If you’re a homeowner or farmer, you may be wasting your money.
You may be among
the many Georgians who squander thousands of dollars annually by
using fertilizers
improperly.

“It’s important for society to know the impacts (of correct
application),” said C. Wayne
Jordan, head of the Agricultural Services Labs with the
University of Georgia College of
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

“People think only farmers need to know this,” Jordan said. “But
people with gardens,
lawns and ornamental plants need to know this just as much.”

Money isn’t the only issue. Using fertilizers wrong hurts the
environment, too.

“The more you apply, the more potential you have for runoff into
streams and lakes,”
Jordan said. “Landowners and farmers should determine the soil’s
fertility levels and
decide what its needs are in terms of fertilizer or lime. We
need to limit the likelihood of
groundwater and stream contamination.”

Certain elements consistently show up in levels that are either
too high or too low for
certain crops. Jordan said you should know how much to add for
each situation.

“We’re concerned with the amount of phosphorous that goes on the
soil over the long
term,” he said. “Many of our soil samples from homeowners and
some field crops are
showing high phosphorous levels.

“At the same time,” he said, “many Georgia soils need lime. You
need to make sure you’re
putting on the right amount of the right material.”

Not having a soil test means not knowing what to do for your
plants, said Henry Hibbs,
Extension Service coordinator in Oconee County.

“So many people treat their plants’ poor growth symptoms when
all they need is a good
fertilizer program,” Hibbs said. “They miss the core problem —
an unbalanced soil
nutrition program.”

Avoiding costly mistakes is easy with a soil test, Jordan
said.

“Testing your soil can help you accurately match the
requirements of the soil and plants
and limit excess runoff,” he said. “Farmers can also maximize
their profits and keep costs
down for themselves and consumers if they know how much
(fertilizer or lime) to add to
the soil.”

The best time to test is now, Jordan said.

“The soil is drier and fields are cleaner in fall,” he
said. “And because such materials such
as lime take time to react in the soil, it’s best to test early
in the fall rather than waiting
until winter or spring.”

The test, Jordan said, helps everyone. It’s inexpensive, user-
friendly and readily available
through your county
extension
office.

“You will receive instructions, the proper paperwork and sample
bags,” he said. “The
extension agents will mail the samples, provide the results and
answer questions.”

Private labs are also available in some areas.

Hibbs said the UGA test is free for farmers and commercial
horticulture growers. There is
a small charge for others. “It costs $4 per sample,” he
said. “But you can save money by
consolidating your samples and not overfertilizing by
guessing.”

The results are easy to read, understand and apply to your
soil. “After the test you can go
to your fertilizer or garden supplier and know exactly what to
buy and how to apply it,”
Jordan said.

“Your test is only as good as your sample,” Hibbs said. “The
more specific you are with
your sample information, the better the results and
recommendations.”