You can water regularly and apply fertilizer correctly, but if your soil nutrients are out of balance, your lawn may still struggle. A test will reveal your pH levels and missing nutrients that can quietly affect how well your grass grows.
There are two ways to soil test your lawn: using a DIY testing kit or sending a sample to a professional lab. In this article, I’ll walk you through both methods so you can choose the option that suits you best.
How to test your soil yourself
Most homeowners stick to DIY soil testing because it’s quick and cheap. However, if you want the most accurate results, you should go with a lab test. You can buy a DIY soil test kit at your local garden center or home improvement store.
Basic pH kits usually cost around $10 to $20, and the ones that check nutrient levels are $40 to $50.
Supplies needed
Testing with a DIY soil test kit starts with getting a clean soil sample. Here are all the tools and materials you’ll need:
- Shovel or soil probe
- Garden trowel
- Plastic bucket
- Newspaper
- Distilled water
- Soil testing kit
Read the kit instructions
Each soil testing kit works a little differently, so make sure to read the instructions that come with your kit before you start.
Map out sampling sites
You need to take samples from at least 10 to 15 spots on your lawn to get an accurate profile of your soil. However, you should keep these tips in mind:
- Don’t take soil from freshly fertilized or newly amended areas. Soil treated more than three months before is fine.
- Don’t collect soil from a wet area if the rest of your samples are from drier spots.
- Don’t mix lawn soil with soil from gardens, ornamentals, or edible beds. Test those areas separately for accurate results.
- Avoid samples from near buildings, driveways, or streets, as soil will usually have different characteristics there.
Collect soil samples
For lawn soil tests, I recommend taking soil from the top 2 to 4 inches because that’s where most of your grass grow and where nutrients are most active.
- Go to one of the spots you marked for sampling and start digging with your shovel. You can also use a soil probe.
- After removing the soil, take out any organic materials from it, like thatch, roots, mulch, and pests.
- Place the soil in a clean plastic bucket.
- Repeat this process for all sampling sites.
Mix the samples and let them dry
Using your trowel, mix the soil samples in the bucket. You want to blend them well to get a final sample that represents your lawn’s overall soil condition.
Then take about a cup or two of the mixed soil and spread it out on the newspaper. Let it dry at room temperature and keep it protected from moisture.
Fill the test container with soil
Add some soil to the test container. The amount you need depends on your specific testing kit. You’ll also need to mix in whatever comes with the kit, like a solution or test capsule.
After that, shake the container and let the mixture settle.
Read your results
Compare the color of the liquid to the chart that came with your test kit. It might also be printed on the container itself.
The color chart can tell you how acidic or alkaline your soil is. More advanced kits can also tell you about your soil’s nutrient levels.
Read related: What is Acidic Soil?
How to test your soil at a lab
Lab soil tests are more accurate but less convenient. You can either send a soil sample to a private soil laboratory or to your local Cooperative Extension Office.
A private lab will charge $10 to $140 to test a soil sample. Cooperative Extension Offices usually charge $8 to $25 per sample, but they take longer to send the report. Make sure to check with your local Cooperative Extension Office for more information.
Professional testing requires clean, dry soil samples. You’ll need to send your soil in a plastic container or a baggie. Some labs provide sample bags.
Labs may have different requirements for samples, so it’s best to call your lab and ask. However, the process is usually pretty similar. Just make sure you’re collecting soil that isn’t wet from rain or irrigation. Wet soil can give inaccurate results.
Supplies needed
- Shovel or soil probe
- Garden trowel
- Plastic container or baggie
- Plastic bucket
- Newspaper
Make sure your tools are clean and rust-free. I recommend using plastic containers, as metal may contain traces of micronutrients that can contaminate the samples.
Collect your soil samples
I already covered how to collect a clean soil sample above in the DIY testing section. The process is the same here.
- Take soil samples from 10 to 15 spots. Choose spots that haven’t been treated recently with fertilizer or amendments.
- Dig up soil from the top 2 to 4 inches at each spot.
- Remove thatch, mulch, worms, and other organic material.
- Repeat for each spot on your lawn.
- Mix the soil in a bucket.
- If the soil is moist, dry it out on a piece of newspaper.
Send the final soil sample
Take the fully dried soil sample and place it in the container provided by your lab. If they didn’t provide one, use a plastic container or a baggie. Label the container and mail it to the lab for analysis.
DIY soil texture and drainage tests
If you want to go a step further and understand your soil’s structure, you can try a few simple tests at home. They can tell you whether your soil is sandy, clay, or loamy, and how well it drains water.
Squeeze test
This test gives you a quick feel for what your soil is made of. Grab a handful of soil from the ground and moisten it until it’s like dough. Sandy soil falls apart immediately after squeezing, loamy soil crumbles when poked, and clay soil stays in a ball.
Jar test
It separates your soil into layers of sand, silt, and clay, so you can get a clear picture of what your soil is made of. Fill a clear jar halfway with soil, add water until the jar is three-quarters full, and then add a tablespoon of dish soap to help separate the particles.
Let the jar sit for 48 hours. Sand settles at the bottom first, silt in the middle, and clay on top. The thickness of each layer indicates the percentage of each soil type in your lawn.
Ribbon test
Take a small amount of soil, moisten it, and roll it between your fingers to form a ribbon. If it breaks immediately and feels gritty like sugar, it’s sandy soil. A balanced mix of sand, silt, and clay forms a ribbon less than 1 inch long. Between 1 and 2 inches is clay loam soil, and anything longer than 2 inches is clay soil.
Drainage test
You should know how fast your soil drains, as it reveals a lot about your soil type. Dig a hole that’s about 12 inches deep and wide, and fill it with water. Let it drain completely overnight, then fill it again and time how long it takes.
- More than 2 inches per hour: Sandy soil
- 1 to 2 inches: Loamy soil
- 0.5 to 1 inch: Silty soil
- Less than 1 inch: Clay soil
To know more about how to perform each test, check out our article on How to Identify Your Soil Type With Simple DIY Tests.
Read related:
FAQs
You should test your soil every three years. However, if there’s a deficiency or you’re planning to make any major changes, like installing new grass, test your soil even if it’s been less than three years.
You should test your soil before your grass’s peak growth season so you have enough time to add amendments or fertilize with the nutrients it needs. If you have a cool-season lawn, test in early spring or early fall. For warm-season lawns, test in early spring.
If you’re sending your soil samples to a lab, I recommend doing so a few weeks ahead of the growing season so you have enough time to get the results and apply fertilizers or amendments.
DIY soil test kits give you an idea of your soil’s pH, but they aren’t as accurate as lab tests. If you want specific fertilizer recommendations or to identify major deficiencies, you need to send your sample to a lab.
It can take one to two weeks to get results from your local extension office or a soil testing laboratory. Some labs offer a faster turnaround for an extra fee.
Put your soil test results to work
Your soil report tells you exactly what your lawn needs. Start by checking the pH. If your soil is acidic, add lime to raise it. If it’s too alkaline, apply sulfur to lower it. Then fertilize with the nutrients your soil is missing.
Soil health is just one factor affecting your lawn’s overall health. You still need to keep up with mowing, fertilization, and weed control. Lawn Love pros can take care of your turf so it stays lush, green, and healthy all year long. Hire a pro through Lawn Love today to get the job done right at a price you’ll love.
Main Image Credit: Lab soil test. Photo Credit: H_Ko / Adobe Stock Free / License
Related Posts:
