Backyard gardens have stopped producing, and everything has been bitten by a couple of hard frosts. There's not much to do in the garden this time of year, but you can get ahead of the game for next year's vegetable garden by taking a soil sample now.
Taking the time to gather a soil sample from your garden spot will help you plan and make changes to your garden's fertility. The results and recommendations of a soil sample will insure all the hard work and effort that goes into developing a garden will not be in vain.
When planting time arrives, how do you know if you are putting the right amount of lime and fertilizer on your lawn, garden or field? A soil test should be the foundation of any fertilization program.
No one call tell whether a field or garden has too much phosphorus or too little organic matter simply by smelling and touching the soil. But, a sample of the soil taken to a local extension office can be tested to determine what is needed to maximize potential.
A soil test provides information on the nutrient levels (potassium, calcium or lime, and magnesium), percent of organic matter and lime requirements.
One of the best pieces of information a soil sample report reveals is the soil's pH. When the pH is low, or on the acidic side, nutrients are not available to be used by the plants even if you add fertilizer.
When the pH is where it needs to be (in the 6.0-6.5pH range) the nutrients that are put on the ground, such as compost or fertilizer, are easily absorbed by the plants and put to use. Lime is often called a poor man's "fertilizer" because you tend to see a growth response from plants as the pH goes up and nutrients become more available for use.
With the results of a soil test, a fertilizer and lime program can be determined based on the needs of the plants to be grown and the condition of the soil.
When taking a soil sample from a lawn, garden or field, use a clean spade and clean pail. Push the spade deep into soil and throw out a spade full of soil.
Then, cut a one-inch slice of soil from the back of the hole with the spade. Be sure the slice goes seven inches deep and is even in width and thickness. Place this slice in the pail
Repeat these steps five or six times at different spots over your lawn, garden or field.
Thoroughly mix the six or seven slices in the pail.
After mixing, take about one pint of soil to your local extension office.
There is usually a fee for the soil test to cover laboratory and handling costs. The total cost varies by location.
Results generally take from one to two weeks to be received and often come with recommendations on which fertilizers to use and how much to apply.
Without the information a soil test provides, growers can only guess at soil conditions, which can result in crop loss or poor blooming.
For more information on soil testing, contact your local Cooperative Extension office.
