What is one inexpensive way to increase your yields and conserve your soil? Soil Sampling! Now is the time to think about this practice with crops coming off the field. Soil samples give you information about the pH macronutrients and micronutrients in your soil. Knowing what is in your soil helps you know what needs to be applied. Too little or too much of one nutrient can cause major problems in your crop, including lodging, weed pressure, disease occurrence, and most importantly, reduced yield. No one wants to miss out on a higher yield because of low soil nutrients, or spend money putting products on the field that aren’t needed!

Until the end of November, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture provides soil sample analysis for free. Soil sampling boxes and forms are available for pickup at the Union County Agriculture Center. For more information about soil sampling, please contact me at 704.283.3736.