Are you struggling to produce the best crops in your fields, the best vegetables in your garden or even the nicest yard in the neighborhood? Or even just curious what the nutrients were in your soil?

If you want your plants to grow big and healthy, soil quality matters. Even if you aren’t planning on growing a lush veggie garden, all plants need nutrients to grow, in addition to light and water.

The most common mistake by home gardeners is not having their soil tested before applying fertilizer or lime. I often hear “you can’t put down too much lime” from those that never test their soil.

For home gardeners, soil testing is valuable to establish a base line on soil limitations related to pH, salt levels and the need for phosphate and potash fertilizers. In some gardening situations, ...

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