Soil Testing for Your Florida Lawn 

Experienced Tampa lawn care experts help your soil achieve the right balance to promote a lush landscape

You might not expect Florida lawns to be anything but sandy. It is the most common soil type across the Sunshine State, yet there are spots of clay and other mixtures. It is important to know what soil type you have throughout your property so that you can choose the appropriate grass and plants to thrive in that soil. It is also important for you to understand the pH balance of your soil so you can learn if you need to add certain fertilizers or amendments to help your landscape thrive.

You can waste a lot of time and money putting in plants that won’t grow or putting in fertilizers that won’t actually help your plants if you don’t know the health of your soil. The experienced Tampa lawn care experts at Keepers of the Green can test your soil to find out exactly what it needs and then create a plan of care to give you the gorgeous lawn and thriving landscape that you want.

Taking a soil sample for testing

Taking a soil sample is relatively easy, but you have to be sure you are following the right steps. Otherwise, the information you get won’t be accurate or helpful. To take a soil sample, you need to focus on just one specific area of your lawn that has been problematic. It could be a garden, an area where your grass won’t grow, or a bed with ornamental plants. Scoop a bit of soil from 12 to 15 spots in that area, and take the soil from a depth of one inch to six inches. You should have about a half pint or so of soil. Spread out the soil to allow it to dry, if necessary, then mix it all together and put it in a ziplock bag. Send it off to your local extension service for testing and pay the applicable fee (if any).

Know that if you do not take the sample correctly, you may not get the right results. You might take samples that are too close together, or you might not take them from the appropriate depth. All of this can skew your results and leave you continuing to struggle with your landscape. Let the professionals at Keepers of the Green test the soil for you so that you know the sample is taken correctly and the results are accurate.

What do you do after getting the results of your soil testing? 

The report for your soil test will show you the pH balance of your soil. You’ll learn if your soil is acidic or basic. Soil that is too much of either will make it hard for many plants and grasses to grow in your yard, so you will need to correct the balance by adding different nutrients. If you conduct the soil testing on your own, you may find it hard to interpret the results or to know what to do with them.

The professionals at Keepers of the Green can test your soil and give you a thorough explanation of what needs to be done to optimize your soil for the healthy development of your grass and plants. We’ll create a plan to add lime, Sulphur, or whatever other amendments are needed to improve your soil. Our plan will ensure the proper delivery of the proper nutrients at the proper time to create the maximum health of your soil.

Contact our Tampa Bay lawn care experts to find out what’s ailing your soil and to create a plan to help it thrive

You might be doing all the right things for your yard, but your grass and plants just might not be growing the way they should. Stop pouring time and money down the drain. Call the Tampa lawn care professionals at Keepers of the Green to test your soil to find out exactly what it needs to thrive. Call us at (813) 884-4255 to schedule a free lawn analysis or fill out our online form. We’ll help you understand what your soil needs and how to get the beautiful landscape that you desire.