A $12 soil test from my county extension office saved me $200 on fertilizer I never needed

Hugo Gonzalez · 2026-10-10T04:35:03.539303+00:00

Everyone on here keeps saying you have to dump lime and fertilizer on your lawn every spring, and I used to do it too. Then I read on my county extension website that a basic soil test costs $12 and tells you exactly what your dirt is missing. I sent in a sample from three spots in my yard and the results came back saying my phosphorus was already off the charts. I had been adding a phosphorus heavy starter fertilizer for two springs straight, which is basically pouring money into dirt that did not want it. The report also said my pH was 6.8, which is fine for grass, so all that lime advice was pointless for my yard. I skipped the fertilizer run this spring and the grass looks the same as always. Has anyone else done a soil test and been surprised by what it said?

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A $12 soil test from my county extension office saved me $200 on fertilizer I never needed | Backyard Projects - Topic Shares