The Soil Test

The first step to transitioning to natural lawn care is taking a soil test. This is the only way to find out what your lawn really needs to get healthy. Mine cost $14.20 and was well worth the small expense!

After aerating our lawn last fall, I gathered up about a cupful of dirt from the cores scattered around the lawn. You could do the same using a spade and sampling around the lawn or by using a special core tool. I made sure to get dirt from all around the lawn and to remove as much of the grass and root matter as possible. Then I let the sample dry completely and picked over it again to remove rocks, roots, bugs, and grass. This is key because the lab burns a sample to determine the % organic matter in you soil. If you have water, grass, roots, and other things that will burn in your sample, it will skew your % organic matter higher than it actually is.

I packed the sample in a plastic bag and mailed it to AgriEnergy Resources in Princeton, IL. Click on the link to get more info on soil sampling, download the form you need to submit the sample, and the mailing address. I received my results via email in a couple of weeks. You can do research to interpret the results yourself or take it to a garden center and show it to an expert to get guidance. My favorite expert is Wally Schmitdke at Pesche's Garden Center in Des Plaines.

My soil test was typical for being treated with the Scott's 4 Step program over many years. Even though it had been over 2 years since we last used the program, the phosphorous levels in our soil were still very high at 69 ppm. Only time will bring that down to a lower value. Our pH was towards the top end of the optimum range at 6.9, but if we bring it lower we will see fewer dandelions. Our organic matter is low at 5%; we need to add compost to bring it to the 6 - 8%. Our calcium to magnesium ratio was low at 2.6/1. High magnesium levels favor weeds.