How should a soil sample(s) be taken?
For homeowners to test lawn or garden soils for fertility needs:
- Use a spade or trowel to remove a slice of soil 6 inches deep, or use a soil probe to obtain 6 inch cores.
- Obtain up to 15-20 similar sections or cores from other random places in your garden or lawn. Do not take samples where fertilizer has been spilled or manure has been piled. Do not include debris such as leaves, sticks, or large stones in your sample.
- Put these samples in a plastic pail.
- Mix soil thoroughly in the pail.
- Remove about one pint of the well-mixed soil and dry it at room temperature.
- Place the dried soil in a container and deliver the sample to your local Extension office. Fill out the submission form found there. The results will be available a few days after they arrive at the laboratory at Mississippi State
Farmers, please see these Extension Publications:
IS346 "Soil Testing for the Farmer" and P1224 "Plant Analysis Sampling Instructions".
Publications
News
Are you already thinking about what you will plant this spring and summer? If you are, don’t forget to test your soil. It’s the best way to know if your garden or lawn needs critical nutrients and how much.
Early fall is one of the best times to test your soil. A soil test can tell you if your lawn or garden needs critical nutrients and how much. This way, your plants and your wallet will stay healthy. You won’t waste your money applying fertilizer or lime that your plants don’t need.
Sweet potato growers in Mississippi can get free nematode testing of soil samples they send to Mississippi State University from now until Dec. 31, 2024. The samples can be submitted in nematode bags available at local county MSU Extension Service offices; samples are also accepted in quart-sized, sealed plastic bags.
