Do you have some brown and/or dry spots on your lawn that you just can’t explain? Is your lawn just not as green and as thick as you would like it to be even though it is being watered well and fertilized? If so, then this post is for you.

If you think there may be a chance you are overwatering your lawn (this can also make a lawn brown and appear dry) see our post “Are You Overwatering Your Lawn?” Overwatering is more often the cause of lawn problems for people trying to have a great-looking lawn than underwatering.

In the past, sending a soil sample to a lab was an expensive and slow process. Fast forward to 2021, and for less than 55 bucks you can have soil results back within a week. (Under $35 if you use a hand shovel or don’t need to purchase a soil sample probe!)

Here’s what you need to do:
1. Go to Here and order your soil testing kit. $29.99 plus shipping. Don’t buy the probe from them as there is a higher quality, cheaper probe on Amazon.
2. If you need a probe, go to Amazon and order this one: Here
3. When both your soil testing kit and probe have arrived, follow the directions in the soil sample kit to collect a sample of 6 plugs from your yard. From our experience, it is easier to break the plugs up a little in a bucket, let them dry overnight, and then smash them to a finer powder the next day. Package it up and mail it off. (Postage is already paid so all you have to do is put the sample in the mail!)
4. Download the app or create a login on Yard Mastery’s website and wait for your results. We generally see results in about 5 business days from when the sample was mailed.

Once you have your results back you can decide on your plan of action. Yard Mastery will recommend some of their own products, but you can get similar or better products faster and cheaper by visiting IFA or any other local country store. We recommend a two-part application, meaning apply half of the recommended product initially and then wait 10-14 days and apply the 2nd half. If you don’t see results a week after that, do the third application.

**Watering is ALWAYS key, even with the soil test. Here’s how to know how long and how frequent to water. If you are following government recommendations, you will struggle to have a thick and lush lawn. That minimum amount of water will keep it alive, but it will suffer permanent damage. You will want to apply insecticides regularly as dry soil is one of the leading causes of insect infestations. You should also apply soil-wetting agents and conditioners to maximize water absorption efficiency.

If these ideas sound great and you want a great-looking yard but don’t want to do all of the work, then fill out this form, and Everything Exterior will send you a quote for full-service landscape maintenance (AKA: Complete Yard Care, Lawn Care, or Lawn Mowing).