- 1). Dig the soil to a depth of 6 inches with a trowel or shovel. Remove approximately 1 cup of soil from the bottom of the hole and place in a clean, dry bucket.
- 2). Repeat the process, until you have removed 1 cup of soil from 10 to 15 places around the garden bed. This will give you a sampling of the soil from the entire bed.
- 3). Mix the soil samples in the bucket thoroughly, breaking up any clumps. Remove any plant debris, rocks or other foreign matter that does not represent the soil.
- 4). Take 2 cups of mixed soil from the bucket. Place it in the plastic bag provided in the soil analysis kit.
- 5). Fill out the questionnaire from the kit. Note any problems you encountered and special situations that exist in your garden bed. Follow the included instructions for returning the test.
- 6). Keep a record of the area tested and the date the test was mailed or delivered. Expect the results to take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.
- 7). Follow the recommendations made in your test results to improve your soil for best growing conditions.
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