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How to Use Soil Kit

By DoMyOwn staff

Soil Kit helps in considering what fertilizer, lime, or nutrients are needed for healthier soil.

 How to Use Soil Kit Video Play

Video Transcript

Test the health of your lawn and garden soil with the Soil Kit. The kit will identify what nutrients are missing or overabundant in your soil and give you easy-to-understand product recommendations specific to your property.

Use the do-it-yourself soil testing kit to collect a sample, then mail it to the lab in a pre-stamped envelope. You'll receive a soil analysis and product recommendations within a few days.

The soil kit can be used to test your garden, your entire lawn or just a specific problem area in your lawn. The test examines your soil's pH and levels of phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, calcium, boron, zinc, manganese, and iron. 

The kit includes a soil sample collection bag, step-by-step instructions, and a pre-paid return envelope for mailing the sample to the lab.

Fill out the information on the front of the sample collection bag before you begin.

To collect soil samples from your entire lawn, identify 4 different areas in your lawn you want to test. For instance, your front yard, backyard, and 2 side yards. If testing a specific problem area in your lawn, collect soil just from that one area.

If examining garden soil, collect samples from 4 different areas of the garden. 

Using a trowel, dig 2 to 4 inches into the soil in one part of the lawn. Pull the turf back for better access. Take 3 scoops of soil from the first part of your lawn, removing any roots or grass blades before placing the sample into the soil collection bag.

Repeat this process in each of the 4 areas of your lawn, placing 3 scoops of soil into the same bag. Once you're finished, roll down the top of the bag and crimp it with the included wire to secure the sample.

Place the soil sample collection bag into the mailer envelope and place it in your mailbox for pickup. The envelope can be sent through any United States postal service mailbox or taken to the post office. 

A few days after mailing the sample, Soil Kit's leading agriculture lab will analyze your soil and process your results. Soil Kit will then provide you with easy-to-understand results and soil treatment recommendations that address the nutritional needs of your soil.

Don't test soil from both a garden and a lawn in one kit. Instead, use one kit for each area.

For best results, make sure your soil is dry before collecting. If you need to collect damp soil, air dry the soil on a paper towel before placing it in the collection bag.

Soil Kit will cover an area of 10,000 square feet or less. If your yard is larger than 10,000 square feet, use two kits, collecting soil samples from smaller areas, to ensure more accurate results.

And it's that easy with the expert help from DoMyOwn.com. Subscribe to our channel for more DIY and product videos.