By Casey Heilman
Allen Soil and Water Conservation District

The cooler weather has arrived and many homeowners around the county are raking up leaves, cutting back perennials, and just generally prepping yards, and gardens for the long winter ahead. But what few people realize is that  caring for the soil should be a part of the autumn yard routine. 

Soil testing is especially essential if fertilizer is used. Over-fertilizing is so  easy to do that many don’t give it much thought when applying it. Excess  fertilizer is washed into our rivers and streams every time it rains. From there  it causes algae problems, robs oxygen from the water, and is a leading  contributor of poor water quality. One way to combat over fertilizing to only  apply what is needed and testing the soil helps to establish that proper amount. ▶︎

Collecting and preparing soil samples for testing is simple. The process  involves collecting a small amount of soil from about Twelve different places  in a yard, garden, or other targeted areas. When digging soil from the lawn,  samples need to be three inches deep.  

For garden samples, the soil should be a minimum of eight inches deep. Each  sample should be about the same size or amount of soil. Combine all the soil  samples in the clean container, break the soil lumps apart with your hands,  and mix well. 

From the well-mixed composite sample, take one cup (8 oz) of the soil, place  it in a Ziploc bag, and send it off to the soil test lab with your completed form  and payment/check. Typically, in less than two weeks, the results will be  received. 

The Allen Soil and Water Conservation District encourages sending samples  to the Penn State soils laboratory. Soil test forms can be picked up at the Allen  SWCD Office, download from allenswcd.com, or mailed to you by request.  For more information on soil testing, go to the Allen SWCD website or contact Casey at 419-222-0846 or [email protected].