Soil Analysis – Testing Services and Kits

There are three things you may wish to test on your garden or allotment  soil.

1. The nutrient levels including NPK and trace elements. Not only their presence but the  availability of this food for plants.
2. The acidity or alkalinity of the soil normally called a ph test
3. The consistency of the soil from small particles of clay through silt and loam to sand An analysis of humus levels also comes with this service but DIY systems are less sophisticated.

You can do tests yourself or send a sample and fee to the Royal Horticultural society for a full report.

RHS service, which has been developed specifically with gardeners in mind, provides an analysis of soil texture, pH, organic matter and three major plant nutrients (potassium, phosphorus and magnesium). You receive a detailed interpretation of the results as well as fertiliser recommendations for either fruit, vegetables, ornamentals or lawns.

The pH of a soil refers to its acidity or alkalinity and is a vital factor in plant growth. It often dictates what plants will thrive and what will fail. It’s easy to measure and is usually listed numerically on a scale of one to 14. Acid soils have a pH of below seven, neutral is pH7 and alkaline is above seven.

The texture and relative amounts of sand, silt, and clay are estimated by the feel of the soil in a moist condition. The soils are then classified into three categories: C (coarse textures of sand, loamy sand and sandy loam), M (medium textures of loam and silt loam), and F (fine textures of clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay and clay.

Organic matter is determined by heating a  scoop of the soil sample and by assessing weight loss it can reported the per-cent organic matter by weight in the soil. For DIY worm activity is a good indicator.

Soil testing kits at Amazon

Agricultural testing report on a pdf or read more on Gardeners tips