It is that time of the year and spring time has finally arrived. Spring is one of the most beautiful seasons in North Carolina and is a great opportunity for us to get out in the great outdoors. Spring is a time for trees to bloom and for many of us this means the pollen will give us the inevitable runny nose and sinus congestion. For farmers, home gardeners, and landscapers it is a good time to test our fields, pastures, and lawns to get fertilizer recommendations. Soil testing is a quick and accurate method of determining the relative acidity of the soil and the levels of our essential nutrients. A predictive soil sample can provide recommendations for liming and fertilization. The accuracy of soil tests depends on the quality of the soil sample taken. To get a good representative sample, it is suggested to pull multiple subsamples from the sample area and mix them together. Samples can be contaminated by micronutrients if they are collected with galvanized tools and soil should be mixed in a clean plastic bucket.
Starting April 1, all soil samples brought into the North Carolina Department of Agriculture Agronomic Division Soil Testing Lab will be free for all North Carolinians. April 1 marks the end of this latest soil testing fee period. The peak season soil testing fee was first started in 2013 where from December-March all soil samples have a $4.00 fee per sample and this sample fee period has continued each year since. The NCDA Agronomic Lab is physically located at 4300 Reedy Creek Rd, Raleigh NC 27607 and their mailing address is 1040 Mail Service Center, Raleigh NC 27699-1040. Soil sample results can be found online. The lab can also be contacted by calling 919-733-2655. The turnaround time for sample results can vary, but the current processing time for results is around two weeks for soil samples.
Soil sample boxes and soil sample submission forms are available at our Sampson Cooperative Extension office located at 55 Agriculture Place, Clinton NC 28328. Collected samples can be brought back to the Sampson Extension office and will be transported to the NCDA Agronomic lab as soon as possible.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule a time to come in and get soil sample boxes and submission forms. Please call the Sampson Cooperative Extension office at 910-592-7161.
