Another reason we test the soil is because we won’t need to rely on fertilizing the soil too much. If you start with healthy soil, you won’t need so much “fixing.” Before you start dumping on the lime and fertilizers, your first step should be taking a soil sample to send off ...
At-home test kits vary hugely, so it’s absolutely critical to follow your chosen test’s instructions. The test kits can be as simple as a pH test you used in high school all the way to multiple tests with various chemicals. Let’s go over how to test your soil’s pH using a La...
Test your soil for a better garden next year. Summer is a good time to evaluate your soil’s health so that any fall amendments can break down over the winter in time for spring planting. Here’s how. You don’t have to dig too deeply to discover the secret of great gardening; it ...
A test is done when you want to know whether your soil is acidic, neutral or alkaline. Why does it matter? Most plants need a fairly neutral soil so they can retrieve all the nutrients from it that they require, but some are more fussy and may want it more acidic or alkaline. By t...
Obviously, this method only works if your plants are in containers or hanging baskets, and for it to be helpful, you need to know how much the container weighs when the soil is dry. I’ll admit, this method is how I typically decide if my hanging baskets need a drink. ...
Recently we were asked how to understand which soil test should be purchased at BuildASoil.com When I wrote the email I figured it might be useful to anyone considering testing their soil to read. So, below is the very same email reply and you can read i
Why Are My Basil Leaves So Small? Basil leaves grow small when conditions are unbalanced, i.e., exposed to too much or too little sunlight or under- or overwatered. As well as receiving 6-8 hours of sunlight and maintaining moist soil, make sure your container is not too small as thi...
1. True or false: The term "riding shotgun" was derived from stationing an armed guard next to the driver of a stagecoach to protect passengers and cargo. True. The term "riding shotgun" was derived from stationing an armed guard next to the driver of a stagecoach to protect passengers...
Here's how to do the test: Step one — Gather the sample Using a trowel, dig a 4- to 6-in.-deep hole from the area you want to test. Remove some soil from the bottom of the hole and put it into a plastic or glass container. You won’t need much, less than a teaspoon, ...
How to test To test your soil, you’ll need a soil probe or auger. If you don’t have either of these tools, a spade, trowel or knife will work. Remove top debris or residue from the area where you are going to take the sample. ...