University of Massachusetts Amherst Soil and Plant Nutrient Testing Laboratory

This lab uses:

• Phosphorus: Modified Morgan. A weak extract used in the Northeast. It gives much lower numbers than Mehlich-3.
• Potassium: Modified Morgan. A weak extract used in the Northeast. It gives much lower numbers than Mehlich-3.
• Micronutrients: Modified Morgan. A weak extract used in the Northeast. It gives much lower numbers than Mehlich-3.

Labs pull nutrients out of soil with different chemicals, and each one gives a different number for the same soil. 20 ppm on one test and 20 ppm on another don’t mean the same thing, so check which test your report used before you compare it to a chart.

• Basic test. pH, phosphorus and potassium, usually with calcium and magnesium. Enough for most gardens and lawns.
• Organic matter. How much organic matter the soil holds, which sets how much nitrogen it releases.
• Nitrate. Nitrate nitrogen in the soil now. Most useful in dry climates, where it carries over winter.
• Salts. Soluble salts (EC), and sodium where salt or poor drainage is a problem.
• Micronutrients. Zinc, iron, manganese and copper, sometimes boron.
• Texture. Sand, silt and clay, which sets how fast water drains and how much the soil holds.
• CEC. Cation exchange capacity: how many nutrients the soil can hold on to.
• Lead and metals. Lead and other metals, worth testing in old yards and near old buildings.

• The routine test includes micronutrients, CEC and a lead screen.
• Mail the sample, or leave it in the drop box outside Paige Laboratory.
• Pay by check or money order sent with the sample.

Sources: [1] [2]

• Herbicides, pesticides and contaminants other than the listed metals
• Greenhouse mixes or soils over 20% organic matter (on the routine test)

The lab’s site doesn’t say whether it takes samples from other states. Ask before sending one.

• Take 10 or more small cores across the area and mix them in a clean bucket. One spot tells you about one spot.
• Sample gardens and lawns about 6 inches deep, below any mulch or thatch.
• Keep beds that are grown differently, like a lawn and a vegetable garden, as separate samples.
• Wait a couple of months after fertilizing or liming, so the test reads the soil and not the last bag.
• Use the same lab and the same tests each time, so the numbers compare from year to year.

Your county Massachusetts Extension office can help you take the sample and read the report.

Once the report comes back, type the numbers into the soil test calculator to see what to add for your bed or lawn. The soil test guide walks through each line of the report.

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Bizon is an independent business and isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by any university or Extension service. Details were checked against each lab’s or Extension service’s own pages in October 2026. Why Bizon supports Extension.