How to take the sample
Soil testing as the name implies is a test that involves soil. It will get analysed and you will get the result back showing the make up of your sample you submitted. Taking the sample is relatively easy, you just need to get a good representative sample of the area.
Make sure you follow the instructions you get with your pack, or ask the people doing the test if you have any questions, the people at Hill Laboratories were great in explaining everything to me.
I was also able to borrow a horticultural auger to take my samples with, this is what one of them look like:
While this might be really handy for some locations, for others it is a pain, you’ll see me talking about it in the video below.
Once you have enough samples, usually between 15-20 you package them up, send them in, and wait for the results.
In part 3 of soil testing, I will show you the results I received, what I think it means, and what I might be doing to the soil.
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Hi Sam
Well done you look to have an early start to the season.
We are hoping to start our plots Sept as we are popping across the ditch for two weeks.
Looking forward to seeing your results and the amendments you will be using.
What seeds are you trying this year? Or are you waiting to see how the northern weigh off’s go?
We will be getting a soil test done this year too. First time for us and it will be good to know exactly were we need to improve things. If we can afford it we may put up a cover over one of our plots and add some lights for those cloudy days we get. Just got to figure out some way of giving the plants every chance we can. This year we can think of it as Olympic Pumpkin growing.
Hope your site can get lots of people growing. All the best with your season.
Patch1
Daphne Humphreys
Hi Daphne
I’m trying my best at trying to get things sorted early this season, but it can be a bit of a mission sometimes.
I’m not sure what seeds i’ll be using this year, but I know I will be spending some money on them this year, and trying to get something really good. I’ve just got my soil test back, so will be updating the site hopefully tomorrow about it, I’ve seen some examples of the tests in the US, and they get one that is specifically for Giant Pumpkins, the data looks very different. Makes things interesting.
I don’t hear from too many people, but I hope through the site, and all the random people I talk to about growing giant pumpkins, a few more people give it a crack.
Will no doubt catch up with you at some point, and may even have something pumpkin related to discuss with you, am just trying to figure it all out in my head.
Cheers
Sam