How to read your soil test results (plain English guide)

You sent in your soil test, waited two weeks, and now you have a report full of numbers that mean nothing to you. Here is what every number means and exactly what to do about it.

pH — the foundation of everything

Soil pH measures acidity on a scale from 0 to 14. For lawns, the ideal range is 6.0 to 7.0. Below 6.0: apply pelletized lime. Above 7.0: apply elemental sulfur. If pH is off, nothing else works efficiently.

Nitrogen (N)

Nitrogen drives green color and blade growth. If low, your grass is thin, light green, and slow-growing. Apply a balanced fertilizer or Milorganite. Four applications per year is typical for cool-season lawns.

Phosphorus (P)

Phosphorus drives root growth. Low: apply starter fertilizer (18-24-12) especially when seeding. High: skip phosphorus fertilizers until levels drop.

Potassium (K)

Potassium is your lawn's immune system — disease, drought, and cold resistance. Low: apply muriate of potash (0-0-60) in fall. High: rare and usually not a concern.

Organic matter

Ideal range is 3-5 percent. Below 3 percent: top-dress with a quarter inch of compost after aerating. Mulch clippings instead of bagging. This is a multi-year improvement.

What to do with all of this

Prioritize pH first. Then address the most deficient nutrient. One correction per season is realistic. Grasslytics reads your soil test for you — upload a photo and the AI breaks it all down with specific product recommendations.