Unlock Soil Success with Fall Soil Testing

These past couple of weeks have been full of hot and dry days. Part of me began to think that summer would never end. Believe it or not, fall is finally here. Now that summer has drawn to a close and the growing season is almost over, it’s time to test your soil.

When is the last time you checked your soil’s fertility? Soil tests should be performed every 2-3 years for gardens and ag fields. Fall is a great time to pull soil samples because it gives growers plenty of time to plan their spring fertilizer applications.

If you’ve never collected a soil sample before, you may be wondering how to collect an accurate sample. Samples can be collected using a soil probe or a small garden spade. Soil should be sampled to root depth, which typically means 5 to 8 inches for trees, shrubs, flowerbeds and vegetable gardens, 3 to 4 inches for lawns, and 6 to 8 inches for ag fields.

Depending on the size of the garden/field, each sample tested should be composed of at least 5 to 10 smaller samples/cores. The smaller samples should be placed into a clean plastic bucket and mixed together to create a single sample. It’s important to remember that the accuracy of your soil test depends on the quality of the samples taken.

Ashland Soil and Water Conservation District (Ashland SWCD) is here to help with all of your soil testing needs. We provide ag and garden/turf testing in three packages: Basic, Basic Plus, and Complete. Pricing varies from $10 to $45 per sample, depending on the package. We also lend out a soil probe and Collect-N-Go sample buckets.

In addition to the soil test, Ashland SWCD writes Voluntary Nutrient Management Plans for all ag tests. The plans are developed using the Tri-State Fertility Guide. They are a useful tool that assist in the planning of fertilizer applications for future years. Recommendations are based on the field’s needs and the targeted crops. The best part is that the plans are completely voluntary and are made just for your convenience.

A nutrient management plan will give you an idea of what nutrients your soil needs and at what rate to apply the nutrients. This can help reduce over/under-application of fertilizer. If you can make informed decisions based on your soil’s needs, you can avoid wasting money over- applying nutrients that are not needed. Down the road, you may also earn higher yields on your crops if nutrients were under-applied.

For the those submitting a garden test, Ashland SWCD will provide a recommendation for each nutrient. Typically, it is more economical to buy a pre-mixed fertilizer at the local lawn and garden store. We can also provide some guidance on which type of fertilizer will best fit your needs.

Drop off your soil samples at the Ashland SWCD Office located at 110 Cottage St, Ashland on the first floor. We will send them off for analysis and report the results, along with nutrient recommendations back to you. Questions? Visit our website (ashlandswcd.com), call (419-281-7645), or come visit us at our office Monday-Friday from 8:00-4:00. Take the necessary step to unlock soil success by testing your soil this fall!