soil test

We provide soil testing services for clients around the world through Brookside Labs, and have an active research program in the area of turfgrass nutrition, soil and plant analysis, and sampling methods.

Minimum levels for sustainable nutrition—MLSN—is a modern method for interpreting soil tests for turfgrass.

A project that investigated soil nutrient levels of good-performing turf all over the world.

Measure exact topdressing effect, and requirement, by checking total organic material by depth.

Dried soil samples from the Park Grass experiment at Rothamsted that were collected in 1876. I recommend drying soil samples before sending them to the lab for testing.1 There are a few reasons for this:

I was teaching a seminar about the distinction between soil organic matter (humus) and total organic material, and how to make use of those test results, when this question was posed:

I’ve written about the rapid change in soil pH that can occur in sand rootzones, especially when turf is grown in a tropical climate. That potential for soil pH and other soil parameters to change substantially is one of the reasons I recommend annual testing of turf grown in sand rootzones.

My advice is to test for soil nutrients at the time of the year when nutrient levels are likely to be at their lowest. In temperate climates in which there is some precipitation during the summer, then this is an autumn timing.

Once upon a time, I presented the manganese availability index (MnAI) on soil reports. I also put a line at 45. When the MnAI was less than 45, I recommended Mn application.

The MLSN guidelines were developed using a database of soil test results from good performing turf. The Mehlich 3 extractant was used to obtain these results.1 That leads to a common question, one that goes something like “I’d like to use MLSN but my soil test was done with a different extractant.