Soil testing is the best way to ensure that you are spending your fertilizer dollar wisely. Soil testing takes a little time and effort on your part, but should be an annual practice on every pasture/field.
Follow these tips and links for more soil testing information.
1. In East Texas, if soil types and production practices are similar, you can use one soil test on up to about 40 acres of land.
2. A soil sample that you submit, is actually a composite sample made up of 10 to 15 smaller samples taken from a given area of land.
3. Take each sub-sample to a depth of about 4 to 6 inches for permanent grass pastures, discarding the top 1/2 inch.
4. Mix sub-samples in a clean bucket or paper sack (not a container that has previously held fertilizer or lime).
5. Stir sub-samples together and use this mixture to send in as your composite sample.
6. Send samples to the lab in paper sacks or soil bags provided by the laboratory.
7. For most applications, a basic soil analysis will be adequate. You might want to test for micro-nutrients if you are managing for legumes.
Here are a few more soil testing links:
Texas AgriLife Extension Service Soil, Water, and Forage Testing Laboratory
Stephen F. Austin State University's Soil, Plant and Water Analysis Laboratory
