"I have now spoken to both the lawn care & tree/shrub technicians and continue to believe that doing business with your company is the right decision. Thank you! Please keep up the excellent service!"

Matthew, Fairport

"Playing fields covered with dense turf have proven safer, as demonstrated by a simple egg drop test. When a dozen raw eggs were dropped from a height of 11 feet onto a two-inch thick piece of dense turf, none broke; two thirds of them broke on thin turf from that height; and from just 18 inches up, all broke on an all-weather track!"

Soil Testing

Whether you are trying to establish a lawn or simply maintain an existing one, you need to first know what condition the soil is in. The success or failure of any crop, from corn to turf grass, can be linked directly to the health of the soil in which it is growing. Without the proper nutrient levels in the soil, plants will be unable to thrive and remain healthy.

A complete soil test should be done in order to determine your soils pH and nutrient levels. This is done by pulling several soil cores from throughout the lawn area. Remove the cores at a depth of about 1-2 inches, then remove any thatch from them and put them in a bag or other suitable container for shipment. Once the sample is collected, send it to a qualified laboratory for testing.

Your local extension agent can usually provide you with a listing of qualified labs for this type of work. Once you receive your test results, you can then determine your fertilization requirements as well as any additional soil amendment requirements, such as lime, that may be needed.

Most fertilizers for home lawns contain 3 major nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, all of which are necessary for good plant health. Each of these nutrients are responsible for different portions of the plants development. If your soil is lacking in one or more of these nutrients , you may see a decline in the health or vigor of your turf. Remember to use the results from your test in selecting the fertilizer analysis that is right for your situation.

At One Step, we believe strongly in the importance of soil testing. Having done literally thousands of soil tests in our area, over the last decade, we have a unique understanding of the general requirement necessary to produce quality lawns. Using this knowledge, we have developed our Natural Care Program which delivers the right nutrients, at the right time, and in the right amount for optimum turf growth and development.