How to Test Your Soil (and Why You Should) You can use an at-home kit, or send out some soil to be professionally tested.

To have soil that is a good average sample to test, you'll need to take several sub-samples from your growing space (garden, lawn, or flower bed), then blend them into one for the reading.

Do you know the nutrient level of the soil in your garden? Do you know how much fertilizer to add next season? Soil testing will answer both questions.

Whether you’re preparing for your first garden, planning next year’s plantings after a successful harvest or looking to install a lawn, your first step should be conducting a soil test.

You can find kits at garden centers to check your pH, get a soil test from your local extension service, or do a fun science ...

Soil testing tells a story. It reveals a lot about the health of your soil and what's in it. Or, more importantly, what's NOT in it.

Peter Richards tests the reliability of do-it-yourself home soil test kits. This week on The Family Plot: Gardening in the Mid-South, local gardener Peter Richards demonstrates how to use ...

How to test: Check the county health department’s guidelines for soil and water testing in home and community gardens. A basic soil test — which analyzes nutrients, pH, and lead levels — can ...

Soil test kits are available but aren't the best option for a good understanding of what's going on in the soil. "At-home soil test kits can result in inaccurate or inconsistent results," she says.

Determinate versus indeterminate, soil testing and bumps on oak leaves can help gardeners know their gardens better.