Why do you need to test your soil, and what are you testing it for? While it’s easy to say you have healthy soil because your plants are thriving, the best home garden soil test kit can help you determine exactly how well-balanced your soil is. This typically determined by testing nutrients present in your soil as well as the pH level of the soil.
The pH scale runs from 0 to 14, with seven as neutral. Most plants favor alkaline soil or soil that has a pH level of 8 to 14, but there are some plants that like acidic soil or soil that has a pH level of 0 to 6. There are a variety of tests, from digital to chemical, and I will share with you the best ones I have found. With the best home garden soil test kits, the science of soil health will no longer be a mystery. You can quickly assess your garden’s needs, so you can correctly adjust your soil’s pH levels.
Comparison Chart
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | DETAILS | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
| MySoil-Soil Test Kit | With the MySoil-Soil Test Kit, you can get a detailed and accurate lab report on your soil’s health. You don’t need to do anything but gather a sample and simply mail it back to the MySoil labs. | ||
| Luster Leaf Pack of 3 Rapitest Soil Testers | Even the most novice gardener can take advantage of the Luster Leaf Pack of 3 Rapitest Soil Testers thanks to its easy-to-use design. This kit can test for the pH, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potash of your home garden’s soil. | ||
| Whitetail Institute Laboratory Soil-Test Kit | The Whitetail Institute Laboratory Soil-Test Kit ensures accurate test results. This is the best home garden soil test kit for a vegetable garden as they promise you success with your food plots once you receive your analysis. | ||
| Soil Savvy – Soil Test Kit | The Soil Savvy Soil Test Kit is a professional-grade test kit that will give you a full report on your soil’s health. Aside from telling you what nutrients your soil has, the report will also inform you of what your garden does not need. | ||
| Luster Leaf 1601 Rapitest Test Kit | For quick results at home, the Luster Leaf 1601 Rapitest Test Kit makes use of a capsule system that is designed to give an accurate soil analysis. Not everybody is a botanist, but you can get fool-proof readings with this easy-to-use test kit, which makes it one of the best home garden soil test kit available in the market. | ||
| Alkey-Soil-Moisture-Meter-Gardening | There is no mixing, no shaking, and no waiting for lab results required when you have the Alkey-Soil-Moisture-Meter-Gardening. This is the best soil test meter to read the pH and humidity of your soil and how much light it needs for your plants to thrive. | ||
| Lindsays 3 in 1 Soil Tester | Understanding whether your soil is getting enough light and water is crucial to the yield and quality of your garden. Your soil pH is also vital knowledge, so you know how and what to feed it. Fortunately, Lindsays 3 in 1 Soil Tester can perform all three tasks and tell you the results right on the spot. |
A Detailed Review on the 7 Best Home Garden Soil Test Kits
MySoil-Soil Test Kit
With the MySoil-Soil Test Kit, you can get a detailed and accurate lab report on your soil’s health. You don’t need to do anything but gather a sample and simply mail it back to the MySoil labs.
Product Highlights
You can expect to grow the healthiest garden after you use the MySoil Soil Test Kit. Included in each kit is prepaid return postage, and they have dedicated customer support. You simply follow the instructions on how to correctly gather the best possible sample and mail it to get results. You will receive an analysis of your soil’s pH level, nutrient availability, and the optimal range for managing nutrients. Fertilizer recommendations and specific product recommendations will also be provided.
The Good
Experts do the testing, and they provide excellent customer care when you have questions about your soil analysis. Everything you need is in the kit, including prepaid return postage. You can expect your results to be online in 4 to 5 days.
The Bad
If you need results right on the spot, you are better off with other types of soil test kits that can give you immediate readings.
PROs
- The kit is complete with all the tools you need as well as prepaid postage
- Fertilizer and product recommendations
- Customer support
CONs
- Results are not immediate
Luster Leaf Pack of 3 Rapitest Soil Testers
Even the most novice gardener can take advantage of the Luster Leaf Pack of 3 Rapitest Soil Testers thanks to its easy-to-use design. This kit can test for the pH, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potash of your home garden’s soil.
Product Highlights
This is the best soil test kit if you want fast, simple, and accurate results. This comes in a pack of three so you can test your soil multiple times, or you can test different zones in your garden. The tests are performed with the simple use of 5 color-coded test tubes. You simply add the soil into the tubes, shake it and wait for the colors to change, which you can then compare to the chart included in the kit.
The Good
The results are accurate, and the test kit is easy to use. The method of mixing and referencing the chart can even be a fun activity, particularly for young gardeners.
The Bad
The gel caps of the test tubes are difficult to separate. The process can be messy as it involves mixing together soil, powders, and water.
Whitetail Institute Laboratory Soil-Test Kit
The Whitetail Institute Laboratory Soil-Test Kit ensures accurate test results. This is the best home garden soil test kit for a vegetable garden as they promise you success with your food plots once you receive your analysis.
Product Highlights
The people at Whitetail Institute Laboratory can take all the guesswork out of soil health for you. You simply have to correctly gather a sample of your garden soil and send it over to them. They ensure results will be delivered to you by mail or through email within one week.
