Tips on Soil Testing

I recently read a great article about soil testing and I wanted to share it with you.  You can usually find a soil testing lab through your local extension office.

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2011/sep/07/best-buys-soil-testing/

Here's a part of the articlae:

The first two things a test should indicate, said Lazaneo, is the soil’s pH — how acidic or alkaline it is — and its salinity. “The pH affects the availability of nutrients to the plant. Most plants grow best in slightly acidic soil — pH of six to seven — unless they are ‘acid-loving’ plants such as blueberries. Those need a pH of around five. If the pH is too high, you can correct it by adding soil sulfur or acidifying elements such as peat moss. Salinity tests how salty the soil is. Plants don’t grow well in soil with a high salt content, whether the salt comes from fertilizers, manure, irrigation water, or other sources. Enough water must be applied by either rain or irrigation to leach away the excess salts from the root zone. But if your soil has poor drainage, the water can’t do that.”


Lazaneo said that to check drainage, “You dig a hole around a foot deep, and fill it with water two times. Then you see how long it takes to drain the second time. If it stays in the hole for a day, the plant’s roots will drown in that soil. In that case, you would need to install a drain line or consider planting in a raised bed or a container like a half-barrel.”

Have you done a soil test?  and if so, did you make any changes to your soil and what was the result?

Happy Digging!

Doreen aka the Garden Goddess