Soil Testing

Jerry-B-WI

5 year old buck +
Does anyone do their own soil testing with kits you can buy? I can buy a kit for about $18 that will test NPK and ph.
 
Does anyone do their own soil testing with kits you can buy? I can buy a kit for about $18 that will test NPK and ph.
I tried one a four years ago using the four test-tube version that was available from LOWES. In fact, they still carry it. DON'T. Not only were the results very different from those provided by the county exertion office, if you read the FAQ section, you will realize the manufacturer has an excuse for every possible negative outcome. The pH was about the only accurate part of the test, and that can be had from a simple prob with a similar level of accuracy. Other may have different experiences.

Here are the test results from a mail in sample, along with my embedded notes that I had posted on another forum at the time. Screen Shot 2022-07-17 at 1.01.39 PM.png
 
Does anyone do their own soil testing with kits you can buy? I can buy a kit for about $18 that will test NPK and ph.
We have been through this on the forum before. The strong consensus is that you are much better off taking proper soil samples and sending them to a lab. I use Virginia Tech cause it is free to me instate. Keep in mind, I completely ignore fertilizer recommendations and haven't used commercial fertilizer for over 5 years since I went to no-till/min-till. It is important to get the pH right. As I slowly learn more about soil science, I'm beginning to use some of the measurements (along with my weeds and crop performance) for crop selection. OM measurement can tell a lot about the progress I'm making at restoring my soil health from the early damage I did with tillage.

Thanks,

Jack
 
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An $18 test that only gives you 4 data points is of no practical use. For around $26 at Midwest Labs, you can get 21 data points, many of which none of the free and cheap tests offer, and they're the ones you need to make a lime recommendation.
 
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