No good soil test lab will test for Nitrogen anymore because the availability of N is too dependant on soil temperature to give a reliable result. A test for organic matter is real simple and you can do that your self, what you are really interested in knowing is your soil pH, and why it is where it is (the CEC helps here), and the macro as well as many micro nutrients as possible since the micro nutrients affect a plants ability to uptake the macro nutrients. Michigan State University CES now charges $12.00 per sample for about the same test. This test is an indicator, not the end result. A soil test now is the base from which you begin and if you amend your soil and retest in 5 years you should see where you are going. There is no good reason to test the same plot every year, or more often, but you can test different beds, different years, to see what is going one in them.

You don't have to shred anything. But the smaller something is the faster it will decompose. Whole trees that fall down in the forest still decay over time - it just takes longer. You just have to balance out how much time and energy you want to put into the project, how soon you wnat to be able to have the plot ready for planting, and what you want to plant in the space. If you are going to plant fruit trees, seedlings, or sow seeds right in the plot will all have an impact of what the soil texture needs to be in order to be successful.

Marshall, most of what you stated is true - but is only a small part of the picture. I do send samples off for analysis as far from Texas as Oregon - because I know how to corelate the information resulting from my sample to my 'little piece of earth' (or compost). And I desire the highest quality results - be it nutrition, condition/texture or microbe population count - for the same dollar. Yes, different test methods produce different results (identified at the bottom of most test reports). Test results can still be correlated to a different type of test result. Still 'apples to apples'. Still only a matter of education based on a person's degree of interest. This thread subject is important, in my opinion, simply because education is important. We should never stop asking questions, to learn more about improving our own piece of earth, for which we have accepted responsibility. In the main, soil tests ARE 'sacred' to state-run soil laboratories and to the thousands of U.S. county agricultural extension agents who are continuously called upon to render professional services to the commercial harvest business community - based on such science-based tests. Your grocery store depends on them. See, it is still "all about the money". Most plant/soil related research is focused toward, and paid for by commercial agriculture and the companies that support that industry, which feeds our growing population. So I think that tests based on regional soil conditions is a good thing - but tests should be also be sufficiently complete to offer insight into specific planting needs in MY piece of earth - which anyone can easily learn to do by reading. Finding the best test is important to me. Unfortunately, most people who receive soil analysis reports are not also told that they can take that report to their county agricultural extension agent for interpretation to their specific needs. Agreed, the resulting written piece of paper is worthless without knowing how to apply the information. But the public service Ag.Agent is trained in how to do that (and local Master Gardeners). Anyone can research what the relationship of CA is to MG based on given factors. Education IS the Agent's primary focus (and the state land-grant university that supports them), even to the homeowner - which is why the Master Gardener program is supported. Granted, home-style agriculture/horticulture does not usually operate on commercial scale. But science-based soil information is not usually about 'scale'. Scale is a matter of applied mechanics based on time and money. As a soilmaker/nurseryman/landscaper in south central Florida many years ago, I learned (the hard way) to find out what the soil conditions were (in advance) and to ensure proper plant-specific moisture, before installing a variety of plants in someone's property - particularly gardens, shrubs and trees (soil test for nutrients/pH/salt is only part of that gamut). Some of my Florida client's soils received different amendments before certain plantings took place because different plants do have different needs - to thrive (not just survive). Replacing dead plants cost me money, and was bad for my business. Soil tests were simply one means by which I made decisions that SAVED me (and the property owner) time/money. Learning to decipher soil analysis results is not difficult, but is (unfortunately) one of the things many gardeners are reticent to investigate, even after problems are encountered. An ounce of prevention is STILL worth a 'pound of cure', and having a base of reference on which to make improvements to soil (and compost) - is important to me, in what I do. And agree that 'organics' still takes a 'back seat' to the chemical industry - regretably. But that 'world view' is changing...Slowly, but surely - because that's about human survival on this planet. Robert

Hi tn_veggie_gardner - If the area was only growing wildflowers and not any noxious grasses or plants that are hard to get rid of, I would just fill it in with some compost. Hopefully you have some kind of compost facility around your area where you can get a truckload for cheap. You also could put down a layer of plastic (much like landscape fabric) before filling in the bed. But if you don't mind doing some weeding for the first year, I wouldn't use anything - but just fill er in! Here is a link that might be useful: BsnTech Gardening Blog