Yes: whatever one you choose take the results with a grain of salt, and take the output as a general guideline. Meaning: err on the side of caution with amendments to change results.

Dan

After reading these, and other, forums for many years, you are much better off going to a lab rather than doing it yourself. Simply making the mistake of using tap water instead of the distilled water called for in the test can nullify all your results.

There are test labs and there are test labs. Most test labs cannot correlate their soil test results with plant uptake test results. The reason is the approach taken by most labs. Most of them dissolve the soil in pure hydrochloric acid and then test the acid for impurities. The problem is that plants do not have hydrochloric acid at their disposal. What they do have is carbonic acid formed by dissolving carbon dioxide in water. Laboratories that use carbonic acid have a much better chance of correlating soil and plant tests. Their results will tell you what nutrients are really available to the plants in your soil.

Here is a link that might be useful: Texas Plant and Soil Lab

I wouldn't waste my money on a home test kit. With the exception of perhaps the pH level, the results are notoriously inaccurate (pay NO attention to the nitrogen measurement!) and for not much more than the expense of the kit, you can have your soil tested professionally.

And with all due respect to dchall, I wouldn't worry too much about which lab performs the test. It may be more critical for agronomists and big scale farmers to have very precise calibrations but for the home gardener, the soil test is only a guideline (as Dan states.....just a far more accurate one than a home test) that will serve as a baseline for how your soil is now and what you need to do to amend it to provide uniformly satisfactory results.

Here is a link that might be useful: soil testing, Nova Scotia

Good point, gardengal. If I was a farmer, I would have the most precise tests done monthly. But I'm not.

I guess I could have been less circumspect and been a little more clear - a home test may or may not be accurate.

In retrospect probably better than what I wrote above.

Dan

I had not purchased one till last fall because of all the advice I read on the various forums about the results being worthless. I then bought one recommended but a large grower who said he had compared it too results of lab tests and they were very comparable and when used together they were beneficial. I had soil tests ran last fall. What I found is if the tests are ran according to the instructions they are like he said. Gives me a good idea of where I'm at in various spots in the garden and if my additives are working and how well. I still feel you should have tests run by a lab once a year. But so far I feel the tester has been very beneficial to me. As it would be costly and very time consuming to take and send off several samples a month. Jay

Soil tests are one tool a gardener can use to grow better crops. The home soil test kits are not very reliable and the results you get do not necessarily tell you what you need to know. If the results are at all accurate they still do not tell you what you might need to do to correct any problems found, ie. why is your soil pH were the test says it is. Many of the state Ag schools do soil testing and based on years of testing can give good information about what really needs to be done. There is no need to test each year, but that test can be an aid in seeing what changes are being made in the soil and can help you spend your money wisely. You may not need to spend your money on "stuff" when it is not needed. Along with a good, reliable soil test from a good lab these simple soil tests will provide a great deal of information about your soil,
1) Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. A good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top.

2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up.

3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart.

4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer you soil will smell.

5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy.
and both can be a help in making a good, healthy soil that will grow strong and healthy plants.

eklwc, what brand do you like?