Soil Samples: Cherokee County

March 9, 2021

The warm weather has many Cherokee county residents preparing fields, lawns, and gardens for spring. Let Clemson Extension help you make this the most productive season. We offer various sampling and testing services to help you grow the best lawn, tomato, or herd of cattle. While we provide analyses of surface water, plants, poultry litter, feed, and forage, our most popular test is soil sampling. Whether you plant a raised bed or hundreds of acres of soybeans, sampling can prescribe the correct amount of fertilizer or soil amendment to help the plant reach its full potential. Without a test, it’s just a guess. Guessing at the amount of fertilizer or lime is poor practice. Excess nitrogen and phosphorous runoff cause algae bloom and many other issues that have been demonstrated to have serious impacts on our environment, human health, and economy.

Cherokee County residents can drop off their samples in this box located in the vestibule of the Cherokee County Administration Building

Of course, soil sampling requires planning ahead to allow shipment and processing of the samples. Most of the year, the lab can process samples in 5 days, but it can take as much as 10 to 14 days during peak season. So plan on getting by the office soon to get your samples sent off. For your convenience, we added a drop box at the front door of the county administration building. There you will find the soil sample bags and forms. Standard soil samples are $6 and payable by check or card. Soil samples may be dropped off Monday through Friday 8:30 to 5; all other samples must be scheduled. For more information on the dropbox, call the office (864.489.3141) or contact the Home and Garden Information Center at 1-888-656-9988 for more information on sampling and other garden questions. Follow this link for a how-to video on collecting a soil sample.

https://hgic.clemson.edu/how-to-take-a-soil-sample/

Christopher LeMaster
Livestock and Forage Agent
Cherokee, Spartanburg, Union, and York
Clemson Cooperative Extension Service
clemast@clemson.edu