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Nearly year-round, the Conservation District
gets calls from homeowners interested in having their soil tested
in their lawns or gardens. The District doesn’t have the
staff or equipment to analyze your soil, but Virginia Tech does.
The Virginia Tech Soil Testing Laboratory is a part of Virginia’s
Cooperative Extension. The routine soil test is all one normally
needs for a fertility evaluation. Soil samples are analyzed
and computer recommendations are generated usually within three
working days of receipt.
All Fairfax County public libraries have
a supply of Virginia Tech soil testing kits. The kits have
instructions on how to collect the sample and where to mail
it for analysis. The fee for a routine analysis is $7.00.
A routine soil test package includes analyses for soil pH, phosphorus,
potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, manganese, copper, iron
and boron, along with fertilizer and lime recommendations for
specified plants. Soluble salts and organic matter tests are
also available for an additional fee.
Plants can produce their own energy but require
a fertile soil to supply needed nutrients. Healthy, well-fed
plants are better able to withstand diseases and insects and
to compete with weeds. For a few dollars a chemical soil analysis
can check your soil’s fertility and determine if any corrective
action is needed.
A soil test is the best tool available
for determining the lime and fertilizer needed for the best
economic and environmental production of gardens and healthier,
more beautiful lawns. Testing the soil takes out the guesswork
and prevents you from under or over liming and fertilizing.
Over-fertilization is costly and may be damaging to the environment.
You can take a soil sample any time of the
year; however, it is best not to sample when the soil is extremely
wet. The number of samples needed from a particular area depends
on the uniformity of the soil and its past treatment.
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