Soil is a very dynamic conglomerate of living organisms and essential nutrients working together for a variety of different functions. Having proper soil conditions for plants in a typical landscape is one of the most important factors to having healthy plants. Proper soil conditions means that there are adequate amounts of plant available nutrients in the soil, adequate amounts of organic matter in the soil, and enough of the correct types of living organisms to create the correct conditions for plants to live in (bacteria, fungi, protozoa, etc…)

If you were to go out to the forest and take a shovel full of soil from the forest floor you would most likely find rich dark soil crawling with worms and insects and teeming with bacteria and fungi. Of course there would also be lots and lots of compost like organic matter. This soil can be considered the root of most plant issues we find in the landscape.

In most landscapes there are serious issues with compaction, stripping of topsoil, old construction damage, and the removal of natural organic matter (leaves, sticks, grass clippings etc..) It is reasonable that we take these away so that we can make our yards usable spaces for us to enjoy. The important part is making sure that we put back into the soil the essential components it needs to support thriving plant life.

All of our soil care recommendations start with a lab analysis of your soil. This will allow us to determine what nutrients are in the soil and if they are available for plant uptake. This usually is a test to determine the acidity of the soil because each plant has an optimal Ph for its species. It will also determine the amount of organic matter in the soil. Even farther detailed tests can be done to identify micro-organisms in the soil, density of the soil, or a host of other attributes. Soil compaction can usually be determined by simply probing the ground.

From there we will base our recommendations on the test results and will create a prescription fertilizer/bio-stimulant blend customized for your soil. We may also make recommendations for us to physically break up compaction issues using one of a few different methods.

In most cases you will notice a direct result of the fertilization by having healthier looking plants that are more stress tolerant and can better fend off insect and disease infestations naturally. This is usually just one part of an customized overall plant health care program.