Have you ever looked at a plant in your yard and wondered why some branches and leaves seem to be dying? Have you noticed that your Bermuda grass lawn isn’t growing as well as you want it to? Has your water started smelling or tasting unusual? These are all questions that the extension office is here to help answer! We offer different services to determine the causes of these issues.
Soil testing
All plants (like people) have nutrient requirements, and these needs must be met for successful growth. We may notice that plant growth has remained static for an extended period of time, or that a plant that was green and full is now brown and patchy. These plants are trying to tell us that they need something to continue to grow, and it’s up to us to figure out what they need.
Our most popular service that we offer is soil testing. These tests are personalized for what’s being grown (lawns, vegetables, ornamental plants, trees, etc.) and look at their required nutrients and compare that to what’s present in the soil. The tests look at the pH of the soil, as well as the macronutrients that are present. Macronutrients are those that are required in larger amounts such as: nitrogen(N), phosphorous (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn). If any of these nutrients are low or high, the test also gives fertilization and liming recommendations to bring them to the appropriate levels.
The best time to get your soil tested is about 8-10 weeks before you start a new landscaping project. This gives you time to get your results back and apply the recommendations, so your soil is sufficiently prepared for the new plantings. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you can’t test the soil for your established plants, lawn and trees, especially if something isn’t growing well. Once you get your soil tested and…
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