Knowledgebase
Safe Soil in gardening #772553
Asked September 21, 2021, 2:30 PM EDT
Otsego County Michigan
Expert Response
Thank you Kacey for your question! The Soil and Plant Nutrient Laboratory (msu.edu) on the campus of Michigan State University can test (#1B) your garden soil for pH, phosphorous, potassium, calcium and magnesium as outlined on Tests and Fees - Soil and Plant Nutrient Laboratory (msu.edu) for a fee of $23.00. Directions about sampling are on the website. A small portion of your soil is sent out for tests that are not done in house, such as boron, sulfur, lead and arsenic. Questions can be directed to<personal data hidden>.
The laboratory does not test for any contaminants or heavy metals, but does send these requests out to a local laboratory, Merit Laboratories, Inc. (meritlabs.com). They can be reached at ph.<personal data hidden> with specific questions about what they test and their fee structure.