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Advice & Guidelines on Soil Testing

Growing bountiful plants begins with knowledge of your soil type. Just
as you wouldn't go to the drugstore with a cold and load up on just
anything on the shelves, or go to the doctor and ask for some pills, any
pills, analyzing and planning are essential to making good soil. Plant
requirements vary, but all soils need basic elements, such as nitrogen,
phosphorous and potassium, along with trace minerals, for healthy
plant growth. However, the amount of each of these elements needed
by your soil can be different from the needs of your neighbor's soil.
Most plants also benefit from a significant amount of organic matter in
the soil. The San Francisco Bay area is made up of various soil types.
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The best advice is test, don't guess, when it comes to preparing your
soil for planting.
Related Articles

Soil Tests
1 Take Soil Samples for Blueberries

Soil test analysis is best left to the experts at a laboratory. Many do-it-
yourself kits are available, but results can be unreliable, and they are
2 Test the Ground & Soil
limited at best. The University of California Cooperative Extension
Program serves each of the nine counties of the San Francisco Bay
area. Your local cooperative extension office can provide you with a soil
test kit and guidance in completing your soil test, along with
instructions on returning the soil sample to the cooperative extension
office or mailing the sample to the testing laboratory.

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Soil Sampling Guidelines
3 Do Jalapeno Peppers Like Acidic or Alkaline Soil?
Key to accurate soil testing is taking good soil samples. Avoid
contamination of the sample by using a stainless steel soil probe, bulb
digger or hand spade. Digging instruments made of galvanized steel,
4 Homemade Soil Probes

copper or other material with mineral content can leave enough residue
in the sample to skew test results. Dig straight down to a depth of 6
inches and remove a 2-inch core of soil. Place this sample in a clean plastic bucket. Take three to six samples from the same general
area and mix the samples together in your bucket. If you have more than one type of soil in your yard, such as areas of sandy soil
next to areas of sandy clay, complete a test kit for each area as the needs of different soils can vary. Follow the instructions with your
kit and complete the paperwork.

Time Frame

Allow eight weeks for return of your soil sample analysis from the laboratory. It may not take this long, but it is best to plan ahead and
allow plenty of time for the results to come back to you before your desired planting time. Take samples when the soil is not overly
wet, as wet samples have to dry out before they are analyzed.
Soil Test Results

Your soil test results provide you with information on your soil's pH level, a measure of acidity or alkalinity of your soil, and
recommendations for treatment to bring the soil to the desired pH level for your plant needs. Test results also provide information on
phosphorous, potassium and other nutrients needed to grow the types of plants you indicated on your soil test submission.

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 References (2)
Contra Costa County Master Gardener's Program; TKL; Contra Costa County, California
Daren Hubers; Agronomist and Farmer; Pantego, North Carolina

Resources (2)
University of California Cooperative Extension: Testing Laboratory Services Available to the Public
North Coast Gardening: Cheap Soil Testing: How and Why to Do It

About the Author

For Judy Kilpatrick, gardening is the best mental health therapy of all. Combining her interests in both of these fields,
Kilpatrick is a professional flower grower and a practicing, licensed mental health therapist. A graduate of East Carolina
University, Kilpatrick writes for national and regional publications.

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 Photo Credits
Thinkstock/Comstock/Getty Images

Cite this
Article

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