The quality of your soil is crucial for a healthy lawn and landscape. Here’s what a soil test can tell you:
Composition
Most soil has at least some clay, silt, and sand in it. A soil composition test can tell you how much of each is present in your soil, relative to the amount of soil. If your soil has too much of one or more of these ingredients, it can affect how your soil drains and in turn your plant’s health.
Nutrient Content
For optimal growth, your soil should have a number of nutrients, including but not limited to:
- Nitrogen
- Potassium
- Phosphorous
- Magnesium
- Calcium
- Iron
- Copper
- Zinc
Each type of plant or grass requires different levels of certain nutrients. A soil test can tell you what nutrients are present in your soil and in what amounts, so you can add or reduce as necessary depending on what you plan to plant in the area.
Contaminants
A soil test can also tell you if there are any contaminants in your soil, such as mercury, cadmium, lead, arsenic, and barium. If your lawn or plants have been doing poorly despite your best efforts, a soil test can let you know if contaminants are the culprit.
Good growth requires good soil, and the first step to getting good soil is to know what’s in it. Contact W.P. Law, Inc. for more information on getting a soil test that gives you the information you need to get started.