This post will explore the process of soil testing, including how to get a free soil test kit. Soil is important for healthy lawns because it provides nutrients and absorbs water. If your lawn is not growing well or you have noticed weeds in areas that were previously weed-free, then you may want to consider getting a soil test done. This blog post will also discuss what soils need to be tested for and whether you should use organic fertilizer or synthetic fertilizer on your lawn after completing the test.
Why is Testing Soil pH Important?
Soil pH is important because it determines which nutrients are available to the plant. Extremely acidic or alkaline conditions can cause nutrient deficiencies, which will limit a plant's growth. In order for plants to grow properly, they need access to six major nutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and sulfur (S). The availability of these nutrients depends on how well they bond with other elements in the soil. For example, N forms strong bonds with oxygen molecules in the soil. These N-O bonds make that particular form of nitrogen unavailable to most plants. That's why people often add nitrogen fertilizers at the beginning of spring before planting but wait until after Sept. 1 to add phosphate fertilizers. The available soil nutrients change with the pH level of the soil, so it's important to know your pH before you take readings for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium levels. The ideal range for plant growth is 6.5 to 7.0 pH units. If your soil falls out of that range, you'll need to adjust it to get your plants growing well again.
How to Test Soil pH
If you have a relatively large garden, the best way to test your soil is to take a random soil sample from different parts of your yard and mix those samples together. Soil that has been baked by the sun or leached by rain can have a very low pH level despite being located in an area with a favorable range. Sampling from different areas will give you a more accurate reading for the whole yard.
To get a representative sample, push a spade into the ground at least 12 inches deep and slice off all layers of sod down to bare dirt. Turn over about 1 cup of dirt from each spot and mix all of it together in a large bucket or box. Fill several small plastic bags with this mixed-together sample and take them to a nursery or garden center for testing. If you don't want to send away your soil sample, test the different sections of your yard separately and average the results. If one part is extremely low and another extremely high, don't average the readings together. Use only the lower reading in that case because it reflects how well plants will grow in that area. You can lower the pH level by adding elemental sulfur (lowers pH) or organic matter such as composted leaves (raises pH). Add about 2 inches of leaves to raise your pH level 1 point. To lower your pH level 1 point, add about 3/4 pound of sulfur per 100 square feet to loosen compacted soils and improve drainage (check bag for correct amount). If the soil pH level in one area of your yard is very different from another, you can plant certain types of plants in those areas to take advantage of the nutrients available to them. For example, rhododendrons and blueberries grow better in acidic soils between 4.5 and 5.0 on the pH scale, so try planting these shrubs where grass or other ground covers won't grow because they need that type of soil to thrive. Tomatoes do well in slightly alkaline soils that are neutral or just a touch acidic, so consider planting them where grass doesn't grow easily because moist soil is a must for proper tomato development. Before you start working with lawn products, test your soil's pH using a simple soil test kit. Acidic or alkaline soils can keep lawn grasses from absorbing nutrients efficiently. If you want to find out the pH level of your soil, test kits are easily available at shops that are specialized in gardening supplies. The most commonly used method is the "soil paste" one, which consists in mixing together some dry soil with water until it gets a thick consistency that allows it to be shaped into a ball. You then let this mixture stand overnight and measure its pH level by using litmus paper dipped into the paste's surface the following morning.
Mail in Soil Test
People have been growing plants in soil for thousands of years. However, there are still many questions about how to check your soil pH when growing orchids or other plants. It is important to understand the basics behind soil testing because it helps you monitor if your environmental plant needs are being met.
First, determine whether you want to test the topsoil, subsoil, or both. Soil samples taken from around five inches deep typically provide enough information on the different levels that make up a garden bed. Another option is to test samples from different depths in one hole. This will give you an indication of what's happening at each level within your garden bed without having to take repeated samples throughout the area itself.
Before taking any sample, wet down your garden bed well. This helps get an accurate reading of the soil's pH, which is important for any plants that you intend to grow in it. Keep in mind that different plants have varying pH preferences.
By determining what the existing pH level is in your garden bed, you can better choose plants that are suited to thrive there. Once you've determined where to take your soil test, use a screwdriver or other device to extract the sample from whatever depth you selected. It should be about one-inch long and three quarters of an inch wide so it fits into whatever container you're using easily.
Next, place the extracted soil into a clean plastic baggie or other type of sealable vessel that will protect it until you deliver it to the testing facility. Now that you've taken your soil test, where do you take it and what information will they give you? You should be able to find a reputable place locally to conduct any kind of plant soil tests because this is an important first step in maintaining healthy plants. Many places such as local colleges and universities offer services like this to the public.
Before doing anything else, check around town for the best prices and availability for soil testing. If you can't find someone or something close by, there are plenty of websites available that provide reliable mail-in soil tests as well as other types of plant services such as plant identification services and even gardening forums where people can help answer questions about how to check pH levels in soil. Mail-in services can be especially helpful in areas where there are no local resources readily available to do the work for you.
Once you've received your test results, check them against how often you need to water or otherwise maintain that kind of plant in that location. If it's several times throughout the year, keep in mind that there may be something else wrong with your soil besides just its pH level. The best way to monitor this is by getting regular readings every few months at certain depths within the garden bed. That will give you an idea of what environmental changes to make before they become too severe and endanger your plants.
Soil testing is a critical step towards maintaining healthy plants because it provides accurate information about how much nitrogen or other nutrients need to be in the soil for optimal growing conditions. Knowing how to check your soil pH when gardening is also necessary in understanding how you can maintain healthy plant life through things like fertilizer and composting practices. Having the right balance of water, minerals, and organic material in the soil creates a great environment for plants to grow and flourish. With all that you've learned about how to successfully test your soil ph , there's no reason why doing so should intimidate you anymore. Be sure to get an accurate reading from reputable sources on a regular basis so that you can keep your plants healthy and strong with everything they need during every stage of their lives!
How Much Does a Soil Test Cost?
If you are someone who is associated with the agricultural industry, you will understand how important soil testing is. This information can help you to know if your crop or plants will be able to thrive in the particular type of soil that they are grown in. For this reason, a great deal of research and analysis has been done on this subject. In fact there are a number of different tests which a professional agronomist or farmer can perform to get an accurate reading of their crops needs going forward. If you would like to know more about these services it might be worth having a look at your local agricultural extension office for further suggestions and assistance. In terms of soil test cost, each one will vary from case to case because there are many different factors which affect this, such as how much analysis is needed and the location of the soil sample. For example it will be more expensive to get a soil test done in New York than it would be one you get done locally near your home. There are some steps that you can take if you want to save money on getting a soil test done when they have been recommended by your local agricultural extension office. It may well be possible for you to perform these tests yourself at home with relative ease. In order to do this, there are only a few things that you will need in terms of equipment and materials . This includes:
- A jar or container with a lid
- Some sodium hydroxide (also known as lye)
- A bottle of distilled water
- A glass stirring rod or wooden stick.
In order to get a professional grade soil test done, you will need to pick up some litmus paper from a store which specializes in these types of goods. If you have a home testing kit instead, this should give you an accurate reading of the pH level going forward.
How to Read a Soil Test
Conclusion
So you’ve been gardening for years and know all the tricks of the trade, but still can't figure out why your plants are dying? You may be able to save them with a soil test. A mail-in kit is available that will tell you what nutrients your soil needs (and how much), as well as if it's too acidic or alkaline. The cost of this service varies by region, so check on their website before ordering one yourself! Once you receive the results back in the mail, there should be an easy way to understand what they mean and which type of fertilizer might work best for your garden based on these numbers.
