Texas Soil pH Adjustment Service

You are here:  > Lawn Care Services > Soil pH Testing

Lawns USA Services - Soil pH Adjustment

Evaluating the nutrient status of your soil is an important step in developing a quality turf. The best way to find out what your soil needs to nourish healthy turf is to have it tested. Most soil testing labs recommend that you check the status of your soil every three to five years.

A soil test is a process by which elements (phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, sulfur, manganese, copper and zinc) are chemically removed from the soil and measured for their "plant available" content within the sample. The quantity of available nutrients in the sample determines the amount of fertilizer that is recommended. A soil test also measures soil pH, humic matter and exchangeable acidity. These analyses indicate whether lime is needed and, if so, how much to apply.

Soil pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. Soil pH is one of the most important soil properties that affects the availability of nutrients.

Macronutrients tend to be less available in soils with low pH. Micronutrients tend to be less available in soils with high pH. Lime can be added to the soil to make it less sour (acid) and also supplies calcium and magnesium for plants to use. Lime also raises the pH to the desired range of 6.0 to 6.5. In this pH range, nutrients are more readily available to plants, and microbial populations in the soil increase. Microbes convert nitrogen and sulfur to forms that plants can use. Lime also enhances the physical properties of the soil that promote water and air movement.

Sixteen chemical elements are known to be important to a plant's growth and survival. The sixteen chemical elements are divided into two main groups: non-mineral and mineral. The Non-Mineral Nutrients are hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), & carbon (C). Since plants get carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen from the air and water, there is little farmers and gardeners can do to control how much of these nutrients a plant can use.

The 13 mineral nutrients, which come from the soil, are dissolved in water and absorbed through a plant's roots. There are not always enough of these nutrients in the soil for a plant to grow healthy. This is why many farmers and gardeners use fertilizers to add the nutrients to the soil.
The mineral nutrients are divided into two groups:
macronutrients and micronutrients.