Although you might not give it much thought, what’s going on beneath the surface of your lawn is at the heart of its success (or failure). In order to have a healthy lawn, you need to have good soil health.
That’s why a lawn soil test is such a valuable tool.
It’s able to provide detailed information on what’s going on with your soil. While a number of lawn care companies in the Allentown and Landsdale, PA area perform lawn soil tests, it’s what they do with that information that really matters. Unfortunately, some companies fail to use this information to the full advantage.
We’ll explain why that may be keeping your lawn from the optimal results.
What is a Lawn Soil Test?
First and foremost, in case you aren’t familiar, a lawn soil test is exactly what it sounds like—an analysis of what is going on with the soil. A lawn soil test is performed by using a soil probe to pull about 10-15 cores of soil throughout your lawn, approximately 3 to 5 inches deep. Those cores are then sent to a lab where they are analyzed. 
The lawn soil test results are looking at pH to determine if it’s where it needs to be or not. It is also looking at the nutrient levels.
Why Perform a Lawn Soil Test in the Allentown & Lansdale, PA Area?
The most important reason to perform a lawn soil test is so that we can know what is occurring beneath the surface of your lawn. Without this data, it is impossible to have a definitive understanding of exactly what’s going on.
A great lawn care professional will have a good idea based on the symptoms they’re seeing, but without the exact data on the nutrient levels and soil pH, it is only an educated guess.
Of course, there are plenty of companies that don’t take the time to perform these tests. When lawn care companies are making decisions without lawn soil test results, they’re usually just putting “band-aids” on the problems.
A lawn like this might look decent, after all, they’re applying products and trying to keep up with the issues. But, it will never really get to the heart of the problems and therefore, is not a long-term solution.
Where Do Companies Go Wrong with Lawn Soil Test Results in the Allentown & Lansdale, PA Area?
Knowing that lawn soil tests are important because they provide data about your lawn, you would think that as long as a lawn care company is performing one, they must be doing “the right thing.”
But the truth is, it’s what the lawn care company does with these results that matters.
Think of it like bloodwork. If you were to get blood drawn and found out your cholesterol was high but didn’t make any dietary or medication changes, you wouldn’t see a difference the next time that you had blood drawn.
The same is true for lawn soil test results. It’s not enough to just have the test performed. Your lawn care company actually needs to follow through on what the results show—and unfortunately, many don’t. Many companies are just performing lawn soil tests because they know it looks good. But without following through on the results, it’s meaningless.
What Does Joshua Tree Do With Lawn Soil Test Results?
At Joshua Tree, we understand the extreme importance of knowing what’s going on beneath the surface of our clients’ lawns. That’s why lawn soil testing is a regular part of our lawn care maintenance program.
It is recommended that lawn soil testing is performed every three years or if a problem arises, which are the guidelines that we follow. When we bring on a new client and their lawn is showing poor conditions, we’ll start off the process with a lawn soil test.
When we perform a lawn soil test, we’re looking closely at the results and where we need to make amendments to correct problems with the lawn. What’s amazing to homeowners is how different their lawn soil test results can be from a neighbor—even right next door! That’s why it’s so important that action is taken on the results.
The truth is, soil health is often undervalued (even by lawn care pros). But it is the soil that supports the growth and overall health of your lawn. A soil test is the best way to uncover any underlying issues that could be affecting your lawn care results.
At the end of the day, it is our goal to give you the best possible lawn and the only way to truly achieve this is by not only performing lawn soil testing but actually acting upon the results!
If you’d like to know more about how Joshua Tree can help meet your lawn needs at your home in the Allentown or Lansdale, PA area, or you have more questions, we’re here to help! Get in touch with us to get some free expert advice and learn more about our lawn care program options.
