Testing soil tests | Do you need a soil test?

Should you test your soil? How do soil tests compare? How do you do a soil test? All will be revealed!

My name is Erin and I love sharing inspiration and information with real-life gardeners. I live and garden in southeastern Wisconsin, zone 5.

#SoilTest #TheImpatientGardener

If you liked this video give it a thumbs up and if you loved it, please subscribe and click the bell so you never miss a new video! Thank you for your support.

Music:

Mail to:
The Impatient Gardener
125 E. Main St.
Port Washington, WI 53074

[mrs.riche]

Omg I NEED to just break down and do a soil I'm wasting time and money guessing what's going on with my dirt! Thank you, I'm glad you included the University Extension. Hope you and yours has a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving! 🦃

[chrystalsabin]

I don't test the soil here because I rent. I usually plant annuals in pots with the soil I use for my house plants. When I own I will definitely test the soil. Good information and video, thanks for sharing.

[shawnisenor]

Hey Erin, I know Laura at Garden Answer is Mecca but I have to say your soil test video taught me WAY more. Who knew nitrogen was always low and had to added? Love the way you compared numbers but explained and averaged them to show how they were pretty much the same just told in a different way. I had a soil test done a couple years ago from my local agricultural college and although it looked good on paper I had no idea what to do with the information. Thanks for everything. Have a good Thanksgiving down there.

[lynnshellyjunck]

Great and thorough video!!! I cannot recommend everyone's local extension service enough. In addition to soil testing, they also have the know-how to help you battle pests and diseases as well. The extension services aren't only for farmers and 4-Her's :)

[melness]

I use U Maine’s service. You can go online to request the kit. It comes with the little box and instructions. You have to find another little box to send it back, but since I shop on line frequently that’s no problem. The results were back fairly quickly, don’t remember exactly. I did it last summer but haven’t done one for years, but do add composed cow manure in the spring. The reason I did it this year is because of a problem I am having in some raised beds. I fill them with bagged potting mix and add some of the composted cow manure. I planted green beans and they came up and just sat there for WEEKS. Then started growing normally and blossomed. I never plant before June first. I wondered if the manure was too strong for the plants and it took time for something to wash out???! The tests showed everything medium to high. Love your videos!

[paulacothren]

For people who are eating food that they grow in native soil, I think the main concern is presence of heavy metals like lead, cadmium and arsenic. The pH scale is logarithmic. The difference between pH 6 and pH 7 is tenfold. The difference between pH 6 and pH 8 is one hundredfold.

[lindahall]

Thank you Erin for your clear and balanced video on soil testing. I would like to add a suggestion on sampling (what is going into the bucket). Most gardens will sample the soil surface (0-6 inches) but most of our plants reach much deeper into the soils for nutrients. In addition, some nutrients, especially nitrogen leach down the soil column. So what - well I would suggest that you also sample deeper (6-12 inches) for a more complete picture.

[thepiquinggardener]

you know so much about gardening. I love that you share it with us

[faithamoroso]

Have never tested our soil before, but just bought two, one for our flower garden and one where we are going to grow grapes and raspberries for the first time this spring.

[SteveL]

I’ve lived in numerous areas on the West Coast, have never tested my soil, and have always had a beautiful and robustly healthy garden by paying attention and providing plants the basics (e.g., amending the soil at planting, top dressing with organic fertilizer at recommended intervals for the unique plants and ensuring they have regular water). That said, you’ve convinced me (and raised my curiosity). We are about to start developing our garden at a new home in Northern CA, and the well-draining soil seems bereft of organic matter. We will send it to university of CA extension and see what we learn! Thanks for the detailed video.

[catlady]

Wow, so comprehensive! Thank you. I had one done. Mine was free from our county service which is about 10 minutes away. I didn't know how to read it but I was told everything was okay which surprised me since my soil is nothing but clay and rock.

[mariannmarquard]

We had our soil tested this year specifically for the lawn. I live in WI and we did use the UW ext. We emailed them with questions and they were quick to answer.. Now that you have explained what everything means I think I will pull it out and review it again because I do feel that we really were not sure what everything meant.

[heatherhereshegrows]

Nicely done! I’m testing this fall through my extension office the area where I lost that redbud. I was never happy with how anything performed in that bed.

[jeannet]

I had our slips tested this fall through our county extension office through the University of GA for $9. I was able to drop the sample off at my local extension office and they sent it off for testing. Results were back in a few weeks.

[TheUltimateGardener]

Great video Erin! Keep your great work up!✨🌟💚🌿

[RevAcres]

Video is perfect timing just sent off a soil test last week and used Univ of Massachusetts Soil Testing Lab as a referral, basic @ $20. I'm testing a untouched field for cut flowers. Excited to see the results.

[bettyhoffman]

This vid was incredibly informative - thank you so much!

[andrew]

I am so glad that Garden Answer told me about your channel!

[suburbangardeningcouple]

Good points in here Erin! We definitely will plan to do this since we’ve got so many new plants added into our landscape and lots for the future! Hoping for good results 🤞

[julieblauvelt]

I have never done a soil test and really should. Most of my yard and gardens are wonderful. I top dress, use coffee grounds and try to add nutrients in the soil but I have 1 area that the soil is dry and powdery. I might need to have two samples tested and see how to proceed- hopefully my extension center will help.