Cornell Cooperative Extension

Tompkins County
Garden soil is scooped into a plastic bag with a trowel.
Image by Healthy Soils, Healthy Communities

Check with the soil testing lab for specific sampling instructions.

Wood-framed raised beds growing a variety of produce, with mulched pathways and a building nearby.
Image by Perl Egendorf

Healthy gardening practices can address concerns about soil quality.

Compost pile in New York City.
Image by Perl Egendorf

Composting keeps organic materials out of landfills and provides vital garden nutrients.

Migrant workers harvest green zucchini squash from rows of plants at Kirby Farms in Mechanicsville, VA on Friday, Sep. 20, 2013. USDA photo by Lance Cheung. 20130920-OC-LSC-0220
Image by Lance Cheung, USDA

Choose vegetables that are a good match for your garden area and soil conditions.

green tomatoes growing in a garden
Image by Jenn Lerner

Healthy vegetables

Healthy Soils

What is Soil?

Soil, essential to life, brings together the geology, hydrology, biology and atmosphere of our planet. Our environment, clean fresh water, the plants and the animals around us, most of our infrastructure and our very existence is dependent on healthy soils. It will serve us well to understand how and why soils do what they do. Cornell Cooperative Extension is your resource for soil information, research and educational opportunities.

The Big Three: Soil is a dynamic and complex environment, but if you know the texture, soil organic matter and the pH you are well positioned to manage your soil.

  • Texture: the fine particles (<2mm) that are the active matrix of our soils. For a quick and fun method to determine soil texture view our hand texturing video.
  • Soil Organic matter : the soil fraction that comes from the breakdown of living materials and feeds our soils
  • pH: the primary driver for nutrient availability

If you want to learn more about the Big Three or other soil information here are some great resources:

Why Test Soil?

A healthy soil supports all life on this planet. Whether your goal is plant productivity, contaminant management, a healthy environment or all of the above, soil testing can provide information to help. Some important considerations:

  • Keep your questions, goals, and budget in mind.
  • Talk with your local Extension educator!
  • It’s best to have more than one soil sample. Soil properties can be very different across a site, or even in a small area.
  • Composite (or combined) samples are often a useful way to sample a larger area.
  • Soil testing FAQs from Healthy Soils, Healthy Communities provide more information.

A soil test can tell you what nutrients are in your soil, the state of its health or even if you have contaminants harmful to humans, plants or the environment. Together with healthy gardening practices, testing can lead to better management as well as safe and productive soils.

Soils can also contain lead or other chemicals that can be harmful to people or plants. Together with healthy gardening practices , testing for contaminants like heavy metals can help you determine the best layout and management plan for your garden.

How to Test Soil: Soil Nutrient Testing Videos

Talk with your local Extension educator or go directly to DairyOne for more information.

Soil Health Testing:

The Cornell Soil Health Laboratory provides a comprehensive assessment of soil health (CASH) as a method to assess the capacity of your soil to sustain productivity and environmental quality as well as promote plant, animal and human health. Visit the lab for complete information and assistance .

Last updated May 14, 2021

Soils & Climate

Soil Testing Resources

Soils can be analyzed to help you better manage your soils. Test for a variety of concerns including nutrients, soil health or even contaminants such as lead. University and NYS certified commercial labs provide soil testing, while Extension resources can help you understand test results:

Work with your local CCE Office for basic Soil pH and Texture analysis:

More Advanced Testing:

Soil Contaminant Testing:

If you’ve tested your soil for lead or other metals (see tests above), comparing results to both soil background concentrations and health-based guidance values can help keep your family and plants healthy. 

Key resources:

Talk with your local Extension Associate or visit: Healthy Soils Healthy Communities or CNAL for more information.

Healthy Soils, Healthy Communities Project

The Healthy Soils, Healthy Communities project is a research and education partnership with New York's urban gardeners and others interested in healthy gardening. We help people address concerns about lead and other contaminants in gardens, farms, and other community spaces in order to enjoy the many benefits of gardening and growing healthy food.

Healthy gardening practices can help keep lead and other contaminants away from people and crops, and improve your soil. To grow healthy food:

• Be cautious about planting directly in the ground! If soil testing is not available, use raised beds or containers with clean soil and compost.

• Keep soil dust away from people and plants!  Cover bare soil in your garden, pathways, etc. with mulch or other materials. Wash hands well after gardening and be careful to keep soil from gloves, shoes, and tools outside.

•Wash your vegetables thoroughly to remove soil particles!

Please visit the Healthy Soils, Healthy Communities website for more information about sources of contaminants in soil, soil testing and understanding results, healthy gardening practices, and other resources.

Soil Maps

Visit USDA Web Soil Survey

Learn more about what soils you may have:

To explore soil survey areas on your smart phone using an interactive Google map visit SoilWeb, a UC Davis enabled product that allows quick and easy map locational access with soil identification and descriptions.

The USDA Web Soil Survey (WSS) provides soil data and information produced by the National Cooperative Soil Survey directly to your computer. Use their online tool to see soil type data over an aerial map of your county.

Getting The Most From Your Soil Test Results

Cornell University’s research-based nutrient guidelines for both soil and plant tissue (tree- and small-fruit leaf and grape petiole) are available through Agro-One Services. Find information about their services, sampling instructions, submission forms (gardeners use Form H), and pick-up points throughout the Northeast. View this video on how to fill out the form for nutrient analysis.

The following nutrient management Fact Sheets will accompany your soil test analysis report when you select a specific crop code.