Fall Season Is the Optimal Time for Liming
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Collapse ▲The fairy tale known as “Alice in Wonderland” was one that I missed as a child. I think that was due to the fact that the Queen of Hearts reminded me of the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz and I was terrified of her and her entourage of flying monkeys.
Despite this omission in my life, there is a phrase in that story that often resurfaces when a new project begins the planning process. That phase is, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there” (paraphrase). The meaning of that encounter between Cheshire Cat and Alice means that without a clear goal or destination, our actions and efforts won’t produce a specific outcome.
If your goal is to have a beautiful lawn or a flourishing home garden, you are ahead of Alice. Once the site is chosen, the road to either of these destinations should begin with the collection of a soil sample.
Soil sampling is the only scientific way to determine if and how much lime should be applied to a lawn or a garden. Liming makes available essential nutrients needed for optimal plant growth and these are only available when the soil pH if found to be in a narrow range.
In order to begin your journey, visit the N.C. Cooperative Extension, Edgecombe County Center which is located at 201 St. Andrews Street in Tarboro in order to pick up your soil test kit. Once your sample has been collected, you can bring it back to our office where they will be delivered to the NC Agronomic Division in Raleigh for testing. After two weeks, you will receive a report via email that will recommend fertilizer and describe the pH in your lawn or garden. Adding the recommended lime to this area will ensure that you are prepared for a good season in 2026.
Keep in mind that the results of a soil sample are only as good as the quality of the sample. Soil samples should be collected with stainless steel or chrome-plated tools. A shovel or trowel can be used if a soil probe is not available. Avoid using brass, bronze, or galvanized tools which will contaminate the sample with zinc and/or zinc. When using a trowel or a shovel, dig a hole to the desired depth for each type of plant to be grown in 6 areas, then scrape soil from the side of the hole using one stroke, bottom to top.
For gardens, new lawns, and other cultivated areas, sample to the depth the soil has been tilled or will be tilled. For established lawns, collect samples 4 inches deep. For vegetable gardens and flower beds, take samples 6 to 8 inches deep, and for trees and shrubs, sample to a depth of 6 to 10 inches. Repeat this procedure in 6 to 8 areas and combine these in a plastic bucket in order to compose one representative sample for testing. Be sure to remove large pieces of organic material such as roots, stalks, leaves, rocks and other debris. Even if the soil looks the same, it is recommended to take separate samples for each type plant to be grown such as flower beds, vegetable gardens, fruit orchards, shrub borders, and lawns. Each type of plant or groups of plants has a separate code which must be listed on the soil sample information sheet.
Once the combined sample has been completed, add it to the soil sample box and be sure to fill the box to the fill line which is marked on the box.
Consistently reliable soil sample results can only be obtained by submitting samples to a soil-testing laboratory. Commercially available, over-the-counter, soil test kits are not considered to provide reliable information.
Now is the time to submit a soil sample for a lawn, spring garden, or a flower bed. As a general rule, our sandy soils should be tested at least every two to three years and clayey soils every three to four years. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Agronomic Division will analyze your soil samples free of charge until Tuesday, November 25 at 5:00 p.m. After this date, there is a fee of $4.00 per sample. Samples can be delivered to the
The N.C. Cooperative Extension, Edgecombe County Center which is located at 201 St. Andrews Street in Tarboro, N.C. up to Friday, November 21 at 5:00 p.m.
Start your journey now with this critical first step to having a beautiful lawn and the best home garden ever in 2026!