Healthy Virginia Lawns

Yes, you can have a healthier, greener lawn while also improving the Chesapeake Bay watershed and reducing pollutants.

Most of us habitually trek to the store each spring or when our grass looks like it’s declining, scan the bagged products on the shelf and select what we hope will result in a lusher, greener lawn. Results rarely meet our expectations and create the unfortunate side effect of excessive fertilizer (nitrogen and phosphorus) running off or leaching into nearby streams and rivers. Algae blooms, fueled by these excess nutrients, consume oxygen in the water, block sunlight, suffocate aquatic life and prevent underwater plants from photosynthesizing.

There is a better way. Healthy Virginia Lawns (HVL) volunteers visit your property, complete a site analysis of your yard, measure the area of turfgrass and collect a representative soil sample. The sample is mailed to Virginia Tech where it is tested and a comprehensive analysis produced. The fee for this service is $30.

Healthy Virginia Lawn Brochure

Ready to schedule your visit?

The $30 charge for this service funds soil sample analysis fees, postage/shipping supply costs and equipment necessary for soil collection.

We now accept your credit card payment right in our online form! Your request is considered submitted once the form is completed, and a Healthy Virginia Lawns volunteer will contact you to schedule your appointment for soil sample collection.

Here it is, our all-in-one HVL online form.

Spring and early summer are when we receive most soil sample requests. We do our best to contact you promptly, but the volume of requests will determine response time.

In some cases, varying conditions may indicate the need for an additional sampling on a specific area. If so, our field technician will consult with the homeowner first. (Additional tests are $15 each.)

Need help with the form? Contact the HVL team.

What clients are saying:

“Thank you for the detailed report on our lawn that will help us maintain it in a responsible way.”

“This is an excellent program and is making a large impact on sustainable lawn maintenance, certainly from my personal experience. We appreciate all the dedicated individuals supporting this initiative and the great work you do.”