Soil Testing

Host: Joanna Coles, Warren County Extension Agent for Agriculture & Natural Resources Guest: Colby Dye, Allen County Extension Agent for Agriculture & Natural Resources Topic: Soil Testing The Farm and Home Show features a discussion with Colby, an Allen County Extension agent, about the importance of soil testing. Although many people test soil in spring before planting, soil can be tested at any time of the year. Soil testing helps farmers and gardeners apply the correct amount of fertilizer, which is especially important with high input costs. Proper testing prevents both underfertilizing, which can reduce yields, and overfertilizing, which wastes money. Soil testing is valuable for all scales of production, from large crop fields to small backyard gardens. Checking soil nutrients and pH helps ensure plants can properly access the nutrients they need. Accurate results depend on collecting a representative soil sample from multiple locations rather than one spot. Recommended methods include zigzag or X patterns across a field to capture overall soil conditions. Samples should be well mixed, air-dried if muddy, and submitted in the proper quantity. Two Cups per sample is recommended for accurate results, and for a non-tilled area or pasture, samples should be dug 3-4 inches. Tilled areas samples should be dug down 6-8 inches. Extension offices provide tools like probes and newer collectandgo buckets to make soil sampling easier and more consistent.