Collecting Your Sample

• Clear away mulch and surface debris.
• Dig 6-8 inches deep in garden beds (or 3–4 inches for lawns).
• Take 10–15 subsamples from different spots across the area.
• Mix subsamples thoroughly in the bucket.
• Fill the sample bag with about 2 cups of mixed soil.
• Label your sample with the area’s name (e.g., “Backyard Bed” or “Front Planter”).

2 Collect soil cores

4 Prepare sample

3 Combine samples

Sources

Soil Testing Resources in Louisville

KSU West Louisville Extension Office 1300 Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40203 Dr. Alhagie K. Cham alhagie.cham@kysu.edu

Jefferson Co. Soil & Water Conservation District 4229 Bardstown Rd Ste. 203, Louisville, KY 40218 Dave Nichter soiltech@jeffcd.org

KSU Soil Lab Dr. Mahateme Gebremedhin maheteme.gebremedhin@kysu.edu

Jacob Brown, MSc jacob.brown1@kysu.edu

For more information, contact:

Dr. Alhagie K. Cham

Senior Extension Associate, Urban Horticulture Production (502) 597-6570 alhagie.cham@kysu.edu 1300 Muhammad Ali Blvd., Louisville, KY 4020

Contributors

Dr. Maheteme Gebremedhin Assistant Professor, Soil Science

Jacob Brown Research Assistant

Kelly Rawalt Food Systems Coordinator

Dave Nichter Soil & Water Conservation Technician

Allen, T., Kariuki, S., Mangan, F., Parkash, O., Xing, B., & Barros, Z. (2015). How and why to measure soil contaminants in urban settings (Ref. No. SPTTL_12). https://www.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/soil-plant-nutrient-testing-laboratory/fact-sheets/how-why-to-measure-soil-contaminants-in-urban-settings.

Craul, P. J. (1985). A description of urban soils and their desired characteristics. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry, 11(11), 330–339. https://doi.org/10.48044/jauf.1985.071.

Wu, Q., & Congreves, K. A. (2024). Soil health benefits associated with urban horticulture. Science of The Total Environment, 912, 168852. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168852.

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