The health and beauty of a plant or the productivity of a crop is directly related to the health and vitality of the soil in which it grows.
- When the pH is wrong, nothing works right - not fertilizers, not weed killers, and especially not the biological components within the soil.
- When the Organic Matter content is low…the soil is unproductive, and crops, trees or turf lack the energy sources to help them grow.
- When soluble salts and chlorides are too high, the microbes that live in the soil and help aerate and digest dead plant material (turning them into organic material) are killed, thereby increasing soil compaction.
- When the soil is compacted, not enough air, water or nutrients can enter the root zone, so the plants suffer greatly.
- When the soluble salts and chlorides are too high, the roots gets burned, significantly
reducing the amount of water and nutrients the plant can absorb.
- When nutrients are out of balance with each other, in either short or excessive supply, or not available for the plant’s use, the plant is not as healthy and therefore more susceptible to disease and insect attacks.
- When secondary & micro nutrients are lacking, plants are weak and damaged more easily by wear & tear, drought conditions and insect/disease problems.
These conditions cannot be determined accurately unless a comprehensive soil test is taken.
The soil test will determine what unhealthy conditions exist and what corrective actions are required. If corrections are not made:
For Turf - thatch, weed, insect and disease problems will inevitably develop resulting in additional chemical usage, mechanical intervention and unnecessary costs.
For Trees & Shrubs – fewer/smaller blossoms, reduced leaf size and vigor, slower growth and greater likelihood for disease.
For Agriculture – lower yields, increased N-P-K requirements (more expense) reduced nutrient levels, and less drought and disease tolerance.
For Gardens – Whether flowers or vegetables, quantity, quality, shelf life and, in the case of food crops, nutritional content are all impacted by poor soil quality and nutrient imbalance.