Frequently Asked Questions
for Soil Test Kits

Services > Soil Test Kits > FAQ

What does the kit test for?
How many soil tests should I take?
How often should I soil test?
Does the Penn State Soil Test check for pesticide residue?
What other tests available through Penn State?
- Particle Size and Sand Sieve Test
- Enviornmental Soil Tests
-- Available Metal Tests
--Total Sorbed Metal Tests
-- Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Chapter 275, Individual Permit for Sewage Sludge Land Application Test
-- Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Chapter 271, General Permit for Sewage Sludge Land Application Test
- Compost Testing Program
- Soiless Media Testing Kit
- Biosolids Testing Program

What does the kit test for?

Each sample is analyzed for pH, SMP lime requirement, and for phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and calcium levels. For turf-establishment soils, organic matter content is also measured. The final report includes the chemical analysis of the soil along with lime and fertilizer recommendations for the crop specified.

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How many soil tests should I take?

There are a couple of factors involved in answering this question:

A separate test should be used when you are growing different groups of plants. (i.e. one for vegetables, one for tree fruit, or one for turfgrass)

A separate test should be taken if the areas you are testing have been treated differently. (i.e. If you are trying to establish turfgrass and one section of the area was previously used to grow vegetables. This area may have received applications of lime and/or fertilizer that would yeild different test results from adjacent areas.)

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How often should I soil test?

Testing the soil every 3 or 4 years should be adequated for most landscape and garden situations. An exception would be if you were changing the crop growing in one area. If you were creating a herbaceous perennial border in an area previously occupied by turfgrass, the nutritional requirements would differ, so it would be advantageous to get a new soil test.

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Does the Penn State Soil Test check for pesticide residue?

No. Testing for pesticide residue can be performed by a private laboratory.

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What other tests available through Penn State?

Particle Size and Sand Sieve Test

These tests are designed for landscape architects, golf course superintendents, municipal park managers, and those who supply sand, soil, and other mixtures used by these professionals in maintenance and construction activities. The particle size test includes determinations of sand, silt, and clay along with the soil textural class as determined by the relative percentages of the three soil fractions. Sand-sieve analyses includes seven separations: gravel, very coarse sand, coarse sand, medium sand, fine sand, very fine sand, and fines.

Particle size and sand-sieve test kits may be purchased directly from the Laboratory. If submitting a sample for particle size and/or sand sieve tests in addition to the soil fertility test, indicate on the soil fertility information form the additional test(s) requested and include a check or money order with your sample to cover the costs of the additional analyses. More information

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Environmental Soils Test

The tests described below are designed to assist municipalities, farmers, environmental agencies, and others in developing environmentally sound soil management programs. These tests for major and trace elements assist in monitoring soils that have been amended with biosolids or other materials.

To obtain the tests, puchase a standard soil test kit for soil fertility analysis from a county extension office. Indicate on the soil test kit information sheet the desired analyses (listed below). Please send a check or money order with your sample to cover the cost of the environmental soil test(s) requested , or provide billing information. Make checks payable to The Pennsylvania State University. More information

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	Available Metals Test Determines the plant-available levels of essential and nonessential metals in soils. The test includes the soil fertility results for pH, lime requirement, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, plus availability test for manganese, iron, copper, zinc, sodium, aluminum, lead, nickel, and cadmium. (top)
	Total Sorbed Metals Test This test determines the total sorbed levels of cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, chromium and zinc in soils by EPA method 3050/3051 + 6010. (top)
	Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Chapter 275, Individual Permit for Sewage Sludge Land Application Test Tests are performed for arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, selenium, and zinc to satisfy requirements of DEP Chapter 275 Individual Soil Permit for Land Application of Sewage Sludge. Also provided in the report are pH and plant-available phosphorus results from soil fertility analysis. (top)
	Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Chapter 271, General Permit for Sewage Sludge Land Application Test Tests are performed for arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, zinc, and PCBs to satisfy requirements of DEP Chapter 271, General Permit for Land Application of Sewage Sludge. Also provided in the report are pH and plant-available phosphorus results from soil fertility analysis. (top)

Compost Testing Program
Composting of manures and other materials is becoming a common nutrient management practice. Similar to manures, composts are highly variable in their nutrient content. Additionally, because of the numerous types and compositions of composts, there are very few standardized or "book" values available for compost analysis. The Compost Test 1 includes total and ammonium nitrogen, total phosphorus, total potassium, percent solids, carbon, carbon:nitrogen ratio, soluble salts and pH. The Compost Test 2 includes all of the analytes in Test 1 plus total calcium, magnesium, sulfur copper, zinc, manganese, sodium, iron and aluminum. Additional analyses are also available. More information

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Soilless Media Testing Kit
This program is designed as a management tool for greenhouse operators using soilless growth media for plant production. Samples are analyzed for pH, nitrate-nitrogen, soluble salts, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, boron, copper, iron, manganese, and zinc using the saturated media extract method with DPTA. The final report includes the analytical results along with an interpretation based on the crop specified. Soilless media kits may be purchased from county offices of the Penn State Cooperative Extension. More information

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Biosolids Testing Program
These tests are designed to assist municipalities, farmers, environmental agencies, and others in developing environmentally sound biosolids management and utilization programs.

To use this program, obtain a free sample mailer and information form from the laboratory. Provide billing information when submitting samples. More information

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