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How to Read and Interpret A Soil Test: A Field Service Manual for Growing Healthy, Vibrant Turfgrass (Volume 1)
By Joe Marchinchin, M.S.
Corporate Agronomist, Turf Care Supply Corp.
SUMMARY
Introducing the green industry's most comprehensive guide to understanding and analyzing a soil test. Learn step by step as the author, agronomist, Joe Marchinchin reviews and explains each test result and how to adjust your soil for optimal turf health.
INTRODUCTION
Whether participating in a turf/agronomic conference or watching an informative video online, we’ve all heard that infamous suggestion prior to fertilization, “First, make sure to perform a soil test.” If you’re a superintendent of a golf course, there’s a good chance that regular soil tests are an important component of your turf maintenance program. If you’re a landscape professional (or LCO), you might only conduct a soil test if your client’s turf health is struggling, or the client agrees to pay for it. If you’re a typical D.I.Y./homeowner who just wants to get his/her fertilizer down, odds are you’re going to skip it.
Realistically, if you want vibrant, healthy, lush green turf, you should perform a soil test and condition the soil at least once per year.
Why perform a soil test?
A soil test helps agronomists, greenskeepers, lawn care operators and property owners determine which soil amendments and nutrients to add to the soil, and how much. Without soil test data, applicators can only guess what to apply (or not to apply) based on visual cues from the soil and overall plant vigor.
What questions are commonly addressed by a standard soil test?
What is the macro and micronutrient content of my soil?
What is the pH of my soil?
What is the organic matter content of my soil?
What is the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of my soil?
What is my soil’s texture?
Does my soil suffer from heavy metal contamination?
What data is typically shown on a soil test?
A complete panel of standardized tests typically includes all of the following data:
- Macronutrient content (N, P, K, S) (often with fertilizer recommendations)
- Micronutrient content (Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu, B) (often with fertilizer recommendations)
- Other element/ion content (Na, Cl) Heavy metal content (Cd, Ni, Pb, Cr, Hg, As, Ba) (this is usually a separate add-on test)
- pH
- Cation exchange capacity (CEC) (with computed percent cation saturation)
- Excess lime rating Soluble salts
- Particle size analysis (with soil texture interpretation)
- Organic & Inorganic matter content (the ratio)
Now that we know which tests are typically conducted in a standard full soil analysis, let’s go through each test one by one. In this handbook, we’ll cover pertinent background information related to each test and explain how to interpret your test results.
It is our hope that the knowledge you gain here will help you make decisions so that you can positively influence soil to maximize the health and appearance of turf.
Turf Care Supply - TurfReport Blog
Platte River Equity Portfolio Company Turf Care Supply, LLC Acquires Agri-Nutrients, Inc. Brunswick, OH , October 9, 2024 – Platte River Equity (“Platte River”) portfolio company Turf Care Supply, LLC (“Turf Care”) is pleased to announce its acquisition of Agri-Nutrients, Inc. (“Agri-Nutrients”), a manufacturer and blender of custom granular fertilizers for the turf & ornamental (“T&O”) industry. This strategic acquisition provides Turf Care with an established presence in the south-central United States, an enhanced product portfolio and additional manufacturing capacity. “This acquisition represents much more than a business transaction; it is a strategic step forward in expanding our reach and enhancing our customers’ growth. By bringing Agri-Nutrients into the Turf Care family, we are broadening our product portfolio, expanding our market presence and further positioning ourselves as a leader in providing innovative solutions for our customers,” said Mark Mangan, President of Turf Care. “We are excited about joining the Turf Care team,” said Jim Montgomery, President of Agri-Nutrients. “At Agri-Nutrients, our core values center around customer service and product innovation, and we are confident that this combination will allow us to better serve the needs of our customers.” “Platte River welcomes the Agri-Nutrients team to Turf Care. This transaction underscores our long-term commitment to fostering growth through both organic and inorganic initiatives across the Turf Care platform,” said Tarun Kanthety, Vice President of Platte River. “The partnership with Agri-Nutrients strengthens Turf Care’s value-added offering, creating additional growth opportunities across the combined customer base.” B&A Corporate Advisors served as the exclusive financial advisor to Agri-Nutrients. About Agri-Nutrients Founded in 1992 and based in Catoosa, OK, Agri-Nutrients is a manufacturer and blender of custom granular fertilizers for the T&O industry, predominantly selling into the lawn care, sports turf and golf course end markets. About Turf Care Supply Established in 1974, Turf Care Supply is one of the largest formulators and blenders of urea products to the T&O market. Turf Care has a comprehensive product portfolio of fertilizers, combination products (herbicide/insecticide), soil amendments and enhanced efficiency fertilizer ingredients. Turf Care's products are sold to distributors and blenders serving the commercial, residential and golf end markets. Turf Care operates four manufacturing facilities strategically located throughout the eastern U.S. About Platte River Equity Founded in 2006 and based in Denver, CO, Platte River Equity is a private equity firm focused on investments in established lower middle market operating companies within targeted industrial sectors where it has substantial operating and investing experience. Platte River utilizes prudent capital structures in order to invest in future growth opportunities and withstand changing economic environments. The firm also provides significant ongoing support to its portfolio companies through dedicated resources across functional areas. The firm has raised funds with committed capital in excess of $1.6 billion and is currently investing out of its fifth fund. The Platte River team is the largest collective investor across its funds, deeply aligning the firm with its investors and portfolio company management teams.
Dear Valued Industry Partners and Customers, We are pleased to announce that Turf Care Supply, LLC has acquired Agri-Nutrients, Inc. (October 1, 2024) a respected manufacturer in the turf and ornamental fertilizer industry. This acquisition marks a significant step forward in our commitment to providing you with an expanded range of innovative products, services, and industry expertise, all designed to support your business’s continued growth and success. As a valued partner or customer, you will benefit from enhanced service capabilities and an extended geographic reach, thanks to Agri-Nutrients, Inc.’s strategic facility located in the Port of Catoosa, Oklahoma. With this established presence in the Southwest and Western markets, Turf Care Supply, LLC’s expanded operational footprint will allow us to serve a broader region with greater efficiency, delivering even stronger support to help drive your business forward. We are dedicated to ensuring a seamless transition while maintaining the high standards of service you expect. If you have any questions or would like to explore how this new location can enhance your operations, please feel free to contact your account manager or our customer service team. Thank you for your continued trust in Turf Care Supply, LLC. We look forward to partnering with you as we grow together and continue supporting your success. Sincerely, Mark Mangan President Turf Care Supply, LLC
With a focus on providing sustainable manufacturing and reducing carbon emissions, Turf Care Supply has embraced the electric power market with the latest mobile equipment upgrades. Completed in June 2023, TCS received all deliveries of electric forklifts to all three manufacturing facilities, including Hatfield, MA, Martins Ferry, OH and Sebring, FL.