Our soil testing flyer (PDF) will explain how to take the sample and where to take it for processing.

Your soil samples can be dropped off at our Overland location Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

When preparing your samples please keep in mind:

1. Please DRY your sample before submitting! Leave soil sit out overnight on a tray with newspaper or other paper source.
   If your sample is too wet when brought into the office, it will go through the drying process before being packaged for shipment.
2. Pull samples from at least 5 to 6 different areas — more is better — of your lawn or garden, even if they are tilled. One big sample from just one area of the yard/garden, will not give you accurate results.
3. Submit at least 2 cups of soil. Usually a sandwich bag or quart size storage bag filled two-thirds will suffice.
4. It takes 10 to 14 business days for results to be returned. If the soil is wet, add a few extra days.
5. Also, please keep in mind that the lab is extremely busy during the months of February, March, April, May and June.

For more information about soil testing, see the resources offered by the MU Soil and Plant Testing Lab.

Sample locations:

MU Extension in St Louis County (Overland)
9667 Page Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63132
314-400-2115
Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Not in the St Louis Metropolitan area? Every county has a local MU Extension center to take your samples to. Find your county’s MU Extension center.

Did you have your soil tested?

How to determine what your lawn needs from your results: See MU Extension publication G6954, Soil Testing for Lawns.

Learn more

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Chinch bugs in zoysia lawns

It is not uncommon to come across 30+ year-old zoysia lawns in St. Louis. They are resilient and require comparatively little care. That’s why many homeowners are caught off guard by large areas that rapidly turn brown and die out in a matter of weeks. It is unclear why lawns without a history of chinch bug damage suddenly become infested. Read the article from Nathan Brandt.