"Ben Blackmore" wrote in message ...
Hi,

I've been reading posts in the group about trying to get clay soil in a
better condition.

Most people seem to be at the general consensus that you need to add gypsum,
peat moss and sand, along with other organic material. But someone mentioned
that before you go adding too much stuff to it, you should get the soil
tested for ph balance, to make sure you don't make a bad problem worse! My
question is...how do you test the soil? I'm fairly knew to gardening in
general, I used to just potter around at home with my parents, however now I
have my own place, with very very thick clay soil!

Cheers

Ben

You should get your soil worked up using the materials you mentioned
before getting a soil test. You want to test the soil you are going to
plant in, i.e. the finished product. For example, gypsum will probably
change your soil's pH so you want to test it after the gypsum is in
the soil.

Don't waste your money on a DIY soil test kit! The agricultural
professors at a local major college did a study of numerous different
DIY kits from various retail outlets. Many soil samples were checked
with the kits and then checked against their lab equipment. The
results varied drastically, some not even in the same ballbark.

Here's what you need to do. In the garden to be tested, take a sample
from 5 or 6 different places in the garden/yard. Take about a cup of
soil 6 inches below the surface at these points. Mix all the samples
together thoroughly - this gives you an average for the whole garden.
Put about 2 cups of this mixed soil in a baggie and take it to your
local Extension Service office. They should be listed listed on the
phone book under County Government. Price usually runs from $5-$10.
Tell them what you intend to grow in the spot -flowers, vegetables,
grass, etc. They will send it to a lab for analysis. They will mail
you a complete detailed analysis, not just pH level, with instructions
on how to correct any deficiencies.

Good luck on your project.

Bob S.