Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers of Buncombe County

soil test

Soil Testing Limited to Essential to Agriculture

Starting March 30, 2020, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) will only accept soil samples for testing that are deemed priority or essential to agriculture.  To help limit the spread of COVID-19, the soil testing labs will be operating on a limited basis.

Agricultural soil samples that will be accepted include the following:

  • Soil diagnostic
  • Nematode diagnostic
  • Nematode pinewood
  • Nematode molecular diagnostic
  • Plant tissue
  • Solution
  • Soilless media
  • Waste samples not covered by the NCDEQ waiver on liquid animal waste.

Agricultural samples that are currently in the lab will be processed as timely as possible.  By taking these measures, the NCDA&CS hopes to maintain the functionality needed to meet the essential needs of NC agriculture while providing a safe work environment for employees.

Unfortunately, soil samples from the general public will not be accepted or tested at this time.  However, Buncombe County Extension Master Gardener volunteers are available to interpret results of previously tested samples.   Call 828-250-4878 and leave a voice message, or send an email to buncombemg@gmail.com

Soil Tests: What They Tell You and What They Don’t!

“Have you done a soil test?” is one of the first questions Extension Master Gardeners ask if you’re starting a new gardening project. Do you know what a soil test can tell you—and what it can’t?

Soil Test Box and Sample Information Sheet

Useful information from soil tests:

  • Nutrients your plants need to grow
    • Primary macronutrients: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K)
    • Secondary macronutrients: Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), and Sulfur (S)
    • Minor nutrients: boron, chlorine, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, and zinc
  • Soil acidity level (pH)

Your soil test will tell you the amount and type of fertilizer to use to provide the nutrients your plants need and how to adjust the soil pH to the appropriate level. It can also tell you if you have too much of certain nutrients! Overfertilizing can be as detrimental to your plants’ growth as too little fertilizer.

 Your soil test won’t tell you if you have:

  • Poorly structured soils
    • Plants may have difficulty getting established on sites where topsoil was stripped away, or soil layers were disturbed and/or compacted during construction.
    • Heavy clay soils, in particular, are difficult for roots to penetrate.
  • Too much or too little soil moisture
    • Poorly drained soils may prevent plant roots from getting enough oxygen.
    • Drought or fast-draining soils may lead to root damage/death from too little soil moisture.
    • Watering too frequently or not deeply enough can create moisture problems for plants in good soils.
  • Plant competition
    • Shallow tree roots or the roots of plants spaced too closely may compete for soil nutrients.
    • Allelopathic plants—such as walnut trees—may act as herbicides and keep nearby plants from thriving.
    • Shade from other plants may inhibit growth of sun-lovers.

So, knowing the proper nutrients and soil pH is a start, but having your plants thrive means making sure your soil has appropriate soil structure and moisture, and providing them with appropriate space and plant companions.

Article by Debbie Green Buncombe County Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer

For more information:

 Soil testing in North Carolina:

https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/1-soils-and-plant-nutrients#section_heading_7241

 “What a Soil Test Does Not Tell You” (scroll down to last article in this newsletter):

https://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/newsletters/2018/Feb20_2018_7.pdf

Allelopathy in walnut trees:

https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/430/430-021/430-021_pdf.pdf

 

 

 

Time to Maintain: Submit Soil Samples before November 23 for Free Testing

There’s still time to get your soil samples to the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services before Thanksgiving and take advantage of free testing. Samples received after November 23, 2017 through March 31, 2018—the peak soil testing season—are charged an analysis fee of $4 per sample. 

Soil test kit

Get soil test kits at the Extension office
Soil test boxes, sample information forms, and instructions are available at the Buncombe County Cooperative Extension office, 49 Mount Carmel Road, Asheville. 

Taking the sample
The instruction sheet, A Guide to Soil Sampling—A Soil Test Is Only as Good as the Soil Sample Taken!, explains how to take your sample. Using a clean, stainless steel or chrome-plated trowel, dig about 6 inches deep in 4 or 5 spots in the testing area. Place the soil samples in a clean plastic bucket or bowl and mix well. If the soil is wet, wait for it to dry out before mixing. Fill the soil test box to the fill line and label the box. 

Where to sample
Take several soil samples from different areas of your yard and use a separate box for each sample. Suggested sample areas include: lawn, vegetable garden, flowerbeds, landscape trees and shrubs, roses, azaleas, rhododendrons, blueberries, and other fruits and berries. 

Complete the sample information form and mail
Complete an information form for each soil sample, note any lime applications you’ve made in the last 12 months, and indicate the Lawn and Garden Planting Code for the area sampled. You’ll also need to provide an email address for your results.

Place the information form on top of your soil test boxes in a cardboard box and mail to the address listed on the form. It is helpful to keep a record to remind yourself of where you took each sample.

After the lab has tested the soil samples, you will receive a test report with recommendations for fertilizer and pH amendment. During the winter it takes about two months to receive your test results.

More information
A Gardener’s Guide to Soil Testing at http://content.ces.ncsu.edu/a-gardeners-guide-to-soil-testing.pdf

Article written by Beth Leonard, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer.

Contact Us

Buncombe County Extension Office
49 Mount Carmel Road
Asheville, NC 28806
Helpline 828-255-5522

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