Fall - A Great Time to Soil Test!

Chlorosis on pepper leaves caused by Magnesium deficiency

If your lawn or garden did not do as well this year as you would have liked, part of the problem may be in the soil. Chlorosis, or yellowing between the veins is a common sign of soil problems. This symptom can indicate a deficiency of iron or magnesium. In many cases the actual cause of the deficiency is high soil pH, rather than low nutrient levels in the soil. The only way to get to the root of the problem and know for sure is to soil test.

Soil testing is free in North Carolina, provided by the NC Department of Agriculture, and testing supplies can be picked up from any Cooperative Extension office. Fall is the perfect time to submit soil samples for testing. Results for samples submitted now should be ready in four to five weeks, much quicker than the nine to ten weeks it often takes in the busy spring season. 

Learn more about soil testing - read the whole article here on the Pender Extension website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=LAWN+157

Sign up for the Pender Gardener or Food Gardener listservs to receive weekly updates of what to do in your yard and garden!

Pender Gardener
Weekly updates on what to do and plant in your landscape and lawn!

• To subscribe to the Pender Gardener email listserve, send an email to mj2@lists.ncsu.edu. Leave the subject line blank. In the body of the message put: subscribe pendergardener

Food Gardener
Weekly updates on what to do and plant in your vegetable and herb garden!

• To subscribe to the Food Gardener email listserve, send an email to mj2@lists.ncsu.edu. Leave the subject line blank. In the body of the message put: subscribe foodgardener