I've seen several posts on social media recommending growers get soil tests and even quoting prices.
I'm going to be brutally honest-
I understand farmers and growers want to help others in their industry achieve the level of success they have, but it is disheartening to hear them give half or even misinformation. Frankly, it makes me question their motives. Do you want to help, or do you want the attention? I struggle with this every day too. Even as a professional in the industry, using social media is still very uncomfortable, I feel I walk a fine line between helping and distracting most days.
With the unprofessional rant out of the way, this is my professional option on soil testing.
1. Be consistent with the time of year you are testing. You get a more accurate view of long-term soil fertility because soil temperature plays a vital role in nutrient availability. I prefer growers test in the fall to be able to establish amending and fertility plans. You amend soil and feed plants. I write about this in week 5 0f the 52 Weeks of Agronomy
https://www.theaccidentalagronomist.com/news/2018/1/21/ag-101-week-5
2. Use a lab within a relative distance of your farm. They will understand the type of soils you are working with better than a lab thousands of miles away will. I list a few of the labs I work with on the resources page of the website.
3. Be consistent with the lab you use to stay consistent with extraction methods. Nutrients respond differently to different extractions methods.
4. The most important of all - Get all the information you need! I can't stress this enough. It would be like going to the doctor and only getting half or some of the tests they needed to make an accurate diagnosis. It's a waste of time and money. If you are getting a $9 soil test, you are not getting all the information you or an agronomist needs to make a sound fertility plan. Soil testing has nothing to do with price; it has everything to do with quality and the right information. I talk about this in Week 24 of the 52 Weeks of Agronomy
https://www.theaccidentalagronomist.com/news/2018/6/11/ag-101-week-24
Production growers, one growing for profit, need to focus on soil fertility more than soil health. I talk about this in Week 2 here
https://www.theaccidentalagronomist.com/news/2018/1/5/ag-101-week-2
Being a production grower is taking the concept of soil health to the next level and focusing on a sound soil fertility program that is environmentally effective and cost-efficient.