If you’ve ever wondered, “Does my soil have problems”, “Does my soil need amendments?”, or “How much amendments do I need?”, a soil test may be an option to consider. Available through local cooperative extension offices or private laboratories, you can get a fairly comprehensive and informative test done fairly inexpensively. Soil testing laboratories test the soil’s pH level and nutrient contents. Most vegetables prefer a slightly acidic soil, about 6.2 to 7.0 pH.

The nutrients most commonly tested for are phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sulfur and magnesium. The lab may or may not include nitrogen as part of their basic test. The reason? Because the nitrogen content of your soil can change dramatically and quickly. Each testing lab will have its own types of tests, so check to see what’s available to you locally or online.

The two most critical points to remember when doing this are “cleanliness” and “variety”. You will wanna use clean tools (without rust or corrosion) to sample the soil, a clean container to mix it, and clean bags to store it. Small amounts of contaminants can distort the testing results. In addition, you’ll want to take samples from different areas of your garden to get a reading that’s representative of your entire garden area. In my case, since my garden uses raised beds, it was a matter of taking samples from each bed.

What do I need?

• Spade or shovel (preferably made of steel)

• Hand trowel

• Plastic bucket

• Quart-size plastic bag(s). Thin plastic bags, such as sandwich bags, are better than thicker plastic bags. Do not use brown paper bags.

• Permanent waterproof marker to label the plastic bags

Procedure:

1. Clear mulch, leaves, plant growth, or other large surface objects from the sample spot.

2. Dig a hole about as wide as your spade, and about 6-7″ deep. Set the soil aside.

3. With the spade tip placed one inch outside the edge of the hole, cut down to remove a slice of one side of the hole wall.

4. Keeping that slice on the blade of the spade, use the hand trowel to cut away the sides of the slice, leaving a center section about 1-2 inches wide. This vertical section of the soil is your “subsample”.

5. Place the subsample in the plastic bucket.

Note: If the soil is wet, allow it to air-dry by spreading it out on clean paper or plastic. Do not heat the soil.

6. Repeat steps 1-5 for the other locations you want to test a sample for.

7. Mix the subsamples in the plastic bucket together well using the hand trowel.

8. Remove about 2 cups (1 pint) of the soil mixture and place it into the plastic bag. This is the composite sample that you’ll be sending to the testing lab for analysis. You may want to put this bag into a second bag, just in case of a breakage or spill.

9. Mark the bag with a sample ID number using the permanent marker.

10. Fill out the appropriate forms and mail them, along with the soil sample, to the testing lab. 

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Ideal Tool for All Gardeners Use: Our heavy duty trenching shovel is designed by a professional gardening tool designer. Lifetime Durability: This heavy duty drain spade is made of high-quality stainless steel, it is very strong and durable, even if it is used for high-strength work, it will not bend. Ergonomic Wood Handle: The handle of this planting spade is made of ash hardwood harvested from FSC-certified forests and has an ergonomically streamlined design, making it very suitable for everyone's hands. Multi-Use: This digging shovel is generally used for digging trenches, digging holes, transplanting, edging, moving compost, cutting thick turf and furrowing. The sharp blade allows you to cut, scoop, dig, lift and dice in hard soil.

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Solid Build—The Ashman Garden Cultivator/Tiller is strong in construction so that it can withstand heavy work in the garden. The blade and the shaft are coupled well for deep digging and uprooting the soil from the depths. It serves the purpose of cultivation very well. Create a blooming crop and watch it blossom and reap the benefits. Sharpened Fine piercing Blade—The blades are razor sharp and are made to pierce into any kind of soil and to serve digging, loosening soil, and weeding. The blades are rust-proof and have chip-resistant coating enhancing durability. Use it to control weeds, bury crop residue in the soil, and for preparing a proper seed bed. High-Quality Design—The thoughtful design incorporated to shape the blades in L shape helps dig deep into the soil and rip it from beneath for cultivation. This helps a lot when weeding. Dig well and plant well. The handle is made to fit in the hand well and can be held tightly to apply push and pull forces effectively. Practical Utility—The garden cultivator is made with “practical utility” as the core of its purpose. It serves all the necessary purposes when gardening. Helps mix soil, which will loosen it up, providing more nutrients for the crops.

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