Reasons to Enlist Soil Testing Services

For some homeowners who have yard space, home gardening tends be an option they consider. However, you will find that some homeowners will try to engage in some home gardening and no matter their efforts, their plants simply do not flourish. However, this does not necessarily mean that you do not have a green thumb. In some cases, your plants may be wilting away because they are not getting sufficient nutrition from the soil, no matter how often you water them. This is why homeowners who engage in gardening as a hobby should consider soil testing. Here are some of the reasons to enlist soil testing services. 

Soil testing determines your soil's pH levels

For plants to thrive in soil, they require the right pH levels. Soil pH levels should be looked at as an intermediary between the nutrients in the soil and the plants themselves. This is because the pH levels of the soil will determine whether or not the plants will be able to absorb the nutrients available in the soil. Generally, plants tend to absorb nutrients better when the pH levels of the soil are neither too acidic nor too alkaline. 

However, some plants would require higher levels of acidity to absorb nutrients such as blueberry plants, whereas others will need an alkaline environment such as sage plants. This is why it is prudent to get a soil test done to ensure that the plants you are growing in your home garden are being exposed to the right pH levels for ultimate nutrient absorption. 

Soil testing will determine the presence of toxic metals

Another reason why your home garden may not be flourishing is if there are toxic metals present in the soil. These are especially common in urban areas more so than in rural areas. Additionally, your soil may also be exposed to toxic chemicals if there are kids' play sets which have been treated with metal oxides to prevent them from deteriorating due to consistent exposure to the elements. Some metal compounds that could prove toxic to your plants include cadmium, arsenic and lead. 

It should be noted though that not all metals are toxic. Metals such as copper, manganese and iron can be present in your soil in trace amounts and not impede on the flourishing of your home garden. By enlisting soil testing services, you can establish if there are any toxic metals in your soil. This then enables you to take measures to rid these from your soil so that your plants can thrive.