After the Soil Test, What Next? (2024)

FAQs

What to do after a soil test? ›

If your soil pH is out of line with what you want to grow, you can add lime to increase the pH or sulfur to decrease it. The recommendations section of your soil test result sheet will tell you what and how much you need.

What Happens After Soil Analysis? Depending on the results of the soil analysis, a farmer can easily manage soil requirements for a certain crop. The results will indicate him in case that he needs to add lime in order to manage soil acidity.

The pH scale runs from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral, above 7 being alkaline and below 7 being acidic. Most plants like soils in the range of 6.3 to 7.0. Having soil with a high or low pH may limit the ability of plants to take in some nutrients, or may allow the plants to take in so much, it becomes toxic.

If your soil is acidic, use ground limestone to raise the pH. If possible, apply it two or three months before planting, so it has time to work. Wood ashes from untreated wood will also raise pH. Spread them over the soil in the winter and work them in the next spring.

How long does it take for the Laboratory to analyze my samples? It usually takes seven to ten business days for the Laboratory to process your soil samples. However, this timeframe may increase during the spring and autumn rushes.

Whether you are growing a vegetable garden, perennial flowers or lush green turf, healthy plants start with healthy soil. Plants require specific amounts of nutrients including Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium, as well as a balanced pH level (6.2 to 6.8 for most plants).

Checklist: Soil Testing

Conduct pre- plant media analyses to provide an indication of potential nutrient deficiencies, pH imbalance or excess soluble salts.

Soil testing determines whether your soil is acidic, neutral or alkaline. A soil test also indicates which elements are missing from your soil and how much to add to remedy the problem.

Soil samples should be immediately air-dried at room temperature for two to three days and should not be heated or dried in an oven. If samples cannot be dried immediately, they can be refrigerated for several days and taken to a laboratory as soon as possible.

What is the final product of soil survey? ›

Soil map is a major product of soil survey. It is mostly used in developmental planning compared with other natural resource surveys.

However, most cases require soil reports for every new project. A soil report can indicate different soil conditions, depending on the condition of the site. The report may include; the soil's response to an earthquake, expansive soils, high water tables, shifts in subsurface rock structures.

Soil pH measures the acidity or alkalinity, and pH levels will range from 0-14, with <7 indicating an acidic pH, seven a neutral pH, and >7 a basic pH. The pH scale is based on a logarithmic scale, meaning the difference from a pH of 6.0 is 10x more acidic than a pH of 7.

The first problem is the sampling procedure. It will never be totally accurate. It will depend on where the soil cores are pulled from. Uneven manure or fertilizer application in the past can effect the sample.

Unhealthy compacted soil, on the other hand, will feel hard and solid, and limit the movement of animals and growth of plant roots. Much of the water on compacted soil is not absorbed. Instead, it runs across the soil surface, carrying away loose soil with it (in a process known as erosion).

Soil samples should be immediately air-dried at room temperature for two to three days and should not be heated or dried in an oven. If samples cannot be dried immediately, they can be refrigerated for several days and taken to a laboratory as soon as possible.

Second, testing the soil for potential pollutants ahead of time will identify if the soil is safe to build on and will save builders from dealing with pollutants that may show up during excavation which produces delays, mitigation costs and other troubles.