Ask Extension for answers to commonly asked questions.

Soil Sampling Garden and Lawn

Source: NDSU Extension Service Horticulturists

The best way to tell whether your lawn or garden soil needs fertilizer is to have the soil tested. To obtain a good soil sample for testing, follow these steps:

To be sure the sample represents the general soil condition of the lawn or garden area, make a composite sample. Collect small cores of soil from five or more areas. Using a clean digging tool, sample soil six inches deep for gardens and for new lawns, and 3 inches deep for established lawns. Mix the samples together. Do not include soil from a lawn area and a garden in the same composite sample. Soil sample bags are available at your county extension office.

If you think your lawn or garden has large areas that differ greatly in fertility, it is best to divide the area you are sampling into two or more parts and make a composite sample from each part.

For a lawn, you may want to take a composite sample from the front lawn and another from the back lawn. Or you could take a composite sample from a shaded area and another from an open or sunny area.

Early spring and late fall are good times to have soil tested, but you can really do it any time the soil is not frozen.

If you have further questions, contact your county office of the NDSU Extension Service for additional information on sampling lawn and garden soil.

Back to Vegetables Menu
Go to Ask Extension Index Page
For More Information Contact your North Dakota County Extension Office of the NDSU Extension Service for additional information or see our main NDSU Web Page for publications and articles on Agriculture, Horticulture, Youth and Family, Business and Community and Food and Nutrition at  http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/