How To Test Soil

Test your soil conditions before planting

When I first started gardening I began with two raised beds. In raised beds you can control the soil by what you put in it. After successfully gardening in a raised bed, I was curious about other gardening methods. I had read many in Arizona were able to garden in the Arizona soil. I thought, how could that be? Isn’t it too sandy and rocky? I began researching and learned you can test your soil conditions before planting. I’ll show you how!

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Well I learned the word amended soil and began investigating. What must one do to amend the soil in their backyard?Amend is a word in the garden world that means to make changes to your soil according to your soil’s makeup. But what do you change and how do you know the quantities to change? 

MySoil Test Kit

Well, there is an easy way to figure out what is in your soil. From fellow gardeners I learned about testing my soil. I used the MYSOIL TEST kit and followed the directions. It’s very simple. You select the location in your yard where you want to begin your garden. Then take a sample of the soil (don’t be afraid to dig in). You are literally sending a sample of your soil to a lab and they will tell you the ph level of your soil and specific makeup.

I learned that my soil lacks iron. A friend had suggested that when she saw my small squash this summer. I had to check for myself as different areas in your neighborhood and city can have slightly different soil makeups. When I received my soil test results and confirmed the lack of iron, I was more confident in buying the specific iron additive to help my vegetables grow.

Amending your soil

Up until now I had amended my soil with a bit of compost specifically mushroom compost and thought that was enough. The compost was great for added nutrients but once the squash and corn were getting bigger and pushing forth fruit, they really needed more nourishment than what my meager amendments without research had done. 

Adding iron made a big difference in the growth of my summer garden. It was a noticeable difference in the growth size of my squash. 

Adding compost is always a good way to amend your soil, but you will want to take extra measures and test your soil too. That way you don’t get halfway through your gardening season and wonder why your leaves are yellowing. 

Soil care is good garden care 

This is the face of pure concentration so i don’t overfill my sample container. I am really pleased with the results of MYSOIL test kit and hope you’ll give it a try too. Meanwhile there’s so much information online, it’s important to know about your specific soil in your area so you can have a successful harvest. I now understand why seasoned gardeners are always saying the number one step to  garden is your soil. Check on your soil, care for your soil and test your soil. 

After all, knowing more about your soil can only help your gardening process. It’s like understanding the ingredients in your garden base. The accessible computer log-in and reading told me about my backyard soil but also included specific recommendations for amendments.

The kit tests for the following nutrients: pH, nitrogen (N) including nitrate and ammonium, phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg). Sulfur (S), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Boron (B), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Sodium (Na). 

After making these adjustments to our garden with new information about our soil has brought more joy to my gardening experience. Let me know if you decide to try out this soil test kit and how it works for you.