Soil Testing and Soil pH Creating Microclimates Selecting Healthy Plants Growing Peonies In The SouthGo Organic At Home
Pruning Shrubs Making a Wildlife Habitat in Your Backyard Wide Row Planting
Pruning Shrubs Making a Wildlife Habitat in Your Backyard Wide Row Planting
Soil Testing and Soil pH Cont.
Taking a Soil Sample
The accuracy of the soil test is in direct correlation to how the sample is taken. Fall is a good time to take samples since it may take some time for amendments added to the soil to work.
If you utilize a national lawn maintenance service, they may offer, for a fee, to perform the sampling for you and submit it to your local county or co-operative extension service. You will then receive the report(s) and can make the suggested corrections to your soil yourself or request the service to do it.
Page 1 2
The accuracy of the soil test is in direct correlation to how the sample is taken. Fall is a good time to take samples since it may take some time for amendments added to the soil to work.
- Obtain soil sample bags from your local county or co-operative extension service.
- For each different use sample, select 12 or more sites and prepare for sampling by digging a hole 6 to 8 inches deep and about 6 inches in diameter.
- .Do not use the soil that came out of the hole, instead use a trowel to scrape the side of the hole to get a uniform sample from the full depth of the hole.
- Place the soil scraped from each hole into a large bucket.
- When all holes have been dug and sampled for one use, throughly mix that soil in the bucket.
- Label the bag and provide the required information based on your expected use.
- Fill the soil sample bag with the mixed soil.
- If doing several samples, empty bucket of all soil and repeat steps 2 – 7.
- Once all desired samples are completed, take the bags to your extension service.
- An individual report for each sample will be sent to your provided address.
If you utilize a national lawn maintenance service, they may offer, for a fee, to perform the sampling for you and submit it to your local county or co-operative extension service. You will then receive the report(s) and can make the suggested corrections to your soil yourself or request the service to do it.
Page 1 2