How did you go about collecting your various soil samples? Different parts of the yard can have very different properties. Is it possible the results you got were all accurate, for where the soil came from?

Sorry, I forgot to mention that this is all testing done in a greenhouse.

Nil13. Normally I would agree with you that an electronic tester should not be trusted over a professional soil report, but there are two things that need to be looked at.

First, is that I did not simply just use distilled water to test the accuracy of my tester. I perform multiple tests with several different substances including Scott potting soil. The fact that all of the tests revealed exactly what we would expect them to reveal including the test on the Scott potting soil which revealed it to have a neutral pH and ideal Npk balance, demonstrates that the tester is working and measuring the pH levels correctly.

Second, the soil report showed that my soil had extremely high levels of sulfur. Now sulfur is a counter agent to high pH. Common sense would dictate that a soil that is high in sulphur should have a low pH. It seems contradictory for a soil to be able to have both a high pH and above critical level of sulfur. This fact kind of brings the soil report into question as far as its accuracy goes.

A&M vs. Bubble pack soil tester. That's a really, really, easy one.

High sulfur does not necessarily demand low pH. I'm not sure how that test is done but consider for example a soil based on gypsum rock. It should have high sulfates, which would have a different effect on soil than sulfide or elemental sulfur (for example). Just a thought.

Generally speaking I would trust a lab with expensive equipment over a home tester. You did do some good tests there to check it out but you can't really know for sure w/o calibration buffers for pH. Also the NPK meter is adding up everything (somehow) so the fact your lab test showed low P is not necessarily incompatible with a high total NPK reading.

How did you test the greenhouse soils with your meter? Stick the probe in or use a slurry? The best way to test for (pH especially) is a 50/50 slurry with distilled water. That ensures a consistent test absent from any effects of soil moisture (or lack of).

Thanks toxcrusadr. I have sent new samples in to be tested. The first samples were not collected by me and not done according to the instruction given on the sampling instructions given by Agri-life, so that was a concern, especially in light of the conflicting results. I trust Agri-Life more then the tester, but there were some concerns that the test raised and so I sent in another sample to do some more in-depth testing for texture and micronutrients as well. Also having my water tested. When the results get back, I should have a complete picture of what I have.

Good call on a repeat test. Hopefully you also tested some of the very same samples with your Ferry Morse tester for a comparison?

Okay. Got my water report back. Anyone see concerns with it?

I'm not as used to looking at water reports as soil so perhaps some others will have some advice. It sure looks like you have tons of dissolved solids (salts). The only bright spot is that the pH is almost neutral, rather than very high. I expect your water is coming from deposits that have plenty of sulfates, like gypsum, in addition to carbonates (limestone). Not surprised things get crusty after continuous watering in the dry heat!

Finally got back my soil report. What do yall think about this.

Even clicking on the report I can't read it. How does this report compare with what you were thinking?

What are their recommendations?

Okay.I enlarged it.

It looks like the pH came back that same as the previous tests.