3. Your lawn may need more than 1 inch per week depending on the weather. Temperatures much above 80 degrees F and winds above 10 mph may cause evaporation that might mean the turf grasses need more water.

1 and 4. What does a good reliable soil test say about the soil you have? Texas A & M's prices are now out of the average homeowners price range but UCONN will do out of state analysis, http://www.soiltest.uconn.edu/sampling.php reasonably.

2. Bagging those grass clippings exposes you to them several times as you handle them more than mulch mowing would. Recycling those grass clippings where they came from, mulch mowing, can supply up to 1./2 of the nutrients that grass needs annually.

kimmq is kimmsr

Thanks! I have been watching for the grass to change tint and curl in on itself before watering. It's usually every 6-7 days, but we've also gotten a ton of rainfall through the beginning of the summer. I'll make sure to keep an eye on it and water more/longer if it gets below 5-6 days in between.

I'll send off a soil sample. It's all very clay like here.

You would definitely be right about the multiple grass exposure if I were doing it myself. We've been paying someone to do it and he dumps it in our compost bin after. I can have him leave it unbagged, but was concerned that, by cutting it every other week, we'd be cutting more than 1/3 of the blade at a time and leaving it might be too dense/cause thatching?

There are many different options for soil testing - what all do I need to have it tested for? I can have either of these done inexpensively through an A&M extension:

1. Routine Analysis (R) (pH, NO3-N, Conductivity and Mehlich III by ICP P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, and S)

2. Routine + Micronutrients (Micro) (In addition to suite 1, DTPA Zn, Fe, Cu, and Mn)

Also, reading the instructions for soil sampling, I know (because of digging out some crabgrass previously) that if I go down 6 inches, all I have is sand mixture that was brought into the subdivision to raise the front yard above street level (which may be why my back yard is soooo much better than my front). I have 2ish inches of top soil. Is the sand mixture worth testing?

(I should probably mention, too, that I'm not using the composting on the yard, but in our flower bed.)

A mulching mower used properly will not leave any clumps of grass on the surface of the turf, the mower needs to watch the speed they are going since too fast will leaves those clumps.

The price list I saw for TAMUs soil testing started at around $68.00 per sample, quite expensive, and most private soil testing labs start at around #25.00 per sample.

When having a soil test done you want the soil sample to reflect the plant root zone and that is the top six inches of your soil, so any sample should be that deep. In addition to a soil test for soil pH and nutrient levels these simple soil tests may also be of some help.

1) Soil test for organic
material. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in
a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and
replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24
hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight.
For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the
bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above
that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top.

2) Drainage. Dig a hole
1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains
away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain
away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains’ too quickly and needs
more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the
soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up.

3) Tilth. Take a handful
of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is
released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a
finger that clump should fall apart.

4) Smell. What does your
soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant
odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria
will be and the nicer your soil will smell, to a point. Too much organic matter
can be bad as well.

5) Life. How many
earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5,
according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that
is not healthy.

kimmq is kimmsr