Testing tips

CLC LABS in Westerville, Ohio, performs more than 750,000 tests every year on various types of samples. Here are the company's tips for taking a soil sample:

• Sample during the first visit of the season, before you apply any fertilizer. If you've recently applied fertilizer, wait six weeks before taking the sample.
• Remove any turf and thatch before sampling. If you're unable to do that, you can include the turf and thatch with the soil.
• If you include turf and thatch in your initial test, be sure to continue including them in future tests for consistency.
• For turf, use a 3-inch deep sample, but for trees or ornamentals, use a 6-inch sample.
• Soil testing requires at least 10 to 12 cores for a typical 6,000 square foot lawn so take enough cores or the sample will be too small to test.
• Use a zig-zag pattern to get a sample that represents the entire area.