Soil testing for commercial growers is intended for large farms or other large agricultural operations. Lime and fertilizer recommendations for commercial properties are given in "tons per acre" and "lbs per acre" respectively.

Materials Needed

• Clean, plastic bucket
• Stainless-steel soil probe, shovel, spade or garden trowel
• Pick up your Soil Test Kit at Iredell County Cooperative Extension

Do not use brass or bronze tools because they will contaminate samples with copper. Galvanized buckets or tools will contaminate samples with zinc.

Collect & Prepare Your Soil Sample

• Use Clean Tools: Use a stainless steel soil probe or clean trowel and a plastic bucket (avoid metal or brass buckets, which alter zinc/copper readings).
• Sample Depth: Take soil cores down to 4-6 inches for lawns, pastures, and gardens, or 6-8 inches for tilled agricultural fields.
• Mix Samples: Take 10-15 small cores from across a uniform area (one field or one garden patch), combine them thoroughly in your bucket, and fill your soil box to the red line.
• Dry Before Packing: Never send wet soil. Air-dry wet samples on paper towels at room temperature before filling the box.

Complete the NCDA&CS Form

• Sample Identification: Create a unique 4-character ID (FLD1, FRONT, LAWN) for each box and write it on both the box and the form.
• Crop Codes: Enter the correct 3-digit crop code listed on the back of the form (Corn, Soy, Lawn) so the lab provides tailored lime and fertilizer recommendations.

Submit & Pay Lab Fees

• Peak Season Fee Notice: NCDA&CS charges $5.00 per sample for samples received between November 26 and March 31. samples received between April 1 and November 25 are FREE.
• Drop-Off Options:
  • Direct Mail: Ship your boxed samples directly to the NCDA&CS Agronomic Lab in Raleigh using the address listed on the form.
  • County Drop-Off: Bring sealed boxes and completed forms to the Martin County Office.
• Access Results: Test results are typically available online in 1-3 weeks (up to 4-6 weeks during peak winter season) at the NCDA&CS PALS Portal.

Need help reading your report? Bring your results by our office or email it to our Agriculture Agent, Laura Elmore: laura_elmore@ncsu.edu, and we'll write a customized lime and fertilizer plan for your acreage.