MSU soil expert says not all soil test kits provide accurate results

MSU News Service

BOZEMAN — There are several factors that gardeners need to consider when choosing a soil test kit to make fertilizer decisions, according to a Montana State University Extension soil expert.

Among those factors, according to Clain Jones, MSU Extension soil fertility specialist and professor in the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, are how soil is prepared, the actual test used, how results are presented, cost and the accuracy of results.

Test kits generally measure nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and soil pH. These are appropriate basics, though...