If you want a thriving garden, knowing your soils make up is the key first step. By taking a proper soil sample, you can get insights into its nutrients, pH level, and overall health. This information helps you choose the right plants and amendments for a successful growing season.

Tools You’ll Need:

  • Soil probe (ideal) or clean garden spade/trowel
  • Clean plastic bucket
  • Gloves (optional)
  • Labeling material (permanent marker, tag)

Steps to Take:

Timing is key:

  • Avoid sampling when the soil is very wet. If it is necessary to sample very wet soil, spread the sample in a thin layer on a clean sheet of waxed paper or plastic and allow it to dry at room temperature before testing

Define your sampling area: 

  • If your garden has distinct zones (flower beds, vegetable patches and lawn), take separate samples for each.

Taking the cores:

  • Using a soil probe: Push the probe straight down and extract a core. Repeat this process 10-15 times in a zig-zag pattern across your chosen area.
  • Using a spade/trowel: Dig a hole about 6-8 inches deep for lawns and 3 inches for flowers or veggies. Cut a clean, 1-inch wide slice of soil from top to bottom. Take similar slices from several spots within the area.

Mixing and labeling:

  • Remove any debris like roots, leaves or rocks from your samples.
  • Combine all the cores/slices for a specific area in your clean bucket and mix them thoroughly.
  • Take about 1 cup of the mixed soil for testing.

Label your sample bag: 

  • If submitting for testing Include the date, location within your garden, and any specific concerns you have. 

Testing:

Bonus Tip: Avoid using tools made of brass, bronze, or galvanized steel, as these metals can contaminate your sample.

By following these steps, you’ll get a representative soil sample that provides valuable information for optimizing your garden’s health. Happy testing!