What I Learned by Having My Garden Soil Tested
Let’s get our hands dirty and learn helpful stuff to help your garden thrive. In this scenario, you will get your hands dirty as we discuss the most important aspect of gardening—the garden soil!
Soil is just as significant as any other part of the gardening process. People who have been dabbling in creating their gardens know this—soil needs to be tested. There is plenty to learn on this topic. I delved as deeply as possible to uncover the most helpful information for you!
Garden soil testing guide
I discovered that most people who deal with gardening are not bothered to test the soil. They often neglect this for at least the first few seasons. This is a long time. But here is where I beg to differ. Creating a thriving environment requires building it from the ground up. The soil is the first and most relevant thing to look into. As much as water and sunlight are significant, the earth is essential. Healthy conditions help the plants thrive and grow strong and beautiful.
Learning how to do the testing properly is one of the first things you should do. This guide below exemplifies how to do it properly and what to look for.
Why garden soil testing?
The quality of the gardening soil is crucial for providing your plants with the necessary nutrients to thrive. without these nutrients, the plants will not have the optimal conditions for growth, leading to wilting stems and leaves. One key factor to consider when testing the soil is its pH levels. If the pH levels are too high, the plants will lack essential nutrients. Conversely, if the pH level is too low, it can result in toxic shock for your plants. This can severely harm their health.
Another reason for garden soil testing is to be more independent—not always relying on fertilizer. Fertilizers are helpful for those of you who are just starting. But it is also good to remember this. The plant can get all the nutrients it needs from the plain soil.
How to soil test?
Start by collecting some samples from your garden. This isn’t a complex process, and you will see that you only need to follow a few steps. Here they are:
- Strip the layer of weeds and grass and push aside any mulch. Then, use a shovel to dig down about 10 cm.
- Take a sample from the spot and put it in a bucket.
- Do that from several different points in your garden. This will give you a good sample to test.
- Mix everything up in the bucket, remove the small rocks and roots, and crush the clumps with your hands.
- Allow the soil to air dry for a few days, then fill a plastic zip-lock bag.
- Take the gardening soil for testing at your local soil testing laboratory.
Important notes
Before you get the results, knowing what to look for in the soil is essential. There are a few points that need to be on an optimal level. Here’s what you need to look for:
- pH levels – pH levels in the soil are tested to get information on the soil’s acidity level. This is important because the level of acidity shows the level of nutrients in the soil. That being said, the soil can be neutral, acidic, or alkaline. The ideal soil for most plants is neutral and maybe slightly acidic. Of course, there is always an exception to this rule, depending on the plants you want to grow.
- Nutrients—I learned that a few primary nutrients “stand out from the crowd whenever you test your soil.” These nutrients are potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen. All of them have different roles in maintaining plant health.
- Potassium helps the plant become more resistant to diseases and pests.
- Phosphorus encourages the growth of the plant and healthy root development.
- Nitrogen helps with water uptake and is essential to plant development.
What I learned
After getting the test results, you’ll see that you not even have to make any tweaks. Your plants already have optimal thriving conditions. This can only come down to adding more fertilizer or ensuring they get plenty of water and sunlight. Drainage can be another essential aspect of the health of the earth. This varies from one plant to the next. Be careful when creating a list of what you plan on growing in your garden. Make sure you have the right conditions for it.
Garden soil testing should be done every three to five years. Although autumn is the preferable season for this, you can collect a soil sample at any time of the year. Doing this before winter will give you plenty of time to make the necessary adjustments for spring.
This garden soil testing guide will show you precisely what you must do. These steps will guarantee your crops get optimal thriving conditions. I hope you have found this post helpful. Feel free to comment in the section below. You can also look at the rest of my posts! I can’t wait to hear how your beautiful garden turned out!
