As a gardener and crop producer, we are always curious about how to improve soil in our garden. Before talking about soil improvement, let's talk about soil.
Soil is the most important resource for garden plants. Soil is an unconsolidated material on the earth surface which is made up of inorganic (mineral) materials and organic matter. It is a living ecosystem that contains a large number of microorganisms, macroorganisms (such as earthworms and insects) and plant roots.
Soil holds nutrients, air and water required for plant growth and development while also providing structural support to the plant roots. Gardeners want to make improvements to soil for better plant growth and development. There are some methods by which soil can be improved in the garden. In this issue, we are going to talk briefly about testing garden soil.
Understanding the soil properties and nutrient status is the first step for creating an optimum soil environment. Testing soil periodically provides information about the properties and nutrient status in soil. A soil test report provides fertilizer and soil amendment (such as lime and gypsum) recommendations for specific crops.
In addition, the soil test report suggests which fertilizer nutrient(s) and amounts needed to achieve the expected yield goal. It is recommended to test soil once every three years. However, the gardener may want to test soil more often if there is a problem.
After harvesting the crop, fall is an ideal time to collect a soil sample for testing because this provides enough time to plan fertilizer and lime applications for the spring season. It is recommended to wait at least three months after application of fertilizer, lime or manure before taking a soil sample.
Soil sampling technique is very important to get accurate soil test results from the garden, so care must be taken to collect a representative soil sample. Details about soil sampling in the garden, landscape and lawn is available at: https://extension.missouri.edu/programs/soil-and-plant-testing-laboratory/spl-soil-analysis/spl-garden-landscape-lawn-soil-test or a copy is available at local county extension centers.
Soil samples can be submitted to local county extension centers. Soil sample collection boxes and soil sample information forms are available at local county extension centers. The soil test results are generally available a week after soil sample submission.
Happy gardening!
Dhruba Dhakal, PhD, is a University of Missouri Extension Horticulturist serving Missourians for about a decade in Central Missouri. Dhakal can be contacted at [email protected] with gardening questions.