|
|
Jason Jenkins
Senior Information Specialist
573-882-2980
JenkinsJL@missouri.edu
Published: March 29, 2006
Story Source: Manjula Nathan (573) 882-3250
healthy lawns, gardens with a soil test
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Stand in the fertilizer aisle at any home improvement store, and the choices seem endless. What products will be best for producing a bountiful vegetable garden or a carpet of lush, green turf?
The answer, says Manjula Nathan, lies beneath your feet.
"Unless you treat plants according to their nutritional needs, they won’t do their best," said Nathan, director of the University of Missouri Soil and Plant Testing Laboratory. "The simplest and easiest way to give plants what they need is to get your soil tested."
Each year, the MU lab analyzes more than 20,000 soil samples for homeowners, farmers, commercial vegetable and fruit growers, golf course managers, greenhouse managers, and lawn and landscape specialists.
"By testing your soil, you can make wise and efficient use of fertilizer, lime and other soil amendments when working to create healthy lawns and beautiful and productive gardens," Nathan said. "Why buy and apply expensive fertilizers if you don’t need them? Why spend the time, money and effort seeding a new lawn if the soil can’t support the turf’s needs?"
The MU lab offers a complete soil fertility test that includes pH, lime requirement, organic matter, available phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and cation exchange capacity, a measure of the soil’s ability to hold nutrients. The test costs $10 per composite sample when submitted directly to the lab.
"The regular fertility test not only provides an inventory of the nutrients available to plants, but it also explains if levels are too high or too low," Nathan said. "Each soil test report is accompanied by a set of fertilizer and lime recommendations for the plants the client plans to plant, whether that’s vegetables, flowers, turf or trees."
Nathan said that soil pH is an important measurement. "While some plants will grow well in soil pH values ranging from 5.5 to 7.5, others like azaleas and rhododendrons prefer a more acidic soil," she said. "In hydrangeas, for example, the soil pH will impact the color of the blooms."
She added that unless you test your soil and adjust the soil pH accordingly for optimum growth, lawns and gardens aren’t going to look great.
Laboratory testing results are more reliable and accurate than those produced by over-the-counter test kits, Nathan said. More accurate results allow homeowners to potentially reduce fertilizer use and help prevent run-off and water pollution.
While soil testing can be done any time the soil is not frozen, spring and fall are the most typical times of year for sampling. "For flower and vegetable gardens, we recommend testing every two to three years," she said.
Soil test results are only as good as the sample taken, Nathan said.
"It is extremely important to provide a representative sample so that a reliable test and recommendations can be made for the entire area," she said. "A good composite sample from a garden or lawn should contain soil from 8 to 10 cores taken randomly across the entire area at a depth of 6 inches."
Samples from lawns, gardens, flowerbeds and shrub borders should be submitted separately, as these plants will have different requirements, Nathan said. Separate samples also should be taken from areas with differences in soil types.
"For example, if you have a healthy, greener, weed-free lawn in your front yard and a poorly established lawn in your backyard, you need to submit separate samples from these two areas," she said.
In addition to the regular fertility test, the MU Soil and Plant Testing Laboratory offers in-depth testing for individual micronutrients such as zinc, iron, copper, manganese and boron. Other specialized tests for soil, plant and water analyses also are available.
"Typically, soil test results are available one day after a sample is received by the lab," Nathan said. "Clients may request their results be sent to them via e-mail to speed the process."
Detailed information about collecting and submitting soil samples, and a complete list of tests and corresponding fees is available online at http://soilplantlab.missouri.edu/. For more information, contact the lab by phone (573) 882-0623 or by e-mail at soiltestingservices@missouri.edu.