Extension Search / Soil Labs / Vermont

University of Vermont Agricultural and Environmental Testing Lab

University of Vermont runs Vermont’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

University of Vermont

Burlington, Vermont

Basic test
Lead and metals

Results take usually mailed or emailed on the second Monday after the sample arrives.

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

Test Methods

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.

Tests

Basic test. pH, phosphorus and potassium, usually with calcium and magnesium. Enough for most gardens and lawns.
Lead and metals. Lead and other metals, worth testing in old yards and near old buildings.

Results from labs using other methods can't be compared with UVM's.
You don't need a kit if you print the form from the lab's site.
Home tests often show phosphorus, potassium and magnesium already high, and then you don't need to add them.

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 Vermont 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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