Extension

David Hillock, Senior Extension Specialist for Consumer Horticulture and State Master Gardener Coordinator

 

We all appreciate thick green lawns and lush productive gardens around the home. After all, attractive lawns and gardens add to both the aesthetic value and real value of our homes.

 

To achieve a high level of lawn quality and garden productivity, it is necessary to add fertilizer on a timely basis. When lawns and gardens don’t receive the amount of fertilizer that they need, they never achieve the quality or productivity we anticipate. When too much fertilizer is applied, nutrients are wasted and pose a threat to the environment.

 

The true value of a soil test is to help ensure that only needed nutrients are added in quantities which don’t adversely affect environmental quality.

 

The best time to test the soil is during a time when plants aren’t growing, although any time of year is satisfactory. In any case it is better to have the soil tested rather than guess which fertilizers to use and how much to apply. To make sure the test is accurate, sample the soil before fertilizer has been applied and follow proper collection procedures.

 

A soil test is only as good as the sample submitted for testing. Samples collected should represent the lawn or garden as a whole. The following steps will help in collecting good samples for submission.

 

• Scrape plant debris from the soil surface before sampling.
• Sample lawns to a depth of 3-4”. Sample gardens to a 6” depth.
• Use a clean bucket or other container and a soil probe or spade; collect cores or slices of soil from at least 15 different areas scattered throughout the lawn or garden and mix them together in the container.
• Mix soil thoroughly and fill the sample bag (bag can be obtained from your OSU County Extension Office) with a pint of the mixture.
• Submit samples and the completed information sheet to your OSU County Extension Office.
• They will send samples into the OSU Soil, Water, and Forage Laboratory for testing and then help you interpret the results.
   

Soil testing doesn’t need to be every year, every three years is often sufficient for most home gardens. The benefits of soil testing are many – it takes advantage of nutrients already in the soil, identifies nutrients that are lacking, reduces fertilizer applications, provides a proper balance of plant nutrients, allows adjustment of soil pH to an optimum level, and reduces chances of excess nutrients getting into the water sources.

 

For more information about soil testing contact your OSU County Extension Office or pick up the leaflet L-249 - Soil Testing…the First Right Step.