Soil Testing & Preparation

Overview

Successful crops and gardens start with healthy soil. Farmers and gardeners who take the time to educate themselves about the nutrient and fertility levels of their soil, and to correct problems before they plant, save money and time and ultimately have healthier plants. This page provides information about soil tests and amendments for the home and commercial gardeners, including composting.

Publications

Extension Publications

• Soil Testing for Home Lawns, Gardens and Wildlife Food Plots
• Composting and Mulching
• How to Convert an Inorganic Fertilizer Recommendation to an Organic One
• Soil Test Handbook for Georgia
• Mulching Vegetables
• Soil Preparation and Planting Procedures for Ornamental Plants in the Landscape

To see other publications, go to the CAES Publications site or the FACS Publications listing.

News

For the latest news about Extension, visit Georgia FACES. News you can use about Georgia family, agricultural, consumer and enviromental sciences.

• Keep fire ants away from compost piles, vegetable gardens
• Soil lab faculty help launch lab in Haiti
• Athens-Clarke inducts state's first class of Master Composters
• Young Lyons farmer wins 2012 Governor's Environmental Stewardship Award
• Springtime is tree-planting time
• Plan now for lush, green turfgrass this summer
• Test the soil in sleeping garden plots now
• Dispose of excess and old chemicals safely
• Turn fallen leaves into rich compost
• Clarke County agent weighs in on fall gardening

Websites

UGA-affiliated sites

• Agricultural & Environmental Services Laboratories
  Provides soil, plant, and water testing as well as other laboratory services.
• Composting 101
  How and why to compost.
• Organic Vegetable Production
  Soil building basics and other organic techniques.
• Soil Testing in Georgia
  Information about how and why to get your garden soil tested.

External sites

• Web Soil Survey
  Provides soil data and information produced by the National Cooperative Soil Survey.