It is that time of year again when our office gets loaded with soil samples, but we like that! The people of Seminole County like to grow a good lawn, have beautiful flower and vegetable gardens, and a plentiful hay pasture. A $10 soil test may save you money on fertilizer. We can tell you the soil pH or if you need lime… or not. We can tell you the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels in your soil. But most importantly, we can help you determine which crops will grow the best in your soil. Here are a few tips on how to get an accurate soil sample: Soil samples need to be done during the dormant season. They are more accurate when nothing is growing.

Soil properties tend to vary from place to place. Your sample needs to be representative of the entire lawn, garden, or field. Do not sample unusual areas.

Scrape plant debris from soil surface before sampling. The nutrients in the dead plant material can affect your sample.

Lawns need to be sampled 3-4” deep. Pastures, crop fields, and gardens need to be sampled at a 6”depth. Grass roots in lawns typically do not go very deep into the soil.

Make sure that all your equipment is clean before sampling. This includes buckets, spades, and soil probes. Combine all the soil cores from at least 10 different locations scattered throughout the lawn, garden, or field. Fill the soil bag full of the mixed soil.

Submit samples to the OSU Extension Office. We will send the samples to the OSU lab and will have your results within three weeks.

Please contact the Seminole County OSU Extension Office at (405) 257-5433 for any questions. OSU is an Affirmative Action, Equal Employment Opportunity, E-Verify Employer. We are located at 12827 NS 3650, Wewoka.