the root system. Whatever depth you choose, stick with it for all your samples every year. Also, declare an accurate depth on the soil test form, because that will affect how the nutrient values are calculated.
Soil Solver is a testing tool from Foliar-Pak that measures both total and available nutrients in the soil. Each Soil Solver report includes paste extract data, which tells you the levels of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium that are actually available to the plant at the time of testing. The Foliar-Pak team also evaluates the results of Soil Solver tests to make recommendations for applications to address both immediate and long-term deficiencies.
The timing and frequency of soil tests depend on whether the turf is cool- or warm-season. For cool-season turf, one soil test a year is sufficient. It’s important to complete the test during growing season so you can evaluate the effects of irrigation and fertilizer applications. That means not testing cool-season sites in the winter. For warm-season sites where turf grows all year, it’s helpful to complete two soil tests a year.
When you’re ready to complete soil testing on your golf course, sports field, or home lawn, contact your ATS sales representative for more information about Soil Solver.
