Soil structure, root health and vitality are highly reliant on balanced soil chemistry. Managed turf requires soil chemistry to be checked and treated on a daily basis.
Turf responsiveness to fertiliser can be limited by low or high pH, trace elements deficiency, soil compaction and water logging etc. All of these conditions can be easily detected from a reputable soil test and treated to ensure that nutritional products work like they are supposed to.
While there is no wrong time to test soil, most intensive fertilisation takes place in spring and autumn. Soil analysis prior to those seasons is
the most logical timing.
An important soil test measurement is the ratio of 5 soil cations (ca ++, Mg ++, K_, H+), combined with pH. This balance influences a soil’s structure and its susceptibility to compaction. A reputable soil test gives detailed recommendations for corrective amendments – either gypsum (CaSO4), lime (CaCO3), dolomite (CaMgCO3) epsom salts (MgSO4) or sulphur (s). This will restore the balance of a soil chemistry to optimum – 70% Ca++, 20%, Mg++,5% k+,
Living Turf uses My-Results, an online analytical database to view, streamline and manipulate soil, water, nematode and disease tests. My-Results facilitates the exchange of result information with trained agronomists and improves the ease of critically reviewing cultural practices for effect on soil chemistry and health.
