SOIL SAMPLING - A Great First Step

One of the first steps to successful gardening is having your soil tested. Marathon County UW-Extension can provide you with a soil testing kit to test your lawn, vegetable garden, flowerbed, or for your trees and shrubs. Samples are analyzed for pH, lime requirement, organic matter, phosphorus, and potassium. Nutrient recommendations are given to adjust pH, nitrogen, phosphate, and/or potash fertilizers.

• Soil should be packaged and shipped to the UW-Soil Testing Lab in Marshfield. Results are mailed back to you in 10-14 days.
• The cost is $15 per sample, which includes shipping and handling. Soil sampling kits are available free at: Marathon County UW-Extension office, during normal business hours. 

To take a sample, dig down approximately six inches in three or four different areas. Take approximately ¼ cup from each area, and mix these samples together to form a composite sample. You’ll need one to two cups of soil for testing.

RELATED INFORMATION & PUBLICATIONS

For additional information, call the Extension Office at 261-1230. Or visit the some of the resources below:

• Marshfield UW-Soil & Forage Analysis Lab's website.
• UW - Plant Disease and Diagnostic Clinic
• UW - Soil and Plant Analysis Laboratory
• UW - Turfgrass Diagnostic Lab
• Sampling Lawn and Garden Soils for Soil Testing (A2166)

« Horticulture Program Topics | Top