Soil testing can save home gardeners money and time

COLUMBIA, Mo. – If a little is good, a lot must be better.

All too often, that’s the approach home gardeners take when plants and flowers don’t do well, says University of Missouri Extension soil scientist Manjula Nathan.

Trying to improve flower beds and vegetable gardens by adding more fertilizer and topsoil may be a waste of money. It also can be bad for the environment because excess nutrients often leach into water supplies.

A soil test through the University of Missouri’s Soil and Plant Testing Laboratory can save home gardeners money and trouble by revealing just what their soil needs, Nathan says.

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