Having trouble with your lawn or flower bed not producing the way you'd like? The problem may be with your soil, which has to provide all the elements plants need for normal growth. A soil test can tell you whether your soil is making those elements available to your plants.

The most crucial measurement is pH level, which is a measurement of the soil's hydrogen (acid forming) ion activity. East Texas soils tend to have a lower pH, meaning they are generally more acidic; areas with less rainfall usually have higher pH levels and alkaline soil. It's important to know your soil's pH level because it can affect your plants' ability to take up and use the elements it needs.

Soil pH can be altered with fertilizers and soil conditioners; however, you should know what kind of plants you want to grow so you'll know what pH is best for them. For instance, azaleas and camellias like a low pH.

Soil test kits can be picked up from the Smith County Extension Office (on the north side of the Cotton Belt Building on Front Street). More detailed reports addressing specific elements in your soil can be obtained through Texas A&M or Stephen F. Austin University. The soil testing kit from any County Extension Office has information and addresses for ordering those tests; they cost $10-$15 each, depending on how detailed you want the test to be.

Don Gibbs, Smith County Master Gardener
Texas AgriLife Extension Service

High quality soil laboratory analyses result from (1) proper sampling techniques followed by (2) proper sample preparation for shipment to the laboratory. Sampling techniques are described in material accompanying the forms for submitting samples to the Texas A&M Soil, Water, and Forage testing laboratory (available through the Smith County Cooperative Extension office); so this article focuses on proper sample preparation.

As each composite sample is collected in a plastic container, remove components such as parts of clay surface in which sod was grown, soft rocks, plant parts, or anything else that could misrepresent the sample. Anomalous components alter the analytical results, thereby misrepresenting both physical and chemical properties of the soil.

From the collection container, spread the samples on a piece of paper or plastic until they are air-dry. Samples must be air-dry for analysis; therefore, the laboratory can process them more quickly if they are received air-dry.

Crush the air-dry samples by using a rolling pin or similar device. Next, thoroughly mix the crushed, dried sample. Finally, using a large spoon or scoop, fill the sample bag which you received with your kit from the Cooperative Extension office to the indicated level and mail it to Texas A&M.

The old adage "garbage in, garbage out" applies to soil sampling; so the extra time spent properly preparing each sample will ensure accurate soil-test results.

Ronald D. Yeck, Smith County Master Gardener
Texas AgriLife Extension Service

Environmental conditions in East Texas make soil testing an important part of being a successful gardener. The high acidity and frequent rainfall are key factors that affect the balance of nutrients in our soil.

For landscape plants, we can and should choose plants whose cultural and environmental requirements include a more acidic soil. But when it comes to vegetable gardens, we don't have that option. Most vegetables prefer a more neutral soil in order to produce a bountiful harvest.

Soil testing provides us with the information of what and how much we need to add so that we can enjoy those wonderful tomatoes and other fresh vegetables.

Because nitrogen is water soluble, the initial amount of nitrogen to add to our soil and a recommendation of how much to add at the proper interval during the growing season are important.

Knowing what not to add is as important as knowing what TO add. An excess of certain nutrients can bind other nutrients and prevent them from being available for the plants' use, pollute our environment, and harm the plants as well.

Soil testing kits and information can be obtained from your local County Extension Office.

Jean Watson, Smith County Master Gardener
Texas AgriLife Extension Service

You have received a Soil Analysis Report. Your report recommends that you add 1 lb of N (Nitrogen), .5 lb of P205 (phosphorus) and .5 lb. of K20 (potassium) per 1000 sq.ft. of lawn area (N/P205/K20 ratio of 2:1:1). Try to locate a fertilizer with a similar ratio. Let’s say you find a fertilizer that is labeled 20: 10: 10, which indicates that this fertilizer is 20% N, 10% P205 and 10% K20 by weight. Since this fertilizer matches the recommended ratio of the nutrients, you can use one of the recommended rates (e.g. N) to calculate how much fertilizer you need. First convert the weight percentage of the nutrient to a multiplier (in lbs fertilizer/lb nutrient) by dividing the percentage into 100. In the case of nitrogen the multiplier is 5 (100/20). Now the amount of fertilizer needed can be calculated using the following formula:

Amount of Fertilizer needed (lbs) = Recommended Rate of nutrient (lbs/1000sqft) x (Lawn Area (sq.ft.)/l000) x Multiplier for that nutrient (lbs of fertilizer/lb of nutrient)

In this example: Your lawn is 5248 sq.ft., and the recommended rate is 1 lb of N per 1000 square feet.

Amount of fertilizer needed in lbs = 1 lb N/l000sq.ft. x 5248 sq.ft./1000 x 5 lbs of fertilizer/lbs of N

Amount of fertilizer needed in lbs = 26.24

Gary Graham, Smith County Master Gardener
Texas AgriLife Extension Service

Spring with its warmer weather, and the new growing season is just around the corner. It's time for us DIY'ers to start thinking about the lawn.

If we have taken care of the lawn properly, we should be weed free with a lush stand of our favorite grass variety from bermuda to centipede. We could run down to our favorite store and grab a bag of 10-10-10 and spread the whole bag out over the yard. That might work for a while but you would be wasting money, water resources, time and effort. To achieve a properly fertilized turf grass, a soil analysis should be done. It will help you provide a more precise feeding thus saving money, maintenance time and effort, and simultaneously conserving irrigation water.

A soil test can provide us information such as the soil pH, the nutrient availability in the soil, the micronutrient levels and if there are any salinity or sodium problems in the soil. With these facts we can then determine the best ratio and amount of fertilizer to apply to yield a healthy turf grass.

The three major components added to the soil via commercial fertilizer are (1) nitrogen (2) phosphorus (3) potassium. On every bag of fertilizer, by law, is an analysis of the contents expressed in the percent amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium; i.e. 20-10-5 would be a ratio of 20% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus, and 5% potassium. A fifty pound bag of 20-10-5 analysis fertilizer will yield 10 pounds of nitrogen, 5 pounds of phosphorus, and 2.5 pounds of potassium. The remaining 32.5 pounds in the bag is filler. You can adjust the analysis and the amount of application to follow the guidelines provided by the soil test.

You should develop a personal fertilization program for your turf based on soil test analysis, turf grass requirements and mowing/maintenance program. An under-fertilized lawn will have a thin poor colored turf while lawns that are over fertilized may develop thatch and be subject to disease, insects, and damage from use.

John G. Meadows, Smith County Master Gardener Intern
Texas AgriLife Extension Service