Test Time...

I finally got around to testing my soil pH and fertility.  It's only been 8 years since putting in my first beds and 5 months since I received my tester as a gift. When I first read the directions it seemed a bit daunting.  Now that I have done it once, it is actually pretty easy.

Burpee Electronic Soil Tester

Make sure to use clean tools.

First remove the top 2" from the area you are testing.  Next, dig down about 6" in several locations.  My beds are 4x4's so I decided on 4 evenly spaced areas.  

Break-up soil and remove stones, twigs etc.

Evenly collect and combine the dirt from the different locations until you have between 2" and 4".

Add distilled, spring or rain water to your container of dirt, turning it into a mud like consistency. 

Allow it to sit for about 15 minutes, and then drain of excess water. 

Place the meter into the mud and select either pH or fertility.

Wait two minutes before taking a reading.  

I discovered the my pH was just shy of 7 or neutral.  The soil fertility was on the "too little" side, which makes sense since I just got done growing green beans in this area.  Now that I have my readings, I can amend the soil accordingly.

Soil pH and fertility, along with sun exposure and moisture levels are important factors in providing the best growing environment for a successful garden

Follow the link below to learn more about soil testing with the Burpee Electronic Soil Tester....

http://www.burpee.com/gardening/content/gygg/sun-and-soil-testing/sunandsoil.html