SOIL TESTING

Encourages plant growth by providing the best lime and fertilizer recommendations.

When growers guess about the need for lime or fertilizers, too little or too much is likely to be applied. By using a soil test report, the grower does not need to guess. 

For Example: When applying too much lime, soil pH may rise above the needed level, which causes nutrients such as iron, manganese, boron, copper and zinc to become less available to plants. It is also common to see homeowners purchase one bag of lime when they purchase one bag of fertilizer. Based on an average lawn size of 5000 square feet, one bag of fertilizer may be enough. Applying one bag of lime over 5000 square feet, however, will have little effect on soil pH.

Diagnoses whether there is too little or too much of a nutrient. 

Promotes environmental quality.
When gardeners apply only as much fertilizer as is necessary, nutrient runoff into surface or ground water is minimized and natural resources are conserved. 

Saves money that might otherwise be spent on unneeded lime and fertilizer.

Extension FactSheets for further reference -

Time it right.

Take a soil sample a few months before starting any new landscaping—whether your laying sod, starting a vegetable garden, putting in a flower bed, or planting perennials. If the soil test report recommends lime, you will have enough time to apply it and have it adjust the soil pH before you plant. 

Sample established areas—lawns, trees, shrubbery, and other perennials—once every three or four years. You can sample at any time of year; however, mid-August through mid-September is an ideal time to take samples for cool-season grasses, such as fescue, bluegrass, and ryegrass. By sampling at this time, you can be ready to apply lime in the fall. 

For areas recently limed or fertilized, delay sampling at least six to eight weeks. 

Use clean sampling equipment.

Use a soil probe, spade, hand garden trowel, or shovel to collect samples. Do not use brass, bronze, or galvanized tools because they will contaminate samples with copper and/or zinc. 

Mix samples in a clean, plastic bucket. If the bucket has been used to hold fertilizer or other chemicals, wash it thoroughly before using it for soil samples. 

Sample each unique area separately.

Each sample should represent only one soil type or area — for example, a lawn, vegetable garden or perennial landscaped area. For each unique area, take at least six to eight subsamples and combine them to make one sample. If one area of your yard seems healthy and another has bare or yellow areas, sample healthy and unhealthy areas separately even if both are lawn grasses or flower gardens, etc. 

Take a soil core to the appropriate depth.

For lawns, sample to a depth of four inches, excluding any turf thatch. 

For vegetable and flower gardens, sample to the depth that you plan to mix in lime or fertilizer, usually four to six inches. 

For shrubbery, remove any mulch or surface debris, then sample to a depth of four to six inches around the base of plants. Avoid zones where lime or fertilizer have been recently applied. 

Mix sample cores well. 

Place all the subsamples for one unique area in a plastic bucket and mix thoroughly. Use the mixture in the bucket to fill a soil sample bag about two-thirds full. Look for the fill line on the bag. 

Fill out an information sheet and label the sample completely.

There are a number of soil and tissue testing laboratories to which you could submit your sample. OSU Extension FactSheet HYG-1132-99  provides a partial listing of those labs and their services.  Samples submitted to OSU Extension, Hancock County and Blanchard Valley Farmers Cooperative are currently being processed at Sure-Tech Laboratories. 

This lab has three basic analysis packages

• R = $12 Routine Analysis: P,K,pH, lime index, Ca, Mg, CEC, cation saturations, CA/Mg ratio and Mg/K ratio
• RO = $13 Routine Analysis with Organic Matter: P,K,pH, lime index, Ca, Mg, CEC, cation saturations, Ca/Mg ratio, Mg/K ratio and organic matter
• C = $16 Complete Analysis: P,K,pH, lime index, Ca, Mg, CEC, cation saturations, Ca/Mg ration, Mg/K ratio, organic matter, Zn, Mn, B, Cu, S
  

Package the sample appropriately.

Put the soil mixture (about 2 cups of dry dirt) in the sample bag. Do not tape the bag or put soil in a plastic bag.

Consult an agricultural advisor for more help on sampling, interpreting soil test results, and understanding how to implement them.