Soil Samples

[Obsession]

When should I do a soil sample for a late summer/fall food plot(Winter wheat, oats, etc)?

 

[AT Hiker]

Now...if it needs lime it could take up to 6 month to incorporate into the soil.

 

[Bone Collector]

Now...if it needs lime it could take up to 6 month to incorporate into the soil.

This^^^

 

[Football Hunter]

yep

 

[Obsession]

What lab do you recommend for doing the soil samples?

 

[AT Hiker]

Do not use CO-OP ( I think they used to use L&N lab or something like that) CO-OP is in the business to sell fertilizer.

Contact your County Extension office for UT Extension (looks like your in Wilson Co). Take mulitple samples from the same field and 3-6" deep and put it in a bucket. Go to the UT office and tell them what you want to plant and they will fill the form out for you or help you do so. It shouldnt cost more than $10 max (dont quote me on that). They will send it to Nashville and you will have an unbiased test done. Then you can ask the Extension Agent to help explain what the results say.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Do not use CO-OP ( I think they used to use L&N lab or something like that) CO-OP is in the business to sell fertilizer.

Contact your County Extension office for UT Extension (looks like your in Wilson Co). Take mulitple samples from the same field and 3-6" deep and put it in a bucket. Go to the UT office and tell them what you want to plant and they will fill the form out for you or help you do so. It shouldnt cost more than $10 max (dont quote me on that). They will send it to Nashville and you will have an unbiased test done. Then you can ask the Extension Agent to help explain what the results say.

YEP!

 

[Obsession]

Thanks!

 

[Football Hunter]

Don't take em mud,at least that's what they told me,and drying out wet dirt is not the way to go.Need to take sample when the field is relatively dry.Whaat they told me anyway.Dont remember why,Steven may know.

 

[Bone Collector]

Do not use CO-OP ( I think they used to use L&N lab or something like that) CO-OP is in the business to sell fertilizer.

Contact your County Extension office for UT Extension (looks like your in Wilson Co). Take mulitple samples from the same field and 3-6" deep and put it in a bucket. Go to the UT office and tell them what you want to plant and they will fill the form out for you or help you do so. It shouldnt cost more than $10 max (dont quote me on that). They will send it to Nashville and you will have an unbiased test done. Then you can ask the Extension Agent to help explain what the results say.

YEP!

Doesn't Co-OP send it to UT? at least that is what my soil sample said.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Do not use CO-OP ( I think they used to use L&N lab or something like that) CO-OP is in the business to sell fertilizer.

Contact your County Extension office for UT Extension (looks like your in Wilson Co). Take mulitple samples from the same field and 3-6" deep and put it in a bucket. Go to the UT office and tell them what you want to plant and they will fill the form out for you or help you do so. It shouldnt cost more than $10 max (dont quote me on that). They will send it to Nashville and you will have an unbiased test done. Then you can ask the Extension Agent to help explain what the results say.

YEP!

Doesn't Co-OP send it to UT? at least that is what my soil sample said.

They might now, I dont know. The one I ran through them several years ago wasnt through UT. I just have a bias against my local Co-Op. Very uneducated workers there that know next to nothing about anything except cattle. There wasnt a Ag degree in the building until very recently. Example: You can say you need a Zero or No Nitrogen fertilizer and they just look at you like you have an appendage coming out of your forehead, and say well we have some triple 10 LOL Ask one at my local store to interpret a soil sample and you'll get a good laugh out of it because they wont have a clue.

 

[jmb4wd]

I've gone to using Biologic for all mine. You send the sample in a ziploc bag , through the mail and about 5 days later you get an email sent to your box.
5

It is nice because they break it down to plots in acre. And in square feet. After allmost plots around here can be measured in sq ft.

It also gives the recommendation in the exact units needed Luke you were buying bulk from coop, and the also send how much to use if you are using a commercial bagged blend premade like triple 13.

 

[jmb4wd]

Oh, its the same lab a lot of coops use in memphis, A&L

 

[SALTMAN]

Ive used A & L for a few years, been well pleased with the reports and the time . You can air dry your wet soil ( bring it into the house ) but dont put it in the oven. They will do two different crops ie beans/corn in the same plot I did either 3 or 4 plots recently and it was $32 total.simple results in color emailed back to me in about 4-5 days.

 

[AT Hiker]

Do not use CO-OP ( I think they used to use L&N lab or something like that) CO-OP is in the business to sell fertilizer.

Contact your County Extension office for UT Extension (looks like your in Wilson Co). Take mulitple samples from the same field and 3-6" deep and put it in a bucket. Go to the UT office and tell them what you want to plant and they will fill the form out for you or help you do so. It shouldnt cost more than $10 max (dont quote me on that). They will send it to Nashville and you will have an unbiased test done. Then you can ask the Extension Agent to help explain what the results say.

YEP!

Doesn't Co-OP send it to UT? at least that is what my soil sample said.

Since CO-OP's are managed independently some may use UT. When I worked for UT I remember getting result from UT and A&L labs on the same soil that producers sent multiple samples off, lets just say they were a little different in some instances.

I am sure any independent lab will give you good results, but you might be persuaded by someone else to buy more than you really need. Basically, if you do not know how to read a soil sample result, take it to your Extension Agent or someone who does not have any bias in the process so you can get your moneys worth.

 

[Bone Collector]

Do not use CO-OP ( I think they used to use L&N lab or something like that) CO-OP is in the business to sell fertilizer.

Contact your County Extension office for UT Extension (looks like your in Wilson Co). Take mulitple samples from the same field and 3-6" deep and put it in a bucket. Go to the UT office and tell them what you want to plant and they will fill the form out for you or help you do so. It shouldnt cost more than $10 max (dont quote me on that). They will send it to Nashville and you will have an unbiased test done. Then you can ask the Extension Agent to help explain what the results say.

YEP!

Doesn't Co-OP send it to UT? at least that is what my soil sample said.

They might now, I dont know. The one I ran through them several years ago wasnt through UT. I just have a bias against my local Co-Op. Very uneducated workers there that know next to nothing about anything except cattle. There wasnt a Ag degree in the building until very recently. Example: You can say you need a Zero or No Nitrogen fertilizer and they just look at you like you have an appendage coming out of your forehead, and say well we have some triple 10 LOL Ask one at my local store to interpret a soil sample and you'll get a good laugh out of it because they wont have a clue.

the ones around here (Murfreesboro) use UT. I took the test into the Franklin store and the guy was clueless, but the guy that I had worked with on other food plot issues, came in and was able to understand it completely. I think he is a manager.

 

[Bucket]

They might now, I dont know. The one I ran through them several years ago wasnt through UT. I just have a bias against my local Co-Op. Very uneducated workers there that know next to nothing about anything except cattle. There wasnt a Ag degree in the building until very recently. Example: You can say you need a Zero or No Nitrogen fertilizer and they just look at you like you have an appendage coming out of your forehead, and say well we have some triple 10 LOL Ask one at my local store to interpret a soil sample and you'll get a good laugh out of it because they wont have a clue.

Man, you got that right. I quickly learned that habitat work for deer seemed ridiculous to those guys. Putnam Farm supply for me.