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Fall Soil
Sampling with Darke SWCD
GREENVILLE – Do you feel like your lawn or garden is lacking in some
areas? Are you uncertain what fertilizers to use or amounts to
apply in order to increase productivity? If so, you should
consider soil sampling. Soil sampling is a tool farmers use to
assess their nutrient needs for crop production. Why not apply
this method to your garden, it’s essentially the same thing on a
smaller scale.
A soil sample analysis will tell you what fertilizers or treatments are
needed to adjust your current garden levels for the coming year.
A soil sample indicates whether you need to add lime or sulfur to
achieve a desired pH level. It can also show a surplus or
deficiency in organic matter, potassium, phosphorus, and other
nutrients. With this information, you are no longer blindly
applying unneeded fertilizers which could save you money.
Darke SWCD will again be a collection point for homeowners to bring in
their soil samples. If you are interested in having a soil
analysis for your garden, lawn or flower bed, bring your samples to our
office by September 30, 2016. The cost for each soil sample is
$15, and there’s no limit on how many samples you can submit.
Here are some tips for pulling a representative soil sample:
Use a soil probe to pull your cores. (Available to borrow from
Darke SWCD at no cost!)
Remove any top debris, residue or turf thatch from the area.
Pull your cores 6-8” deep. If you are sampling a lawn, lift the
sod and sample 3” deep.
Pull cores from as many places as possible (a single soil sample
consists of 18-20 cores) to cover the entire sampling area in a zigzag
pattern.
Take a separate soil sample for different areas (lawn, garden, flower
bed, etc.)
After you collect your soil sample, allow the cores to dry. Once
they have dried, place your soil sample in a paper bag and bring it to
the Darke SWCD office located at 1117 Southtowne Court,
Greenville. We are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to
4:30 pm. If you have any questions or would like to borrow a soil
probe, please don’t hesitate to stop by, call us at 937-548-1752 or
email jared.coppess@darkeswcd.com.
Soil sampling is a great way to save money, be environmentally friendly
and increase your garden’s production. It is an effective way to
understand the current nutrient levels in your garden, gives you an
idea of what you can do in preparation for next year and provides you a
baseline to compare with future samples. Darke SWCD will be
accepting soil samples until September 30, 2016.
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