The Good
Everything you need to collect your soil sample is included in this kit, along with easy-to-follow instructions. The analysis this lab provides includes pH, Phosphorus, Potash, Calcium, and Magnesium. You no longer have to buy different fertilizers to see which one works once you figure out what your soil is lacking.
The Bad
There is no stamp included, and if you want to receive your results quickly, you will need to purchase a priority mail stamp on your own. If you have a large garden with multiple vegetable plots, you will need to buy a test kit for each one, which can become quite expensive.
PROs
- Accurate results
- The kit is complete with all the tools you need
CONs
- Priority postage has to be purchased separately
- Buying a kit to test for multiple plots can be costly
Soil Savvy – Soil Test Kit
The Soil Savvy Soil Test Kit is a professional-grade test kit that will give you a full report on your soil’s health. Aside from telling you what nutrients your soil has, the report will also inform you of what your garden does not need.
Product Highlights
Each kit comes with detailed instructions and all the components you require to gather a sample. Once you have collected the soil sample, you can ship it in the prepaid postage envelope that is included in the kit. Results are available in seven to ten days via email or on Soil Savvy’s website.
The Good
The report provided is detailed, including soil pH levels and checking for 14 nutrients in your soil, such as Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potash. One user gave it “two green thumbs” because the recommendations allowed him to come up with a plan to put his yard back into a healthy and happy state.
The Bad
Some reviews noted that while everything is easy to understand and to prepare, the results can take a while to arrive, and it is difficult to navigate their website.
PROs
- The kit is complete with all the tools you need as well as prepaid postage
- The report is full and detailed
CONs
- Waiting time is long
- It is challenging to find your results on the website
Luster Leaf 1601 Rapitest Test Kit
For quick results at home, the Luster Leaf 1601 Rapitest Test Kit makes use of a capsule system that is designed to give an accurate soil analysis. Not everybody is a botanist, but you can get fool-proof readings with this easy-to-use test kit, which makes it one of the best home garden soil test kits available in the market.
Product Highlights
This kit contains all the tools you need to perform a test. It’s as simple as adding water and soil to the capsules. The kit has a specially designed color comparator system to tell you how high or low the pH, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potash levels are of your soil.
The Good
All components required to perform the test are included in the kit, and instructions are provided and easy to follow. Simple and fun to use at home by young or novice gardeners. If your results point to an adjustment in nutrients, recommendations are included for 400 different plants.
The Bad
One user noted the test for Nitrogen would not yield any results. The containers you use for testing are fairly small, so thick soil may not fit or have to be broken up well before testing.
PROs
- The kit is complete with all the tools you need
- Results are quick and accurate
- Can test for pH, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potash
CONs
- Nitrogen test may arrive defective
- Containers are small
Alkey-Soil-Moisture-Meter-Gardening
There is no mixing, no shaking, and no waiting for lab results required when you have the Alkey-Soil-Moisture-Meter-Gardening. This is the best soil test meter to read the pH and humidity of your soil and how much light it needs for your plants to thrive.
Product Highlights
This is a test meter that has probes which you can insert into the ground to check and analyze the soil’s pH, light, and moisture. You can then determine what type of plants can best grow in the soul or how you can adjust the soil to work better for your plants.
The Good
The meter can read results almost instantly when you stick it into the soil. The probes are long enough to go deep to measure even the moisture levels of the roots of your plants. No battery is required to use a meter. The gauge is clear and easy to read. It is also light enough to carry around your garden to test different spots.
The Bad
This meter does not check for the nutrients present in the soil, so if you are looking to analyze how much Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potash are in your soil, you will need a different type of soil tester.
PROs
- Quick and accurate results
- Probes go deep enough to test at the root level
- Light and portable
- No batteries required
CONs
- Does not check for nutrient levels
Lindsays 3 in 1 Soil Tester
Understanding whether your soil is getting enough light and water is crucial to the yield and quality of your garden. Your soil pH is also vital knowledge, so you know how and what to feed it. Fortunately, Lindsays 3 in 1 Soil Tester can perform all three tasks and tell you the results right on the spot.
Product Highlights
This soil test meter has a double-needle detection that enhances the speed and accuracy of detecting and analyzing soil moisture and pH. These readings will help you stop wondering what you are doing wrong with your garden, saving you time, energy, and money.
The Good
It’s portable enough to be used around your garden, whether it’s indoors or outdoors. If you’re putting your plants in the dark or not watering them enough, this test meter can tell you right away. This does not require any batteries.
The Bad
If the soil is hard and dry, you can easily damage the probes. Also, be sure it does not hit any rocks at the bottom. This can only test for pH, light, and moisture, and does not provide a full report or analysis, such as the soil’s nutrient levels.
PROs
- Quick and accurate results
- Probes go deep enough to test at the root level
- Light and portable
- No batteries required
CONs
- Probes may be damaged if inserted into hard soil
- Does not check for nutrient levels
Conclusion
There is a multitude of factors that make up good garden soil, from acidity or alkalinity to moisture and nutrient levels. There’s no point in doing guesswork on your own when there are so many handy tools available, such as the seven best garden soil test kits that I just recommended. You will no longer have to worry whether you’re overwatering or purchasing the right fertilizer as long as you have a reliable soil test kit by your side. Know more about garden soil.