It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it! No, we’re not talking about taking out the trash. We’re talking about soil sampling: something that you should be doing on a regular basis to insure the health and beauty of your landscape and vegetable garden.

Why Sample Your Soil?

Soil sampling provides information about the chemical capacity of your soil and the nutrients available to your plants in the soil. This helps Extension professionals make recommendations about the amount of fertilizer or lime you may need to apply to your managed areas. With optimal soil health, your flowers, vegetables and lawn will be healthier and it will take less effort to create a dazzling display.

When to Sample

You can sample your soil at any time of the year, but in order for it to be most useful, you should take a sample three to six months before starting any new landscape project, because you want to amend the soil BEFORE you plant but AFTER you add any compost or any other amendments. Established areas, such as lawns and flower gardens, also need to be sampled periodically, about once every two to three years.

What You Need to Take a Soil Sample

You have almost all of the equipment needed available at home: a trowel and a clean bucket. The other two necessary items are a Home Garden sample information sheet and a NCDA sample box; and both are available for free at the Cooperative Extension office on Tramway Road for free. If you are managing pasture or have a larger production area for vegetables or other crops, there is a different form to use. The sampling strategy doesn’t change, though!

NOTE: You do NOT use the soil sample form for sampling compost or raised beds. These are different tests. Contact your local Cooperative Extension office for assistance.

Before you take your samples, identify the different areas you are interested in analyzing. A different sample should be taken from each uniquely managed area, meaning, for example, you would take one sample for your lawn, one for your vegetables, one for your fruit trees and one for your ornamental beds. Consider that if you use different management strategies in an area, you should sample it separately. Assign unique sample codes to each area AND write them down in your records so you can match your sample report with each area! These can be used each time you sample the area as you continue your sampling habit in the future, so you can see the changes through the years.

Taking a Sample

To take a sample: Use the trowel to dig out four inches of soil (or 6-8 inches for gardens). Be sure to remove any organic matter, such as grass, thatch, or mulch present before scooping the soil up. Pull these out of the box too, if they get in. Sample 10 to 20 random locations in the area (if its about 1,000 square feet) that you want analyzed and mix thoroughly in the bucket. Pour this mixed sample into the box provided up to the red line indicated on the side of the box.

Be sure to fill out the information sheet and the box, so that appropriate recommendations can be sent to you. Remember to use a sample ID that will remind you of the area you sampled, and make sure to write these down for your records. We cannot stress this enough. These are unique to your yard! You also need to fill in the crop code, which you can choose from on the back of the sample information sheet. And of course we can also help you when you bring in your sample. Now, just drop your box and information sheet off at our office!

Deadlines for Free Soil Sampling Analysis

At this time of year the analysis may take only a week or so to process. In the winter, the soil lab becomes extremely busy processing farmer samples and the wait time may be a few months.

The fee of $4 will be charged for each soil sample after November 25, 2022 through March 31, 2023. There will still be no fee from April through November.

Lee County agents usually drive up samples for free, and will continue to do this after the “free period” is over; but the deadline for this service before the free analysis deadline is Friday, November 21, 2025.

Regardless of when you soil sample, it is well worth it, as you will save money and help the environment by only putting down amendments and fertilizer that your soil really needs for your land management goals.

Recommendations are available online, so be sure to include your e-mail address on the form. NCDA no longer mails printed copies of your analysis in an effort to cut down on the amount of paper being used. If you have problems interpreting the results, you can call the Extension Office and an agent or Master Gardener Volunteer will gladly help you to understand what it all means.

Well, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and get dirty!

Amanda Bratcher is the Horticulture Agent for North Carolina Cooperative Extension in Lee County.