Soil Testing Kit

Your soil is the most important factor in whether you have healthy, vibrant plants in your garden, yet many home gardeners suffer from nutrient deficiencies or other soil quality issues without knowing it.

Our soil testing kit provides not only a comprehensive suite of test results, but it breaks them down for you in plain English so you don't have to be a soil scientist to understand the results and make positive change in your soil quality.

What We Test Your Soil For: 

• Soil pH - Regulates nutrient availability.
• Organic Matter % - Enhances soil structure & fertility.
• Cation Exchange Capacity - Measures nutrient retention ability.

We also test for the following plant macro and micronutrients:

• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Sulfur
• Zinc
• Manganese
• Iron
• Copper
• Boron

Skip the annoying forms, writing checks, and postage costs. The Epic Soil Testing Kit gives you everything you need to test your soil easily. All you have to do is sample, seal, send away to the lab for processing, and you'll have your results back in around a week.

5 Benefits of Doing a Garden Soil

Dimensions:

Lab test kit box:  7” x 5” x 1.25” weighing ~4 ounces

Materials include box (corrugated cardboard), collection bag (recycled plastic), and paper instruction card.

Software and materials assembled in the US. Product made using recycled materials.

The laboratory soil test kit package includes a sample collection bag, instructions, a mailer box, prepaid lab postage, the lab analysis fee,  and a customized recommendation report.

Epic Soil Analysis Kit Instructions

It’s simple!

1. Collect Your Soil

   Gather from several different spots in the location you’re testing. Aim to collect soil from a depth typical for the roots of the plants you’re growing, generally 2-6 inches (5-15 cm) below the surface.

2. Bag Your Soil

   Mix the soil together, making sure your soil is cleared of rocks, vegetation, and sticks. Fill the soil collection bag up to the dotted line and seal it. 

3. Send Your Soil

   Place the soil collection bag in the mailer box. The card is yours to keep; do not place it back into the box. Seal the box using the attached tape seal, and place it directly into your mailbox and drop it off at any USPS post office.  

4. Register Your Test 

   Follow the instructions on the back of your card to register your test. You will be notified via email when your results and recommendations are ready. A soil nutrient analysis is typically complete approximately 5 business days after the lab receives your soil.

The test is timely, and simple to use. Home gardeners receive a concise and easy-to-understand PDF copy of their analysis. Each macronutrient, and major micronutrients are included, as well as amendment recommendations. Not only do you receive information about the presence of nutrients in the soil, you get sound advice on how much and what kinds of fertilizers to add to the soil.

Q: What's included with an Epic Gardening soil test?

A: The price includes the soil sample collection bag, sampling instructions, return mailer box to the lab, pre-paid shipping label to the lab, pre-paid laboratory analysis fee, and 12-month fertilizer and amendment recommendations. Most products recommended can be purchased right from the Epic Gardening store!

Q: What lab does Epic Gardening use?

For all of our soil nutrient testing, Epic uses testing kits packaged by Rx Soil, and samples are sent to Waters Agricultural facilities for processing. The lab uses the Mehlich 3 soil analysis method to determine the various part-per-million values seen in the report.

Q: How long does it take to get my results sent to me?

A: For basic soil nutrient testing, the lab facility needs about 2 days with the sample to complete testing. The prepaid shipping label found on the bottom of the box will typically arrive at the lab in 3-4 days, so all together it is roughly one week from the time you mail the sample to when you receive results.

Q: How is testing with Epic different from using my local university or county extension office for soil testing?

A: Public soil testing labs are great resources for our communities, but process and experience will vary depending on where you live. Epic simplifies this by combining all the steps of testing your soil into one simple purchase - no more printing submission forms, writing checks, finding shipping materials, paying for postage, or black and white soil reports. Epic uses commercial grade laboratories for nutrient testing that regularly process millions of samples a year, which allows for a consistent 2-day laboratory turnaround time, and the reports include easy to understand recommendations based on your square footage and laboratory results.

Q: Will I need to order additional kits if I want more than one report?

A: Yes. An Epic soil test prepays the lab analysis for a single bag of soil. For best results, it's recommended to sample an area from a few nearby spots and mix uniformly before sealing the bag. If you have a large property or want to test certain areas separately, ordering a 2nd or 3rd test package can be beneficial. Make note of your sample ID numbers when they arrive and where the soil was sampled on your property.