NC Department of Agriculture Agronomic Services Division

This lab uses:

• Phosphorus: Mehlich-3. Used across much of the East, South and Midwest, on acid to neutral soils.
• Potassium: Mehlich-3. Used across much of the East, South and Midwest, on acid to neutral soils.
• Micronutrients: Mehlich-3. Used across much of the East, South and Midwest, on acid to neutral soils.

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.
• Micronutrients. Zinc, iron, manganese and copper, sometimes boron.
• CEC. Cation exchange capacity: how many nutrients the soil can hold on to.

• NC State Extension uses this state lab for soil tests.
• Use only NCDA&CS sample boxes, from your county Extension office.
• Fill in the form online, then mail the samples or use your county office's courier.
• The test reports humic matter instead of organic matter, and doesn't test nitrogen.

Sources: [1] [2]

• Soil from outside North Carolina
• Contaminants, including heavy metals for homeowners
• Soilless media

This lab doesn’t take samples from outside North Carolina.

• 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 North Carolina 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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