Free soil tests for Arkansans

If you are an Arkansas homeowner or landowner and your garden or lawn isn’t looking so great, it’s time to see how your soil is doing.

Soil testing can be done anytime but the best time is in the fall or in the spring before the lawn greens up.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service offers free soil testing to Arkansans. If you are out of state, check with your state’s land grant university for a similar free service.

To get started, first you need to take your own soil sample.

HOW TO GATHER YOUR SOIL SAMPLE

• Rake aside mulch surface litter like leaves.

• Take soil with a soil probe or shovel from at least 12 spots in each area to obtain a representative sample. A zigzag sampling pattern is preferred. Fertilizer and lime recommendaor tions are no better than the sample taken.

• Take samples in gardens, lawns and around shrubs to a depth of about 4 inches and for mature fruit trees at a depth of 12 inches.

• Mix soil thoroughly from a sample area. Keep different areas separate. Discard rocks, gravel and roots.

• Allow the soil sample to air dry. Spread the sample on newspapers or large paper bags for a couple of days. Do not heat the sample in an oven to speed drying.

• Remove one pint for the laboratory sample and place in a clean container or zip top bag. Label each sample with a name that you would recognize.

• Bring sample(s) to your local County Extension office. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

For Arkansas taxpayers, there is no fee to process and run your samples. Outof-state samples will be charged $10 per sample.