by Lydia Holley February 17, 2025
Daffodils are blooming. Tulip trees are in flower. It is time to work on making this year’s landscape the best it can be. For the greenest leaves, the healthiest plants, and the most blooms, start with the soil.
It is easy to imagine soil as a plate of food for your plants. What nutrients are you providing? Is your soil lacking in any? Would heaping more fertilizer on top be wasteful? Worse than being unnecessary, providing too many nutrients may be harmful. The only way to know if your plants’ needs are being met is through a soil test. Sample kits are provided through the Extension Agency.
Once you have a sample kit, the second step is to fill it with soil. Brush away any mulch and gather a trowel’s worth of soil, going about six inches down. This is the section of soil your plants’ feeder roots come in contact with most often. You want to take a scoop from several areas. Mix for a good sampling and fill the bag.
If the soil is wet, it is recommended you dry it out on clean paper before bagging it up. Do not bake the soil in your oven or use any other methods of heat before sending the sample to be processed.
Soil is routinely sampled for pH, salinity, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). You will receive a recommendation for the amount of N-P-K fertilizer needed. Getting individualized results is the best part of a soil sample. You indicate the types of plants growing in your soil sample area as, for instance, fruit trees may need to be fed a different amount than a bed of perennials.
If you have never sent off a soil test, you may be surprised at your results. By sampling every three years or so (yearly if there is a problem), you can note how quickly your plants are taking up nutrients and add the correct amount without over- or under-feeding. However, if you have problems with your plants, are growing heavy feeders, or are growing plants commercially, it is recommended you take a soil test yearly. This will help lift your soil’s nutrient levels to its optimum amount. If you have too much of one nutrient, a yearly sample will help you determine how quickly it is being taken up and when your plants will once again have the right amount.
It is easy to throw out fertilizer, but unless you know what is needed, you might be only wasting money. Or your may actually be causing harm. Do not feed your plants without knowing what is already on their plate.
For more information, call 903-675-6130, email [email protected].
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