Testing Garden Soil

Most plants thrive in a slightly acidic soil ph 55 to 7 so reaching a balance is of the essence in gardening matters too.

Testing garden soil. A soil test indicates your soils ph levelthe relative acidity or alkalinitywhich affects how plants take up nutrients and thrive. Importance of ph levels and nutrients too much of this nutrient. As you become more comfortable with reading your test results youll better know how to handle them. Its important to do some basic garden soil testing before you plant or even design your garden.

Soil structure and tilth. These kits are fairly accurate but you must make sure you follow the testing instructions precisely. When the soil is neither too wet nor too dry dig a hole 6 to 10 inches deep. Actually i ideally want to learn a lot about the soil because by far the best time to improve it is when you prepare a new organic garden bed before youve planted anything.

Youll need to consider not only soil ph but soil texture as. Testing soil in the garden or field in order to start testing the soil in your garden you need to create a wedge in the ground which is v shaped by using a trowel. It not only gives you a snapshot of your gardens health but it helps you correct current problems and avoid future ones. Having tested my soil each year since before i planted my first garden ive become a huge proponent of soil testing.

Testing your soil means you determine the ph level and nutrient content. Every home and garden center carries ph test kits. This wedge should be of width 2 to 25 inches and at a depth of 6 to 7 inches. In this episode of the beginners garden podcast i give you the basics of soil testing.

Once you know whether your soil ph is a problem or not you can begin working to correct the problem. Soil testing should be part of your long term goals to improve your soil. The environmental concepts 1662 professional soil test kit is a top rated kit that comes in a durable carrying case so it is easy to transport around your yard while you test your garden. Both are important factors in how well your garden grows.

In the long run its worth making the time and financial investment because it will pay off with sturdier more productive plants. The environmental concepts comes with a comprehensive instruction booklet that helps you determine what is the best way to use your kit and find out how to get the best use out of your soil. Soil is too acidic under ph 7 and too alkaline above ph 7. Separate an intact section about the size of a soup can and break it apart with your fingers.

So testing your gardens soil ph is critical for the well being of your plants in the long run.