Soil testing
Soil test kit
How can we get our soil tested? Garden plants turn brown and die.
Farmer Dave's reply:
Sounds dreadful and testing the soil is a good place to start.
Soil testing is a process by which the elements of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and the PH of your soil are tested. Some tests also test for calcium, magnesium, sodium, sulfur, manganese, copper and zinc. The quantity of available nutrients in the sample determines the amount and kind of nutrients that is recommended.
It is best to test your soil in the fall so that you can incorporate lime, rock minerals or nutrients that take time to break down a few months before planting.
To accurately asses your soil you will need to get a soil test kit or send a soil sample to a local laboratory (try your local agricultural outreach office) that does soil tests. You can get a very good soil test kit for about $50 and a laboratory test is about the same price. You can get a pretty good soil test kit for about $20 but don't by the cheap ones that only do PH, make sure they at least test for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Many nurseries and some local agricultural government agencies provide soil tests to determine your soil’s pH and nutrient levels. The advantage to having your own soil test kit is that you can test many different areas
in your garden and you can test before and after you have added nutrients, you can do it whenever you want and get your results immediately.
The advantage to a laboratory test is that they are very accurate and often time they test the soil for more variables and you have one less thing to figure out and do in your garden.
You can also asses the soil by looking at the kind of plants naturally growing in your area and their vigor. This is best done once you have a good understanding of plants and soil types.
I would suggest getting a home soil test kit, they are easy to use and help you to get to know your soil.
Let me know what the problem is or feel free to write back with any questions.
Farmer Dave
