Free Soil pH Testing is Available for Hancock County Residents
Hancock County Soil and Water Conservation District provides free pH soil testing for those residing in Hancock County. Through a collaboration with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the UMaine Cooperative Extension, this program makes is simple and easy to get your soil tested.
How it works
Simply drop off your soil sample at one of our drop-off box locations:
HCSWCD Office at 474 Bucksport Road in Ellsworth (the box is right outside the front door)
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension Office at 63 Boggy Brook Road in Ellsworth
We will take care of the testing, follow up with you on the results, and provide information about plants that thrive with that particular pH level
For complete soil testing (beyond testing for pH levels), the University of Maine Cooperative Extension also provides fee-based testing. Contact them at 207-667-8212 for additional information.
Why Test Soils?
The pH of soil is a measure of relative acidity-alkalinity. Values below 7 are acidic and above 7 are alkaline. Soils in Hancock County tend to be acidic and often can be too acidic for the flower and vegetable garden plants that we want to grow. Soil pH also has a strong influence on amounts and kinds of nutrients available for plant roots. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service provides more extensive soil testing for a small fee.
How are Soils Tested?
Using a clean trowel, collect soil from the root zone (0-8 inches deep) in your garden or field. In wooded areas discard the leaf litter on top and collect soil 0-8 inches deep in a clean container. Mix well to homogenize the material to be tested. Generally, for a garden or field take samples from several different area (5 to 6 same-sized samples so you can mix for a representative sample). Put your final result (1 cup) in a ziplock bag with your name, contact info, and the number and location of samples.
What Do the Test Results Mean?
Compare your results to the tables (available at testing site) for the plants that you want to grow. If you feel that you need to treat your soil, contact NCRS or Cooperative Extension for further tests and recommendations on soil amendments. Consider submitting a soil sample to the Cooperative Extension Lab for more detailed analysis.
Feel free to contact the HCSWCD office at 207-667-8663 with any questions.