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Western Mass. Master Gardeners Association to Offer Free Soil Testing
June 13, 2019 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
The Western Massachusetts Master Gardener Association (WMMGA) will be offering soil pH testing at the Westfield Farmer’s Market on June 13 from 2 – 4pm. Does your lawn or garden need lime? If you live in Western MA the answer to this question is a definite maybe. Our soils vary from one yard to the next. For some yards, lime needs to be added every few years to keep plants healthy. The only accurate way to know if your lawn or garden needs lime is to have the soil tested. If you applied lime in the fall now is the time to check it for the new growing season. Plan to have the best garden ever!
It is easy to collect a soil sample. You can collect from your lawn, vegetable garden, perennial flower garden, under trees or shrubs but keep each collection separate. You could end up bringing in multiple samples! With a trowel remove a plug of soil from the surface down to the proper depth. Sample depths are: 3-4 inches for lawn, 6-8 inches for flower or vegetable garden, 10-12 inches for trees or shrubs. Collect from several spots in your sampling area. If the area is small collect 4-6 samples, large 8-12 samples. Place the soil into a bucket and mix it all
together. Remove twigs and other coarse materials. Place about 1 cup into a zip lock bag. If your soil is at all damp, you can leave the bag open to let it dry out and close it just when ready to bring in. Label each sample bag with its type – vegetable, lawn, perennial, etc. and the approximate size of the area.
Bring you sample or samples in to the WMMGA table at the Westfield Farmer’s Market on June 13 from 2– 4. Certified soil testers will test the pH of your sample and then tell you how much lime you may need to apply. The cost is a $2 donation. Master Gardeners will also be able to answer your soil questions and any other gardening questions you have. Check the WMMGA website for other days and times of soil testing and other events at http://wmmga.org. If you need a complete soil analysis you can send soil for a fee to UMass Soil Testing Laboratory: http://soiltest.umass.edu.