The secret to a healthy, organic garden is in the soil. Healthy soil provides plants with the right balance of nutrients and water-and the community of creatures that live in the soil, including earthworms, insects and microbes, help plants scavenge for nutrients and fight off diseases and pests. Before you add anything to your soil-it's a good idea to get a soil test. The test will tell you the pH of your soil, as well as the percentage of organic matter it contains and nutrient levels. You can also have the lab test for toxins in your soil, including heavy metals such as lead and arsenic. Help ensure that you get the most accurate results possible by sending the lab a representative sample of your soil. Here's how. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. The easiest way to find a local laboratory that performs soil tests is to call your local Master Gardeners or your county's extension service. You can also ask for a recommendation from a reliable nursery. Prior to gathering your soil sample, call the lab and find out if they have any special instructions and ask what container they prefer you send the sample in.
2. When gathering soil for the sample it's important to include soil from several sites in your garden. This way the soil is representative of the entire garden and not just one bed. If parts of your garden have dramatically different soil, then you may want to consider sending in separate samples from each area.
3. To take a sample, clear away any plant debris on top of the soil. Then, insert a small spade into the soil and remove a 6-inch-deep, 6-inch-wide section of soil. Using a trowel, dig out a small scoop of soil from the bottom of the hole and place it in a plastic or glass container.
4. Repeat Step 3 in several parts of your garden (or in each raised bed of a vegetable garden) until you have the amount of soil the lab needs. Stir the soil together.
5. Make sure you've gathered all of the information the lab requested and then send it in along with the sample. If you are an organic gardener, be sure to request organic amendment recommendations.
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