Soils and Soil Testing

Soil Testing Links for gardeners and farmers to resources on soil sampling, soil testing, and soil test interpretation.

Slideshows:

• Soils of the Puget Sound Area A set of 29 slides that show the major soil types of the Puget Sound area, how they are related to local geology, and their suitability and limitations for different types of land use.

Links:

The USDA web site has a wealth of information on soil types, 
classification, maps, soil quality, state soils, soil uses, etc.  A new addition is on-line access to county soil surveys. This is a work in progress; some counties have the complete survey available on line, while others are only partially done.

• Soil Quality
  
• Soil Use and Management
  
• State Soils
• Soil Classification
• Soil Survey Publications or Online (pdf files, by state) or Online Interactive
• USDA Soils Home Page

Publications:

The Soil Biology Primer A useful guide to the types and roles of soil organisms and soil ecosystems. Many color photos. View on-line or order paper copy from the USDA. From the Soil Quality Institute, United States Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service.