Extension Search / Soil Labs / Michigan

Michigan State University Extension Home Lawn and Garden Soil Test

Michigan State University Extension runs Michigan’s public soil testing program. Send a soil sample and you get back your pH and nutrient levels, and what each number means for your plants.

Lab Details

Michigan State University Extension

Michigan

Basic test

Open the lab's site for fees, forms and the mailing address.

Test Methods

The lab’s site doesn’t say which tests it runs. Ask before you send a sample, and check your report.

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.

Tests

Basic test. pH, phosphorus and potassium, usually with calcium and magnesium. Enough for most gardens and lawns.

MSU's campus soil lab closed at the end of 2022. Old pages that say to mail samples to campus are out of date.
Buy the Home Lawn and Garden Soil Test Mailer from the MSU Extension Bookstore or a county office. Postage is included.
The sample is tested at A&L Laboratories, a private lab, and MSU Extension sends the recommendations.

Sources: [1] [2]

Out of State

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

Sample Tips

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 Michigan Extension office can help you take the sample and read the report.

Results

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.

Other States

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