The standard soil test is the starting point in any good turf management program. It gives us the basic nutritional load in the soil, provides base saturation percentage relationships, pounds per acre of the basic cations and anions including sodium, the cation exchange capacity (CEC), soil pH, and trace nutrient levels. Management through this test can help to open up tight soils and create a better environment for soil microbial populations improving nutrient mobility. The standard soil test is the “road map” when building a quality soil fertility program and helps to identify what to apply and how much. Standard soil tests should be taken every 1-3 years depending on levels of maintenance required on the site.