Soil Testing

The first step to a thick, green and healthy lawn is a balanced soil. To determine a balanced soil, a soil test is obtained to measure the amount of nutrients, how acidic the soil is, and what the organic matter content in the soil is. Specifically, the test measures soil pH, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus levels and lime content.

Quality Lawn Services will obtain the soil sample and forward the test results to you along with a customized plan to bring your soil to its desirable level. In Maine, most soils have a lower PH or are more acidic. If the PH level is too low, a soil amendment is applied to raise it. In some cases multiple soil amendments are necessary to raise the PH to acceptable levels. Once the PH has been adjusted to the proper level, additional soil testing is done approximately every 3 years.

If the soil sample reveals high phosphorus levels, your lawn care program thru Quality Lawn Services will be customized to include zero phosphorus fertilizer. Adding phosphorus to a lawn that doesn’t require it may result in storm runoffs that may be harmful to our environment. In most cases where phosphorus levels are high, the PH is low. Once the PH is corrected thru soil amendments, the high amounts of phosphorus will be released into the soil and begin to neutralize to an acceptable level.

By using Quality Lawn Services, you can be assured that we are not treating all lawns the same. Customized solutions provided by Quality Lawn Services will guaranty your lawn is receiving the proper amount and blends of fertilizer, driven by soil sample results, which in turn is the first step to a thick, green and healthy lawn.