How much soil is needed for a soil test?
Top Notch Inspections recommends sampling about 0.5 pound. This amount should be enough to represent the area being tested. The boxes used for submitting samples have a “fill line” that shows the amount of soil needed. What is a soil test extractant? An extractant is a mixture of various chemical reagents dissolved in water. It removes plant-available nutrients from the soil and dissolves them in a liquid phase. Most extractants can remove phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc and copper from a sample. How often should a soil be tested? As a rule, test sandy-textured soils every 2 to 3 years and clay soils every 3 to 4 years. However, if any problems occur at any time contact, TopNotch Inspections or visit the New Jersey Department of Agriculture website. What does the pH measure? Soil pH indicates how acid or basic a soil is. It is a logarithmic function of the hydrogen ion concentration. A pH of 6.0 is ten times more acid than a pH of 7.0; a pH of 5.0 is 100 time
We recommend about one half to three-quarter pound. This amount should be enough to represent the area being tested. The sample bags used for submitting the samples have a “fill line” that shows the amount of soil needed. Question: What is a soil test extractant? Answer: An extractant is a mixture of various chemical regents dissolved in distilled water. It removes plant-available nutrients from the soil and dissolves them in a liquid phase. Most extractants can remove P, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu from a sample. Question: When I receive my soil test report, how do I know what the numbers mean? Answer: In determining what these numbers mean, you have several options. You can contact us to explain it to you over the phone or via e-mail, you can visit a local cooperating Extension Advisor, or you can contact your local retail fertilizer dealer. Question: What does the term CEC shown on the report mean? Answer: CEC stands for “cation exchange capacity.” It is a relative measure of the s
