Soil is the foundation of healthy plants, which means it’s super important to the growth and maintenance of your garden. You might not think about it often, but your soil can actually say a lot about your garden and what you need to do to fix it. Soil can be full of nutrients or so depleted that nothing will grow in it. It all depends on a variety of factors. So, how do you know if your soil isn’t where it needs to be? By getting it tested! A soil test will let you know exactly what nutrients are lacking in your soil and what amendments you should add to make things better. Here we’ll go over everything you need to know about testing your soil and what to do if the results aren’t ideal.
What is a Soil Test?
A soil test is a way to figure out what is happening in your soil. The purpose is to help you understand what’s preventing your crops from growing and give you the information you need to change that. This is especially helpful if you’re new to gardening as it can help you avoid a lot of the common mistakes that new gardeners make. A soil test will measure the amount of nutrients in your soil and tell you what you need to add to make it better.
A soil test is generally done by taking a sample of the soil in your garden. You can do this with a shovel, a garden trowel, or even a big spoon. You’ll want to take it from several different places since the condition of your soil will vary depending on things like sunlight, drainage, and the type of soil you have. Once you have your samples, you’ll send them to a lab to get tested. You can usually get a soil test done at your local Cooperative Extension office.
Why is Soil Testing Important?
Soil testing is important for a few reasons. First, it gives you an idea of what you need to do to improve your soil. This will help you plan out your planting seasons and know what types of plants will do best in your garden. A soil test also gives you a baseline for future tests. This will help you understand how the season has affected your soil and how you can improve it in the future. Finally, soil testing is required for certain types of soil amendments. Some amendments like fertilizer need to be applied according to the needs of your garden. This means you have to test the soil to figure out exactly how much of each nutrient it needs. Soil testing helps you do that.
How to Get Your Soil Tested
Most Cooperative Extension offices offer soil testing. This is a great way to get a soil test done because the results are usually more accurate than the kits you buy at the store. The first thing you’ll want to do is figure out what kind of soil you have. This will help you determine what you need to add to your soil. There are generally three types of soil: clay, loam, and sand. You can determine what kind of soil you have by taking a handful of dirt and squishing it in your hands.
If it turns into a solid brick, it’s probably clay. Crumbly and falls apart when you pinch it? it’s sandy soil. If it stays kind of squishy and holds together in a little ball, it’s loam. Once you know what type of soil you have, you’ll want to get your soil tested. You can do this by going to your Cooperative Extension office and filling out a form. You’ll need to bring a sample of your soil to the office in a baggie or container – a sandwich bag works great.
What to Do With the Results
After you get your results from your soil test, you’ll want to figure out how to apply the results to your garden. You can usually find this information on the report you get from the lab. If you don’t see it, give them a call to make sure you get the correct information. The most important thing your soil test results will tell you is what nutrients are lacking in your soil and what amendments you should add to make things better. For example, if your soil test shows that it is lacking nitrogen, you can apply coffee grounds to give it a boost. This will also help you amend your soil and add other nutrients it might be missing. You can look up the results of your soil test online or in a gardening guide to find out what amendments you should add and how much.
Soil is the foundation of healthy plants
This means it’s super important to the growth and maintenance of your garden. You might not think about it often, but your soil can actually say a lot about your garden and what you need to do to fix it. Soil can be full of nutrients or so depleted that nothing will grow in it. It all depends on a variety of factors. So, how do you know if your soil isn’t where it needs to be? By getting it tested! A soil test will let you know exactly what nutrients are lacking in your soil and what amendments you should add to make things better.
Remember to feed your soil because the soil feeds your plants.