Do I need a soil test?
Whether you are noticing signs of a nutrient deficiency in your plants or would like to figure out what plant life your soil can support, it is a good idea to conduct a soil test before making any planting or nutrient management decisions. Results from a soil test are going to provide crucial information regarding what nutrients our plants or crops might need, or if we even need to apply certain nutrients. If there are adequate nutrients in your soil, but you’re still seeing nutrient related issues, perhaps we need to look more closely at our pH. Managing the pH of our soils ensures that the nutrients in our soils are made available to plant roots. None of this information is easily determined by a visual assessment of the soil. A soil test is the best and most accurate way we can determine the level of nutrients in the soil, whether we are in the below optimum, optimum, or above optimum range, and if we need to manage the pH levels.
Getting a sample
Soil test results are only as good as the sample taken. Generally, you will be getting a composite sample made up of several subsamples. These subsamples can be cores collected via a soil probe, or samples collected with a shovel or hand trowel. The sampling depth should be around 6 to 8 inches which is the root depth for a lot of our plants. The subsamples should be collected in a random fashion in the given sample area. Depending on the area size, somewhere between 10 and 20 total subsamples is generally sufficient. Your subsamples can be placed into a bag or clean bucket. Depending on the conditions in which your sample was collected, it may be a good idea to let the sample sit to dry out before sending to a lab. You can speed up the drying process by spreading the soil out on some newspaper in a dry place. Once dry, make sure to mix your sample to make it more homogenous.
Out of your whole composite sample, you will only send off about a cup of soil, but check the directions on your kit or check with the lab you are working with for specific instructions on sample prep. Generally speaking, one soil test kit should be good for up to 20 acres. However, the more samples you have for an area, the more accurate your nutrient management plan can be. If you have a relatively flat area of the same soil type, one test kit may do just fine. If you have quick changes in elevation or multiple soil types on a smaller area of land, it may be worth taking multiple composite samples.
Keep track of the time of year when you take your sample. You can take samples any time of year, however, consider when you need to be making amendments to the soil. For example the best time to apply lime to raise pH is in the fall. The best time to apply sulfur to lower pH is spring. You also want to be consistent every time you do a soil test. If you do it in the spring, try and always do it around the same time. It is recommended to do a new soil test every 2-3 years.
Where to get a kit
We sell soil test kits here at the Lorain County Extension Office. We work with Penn State’s soil testing lab to get kits to sell to the public. Our soil test kits are $15. The $15 you pay to the extension office covers the cost of the kit and gets you the basic soil analysis. This provides information on your phosphorus and potassium levels, pH, and provides recommendations on reaching adequate nutrient or pH levels depending on crop/plant needs. There are additional tests available, but those would be paid for separately and paid directly to Penn State via a check sent with your soil sample. Results seem to get back to people within 2-4 weeks depending on the time of year.
There are other options you can look into as well. Feel free to explore to see who might be able to best suit your needs.
- SiteOne Landscape Supply (Lawns) Avon, OH – 440 – 934-1482
- Rock River Laboratory, Inc. Wooster, OH – 330-462-6041
- Spencer Feed and Supply Spencer, OH – 330-648-2111
Other resources
Here some additional resources and fact sheets to learn more about soil health and soil testing.
- Soil testing for Ohio lawns, landscapes, fruit crops, and vegetable gardens
- Developing a strategy for precision soil sampling
- More reasons for soil testing – Michigan State, understanding how pH impacts nutrient availability
- Managing soil health: Concepts and practices – Penn State
Please reach out to us with any questions. You can reach the office at 440-326-5851, or email me at becker.643@osu.edu.
***We DO NOT provide soil testing or percolation tests for home septic systems or leach fields.***