A $20 UMass Amherst soil test gives gardeners custom advice to improve soil, save money and help plants grow better.

Regularly testing your soil is more important than you might think for helping your plants thrive. Soil tests measure soil pH and nutrient content. The soil of established gardens should be tested ...

Man cupping soil in hands while squatting in garden - Drazen Zigic/Getty Images Soil testing could not be more important preceding tasks like establishing a new garden, diagnosing plant problems, ...

The question I receive most frequently from vegetable gardeners: How much fertilizer should I apply? The second most frequently asked question: How can I get better vegetable yields in my garden? Both ...

Whether you’re preparing for your first garden, planning next year’s plantings after a successful harvest or looking to install a lawn, your first step should be conducting a soil test. “Soil is one ...

Now that we have experienced the first frost of the season, and the growing season for most garden and home landscape plants has come to an end, we as gardeners tend to start thinking about things we ...

Amanda Blum is a freelancer who writes about smart home technology, gardening, and food preservation. Previously, Amanda has worked as a technology strategist specializing in problem solving and ...

Anxious about the rueful state of his peas, radishes and onions, Rod Marquardt arrived at the University of Minnesota’s soil testing laboratory with two lunch bag-sized containers of dirt. “We’re just ...

AMHERST — With funding from the Massachusetts Legislature and Department of Agricultural Resources, farmers can now receive limited free access to soil and plant diagnostics through the UMass ...

Testing the soil in your lawn and garden helps you pinpoint problems before they get out of hand and gives you a chance to add the amendments your plants need to grow better. The question arises, ...