About the Soil

For good gardening it can be crucial to know your soil type. No matter how much work you do in your yard and garden, all that careful sowing, weeding and tending could be in vain if the quality of your soil is not up to scratch.

The soil provides plants with the nutrients, water and air that they require for healthy growth and development. But every yard or garden has its own mixture of minerals, organic and inorganic matter. This mixture largely determines what crops, shrubs or trees can be grown successfully. These videos show how to take a soil sample:

Test Laboratoria

Send your samples to one of the following organizations:

Rutgers Experiment Station >

Waypoint Analytical >

Logan Labs >

Cornell University Soil Testing >

Learn More

To understand the possibilities and characteristics of different soil-types, visit:

Know your Soil >