Xtremehorticulture

Xtremehorticulture of the Desert

Soil Testing for Homeowners

Leave a Comment / analysis, report, soil test /

Should I have my soil tested?  A soil test done by a commercial laboratory like A and L Soil Testing Laboratory in Modesto, California, costs from $60-$75. It’s important that a soil test is submitted to a soil testing laboratory that uses appropriate testing. In other words, if you live in the desert don’t send it to a soil testing laboratory that’s in a wet climate. Sample Soil Test Report for Fruit Trees in the Desert Soil tests are mostly about what fertilizers and soil amendments should be applied to get a desired yield. I was in in the former Soviet Union years ago when a member of Parliament once asked me, “What is the maximum wheat yield in the United States?” I told him, “US farmers don’t maximize yields. They maximize profits.” Soil tests help farmers “maximize their profits”. Soil Chemistry Soil tests are primarily aimed at a “soil’s chemistry” to aid a famers profitability. Soil tests will not tell you why a plant died, or chemicals added to the soil that killed a plant. An agricultural soil test won’t tell you that. Those tests can be done, however, but are much more expensive and requires a consultant to guide you. How Often? What good are soil tests to a homeowner and when should they be done? A serious gardener should submit a soil sample as soon as new property or growing area is purchased. A “first time” soil test establishes a “baseline” and tells you at the beginning what’s adequate about your soil chemistry and what’s missing. After that a soil test is submitted by homeowners about every four or five years to make sure “they are on track” with their fertilizer and soil amendment applications. This is a soil test done by a homeowner. Garbage in, garbage out. I learned a long time ago to be careful sending soil samples in for analysis or doing it yourself. Luckily, this soil test matches what a desert soil sample report might look like. Soil Samples or Sample? Soil tests are a smaller sample of a larger soil sample taken from the top of the soil to the depth plant roots grow. Several smaller samples representing this depth are added together. A very clean five-gallon bucket is used for mixing the larger soil sample so that a smaller sample, a pound or so, can be submitted for testing. Expect results in about a week after they received your sample. If you’re having trouble interpreting them, hire a consultant the first time so that you are taught how to read them.

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Soil Testing for Home Gardens and Landscapes

2 Comments / agriculture, home garden, raised beds, residential, soil test /

 Testing the soil for home landscapes doesn’t need to be done every year. They are expensive. Start with a baseline soil test (beginning) and test the soil every three to five years or when you think it is necessary. Many of these retail home soil tests can also be marketing tools for selling amendment products. Home soil testing come in kits like La Motte’s or a soil sample you can send in for analysis like the one below. Testing raised beds for gardening is no different than a small garden area without sidewalls. Make sure ALL the important plant nutrients have been tested in desert soils. There has been a lot of negative endorsements in general info about home soil tests. But in my opinion they aren’t too bad if you are looking for general numbers.  This is an example of a home soil test result from Las Vegas, Nevada. It was not too bad. Not as precise as a commercial agricultural soil testing lab but not too bad. Agricultural Labs For more precision I would recommend a commercial agricultural soil testing laboratory that can invest  hundreds of thousands of dollars in important equipment. For research we use A and L Soil Testing Laboratory in Modesto, California, or do it ourselves but a good soil testing labs are considerably less expensive than doing it yourself for research. The major advantage of a lab doing it for a fee and home testing is usually the numbers of tests you can run. Home testing usually involves several tests for the same price while a commercial lab you only can submit one soil sample for a fee. Use a Local Lab It is important to submit samples to a lab that represents your type of soil. Some of the big labs need to know a bit about your soil sample before you begin. Soil testing can be different in different parts of the country. If you live in an arid/desert part of the country, submit it to an arid/desert soil testing laboratory. This is an example of a commercial agricultural soil testing laboratory report.  Commercial agricultural soil testing laboratories invest a considerable amount of money in testing equipment. They are expensive but when accuracy is needed they do a very good job.  Examples of commercial agricultural soil testing laboratories in desert areas to consider include A and L in Modesto, and  IAS in Phoenix, In some states an agricultural soil test is available from the University. These are a good bargain and give you valuable and accurate information. What to Test? Most soil testing includes nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and a few other nutrients. Besides these, in desert soils make sure your soil is tested for iron, manganese and zinc as well. Don’t forget the pH (alkalinity) and EC (salts) to include the salts of sodium, chlorides and boron. Boron is important for soil testing in desert soils. Remember…”garbage in, garbage out.” Always submit a good soil sample.

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