Soil Test Kits

These test kits are for homeowners and others who need to know the condition of the soil in their lawn, garden, or farm fields.  The kit is essentially a cloth bag with a plastic bag insert and a sewn on ticket.  The soil sample can be dried and placed into the plastic bag which goes into the cloth bag and is then mailed to the soils lab at Rutgers University.

The cost of the kit is $20.  It can be picked up at our office at 224 W. Stiger Street in Hackettstown; or, upon receipt of your $20 check, we can mail one to you.

The best results can be had from these kits if you follow these helpful hints:

     •Take the soil sample from the root zone not from the soil surface.

     •If doing a garden or lawn, take five or six samples from various areas and mix them  thoroughly and then draw a sample from the mix.  This will give you a good average of the overall condition of your lawn, garden, or field.

     •Don't send wet or very moist soil to the lab. These samples must be dried before they are tested, and the wetter the sample the longer it takes to get the results back.  Air drying at home by spreading the sample on clean newspaper works nicely.

     •Fill out the green form included in the soil test kit. Be sure to fill out both sides.  Please write neatly and legibly.

     •Don't wait until late spring to have your soil tested.  The lab becomes very busy as the planting season matures.  Beat the rush and do it early.

The soil test report will be mailed directly to  your home.  It will contain recommendations for liming and fertilizing based upon the results of the test and the information that you provided on the green sheet you included with the soil sample.