State guides · Pennsylvania · Lawn and soil
Soil testing in Pennsylvania: the Penn State kit, cost and how to sample
Penn State’s Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory tests soil for homeowners across Pennsylvania for $10 a kit. Here’s where to get a kit, exactly how deep and how many spots to sample for a lawn, garden or fruit trees, and what neighbors in New York, Ohio, New Jersey and Delaware use.
Buy a $10 standard kit at your county Penn State Extension office (or print the form from the lab’s site), take one sample per area, mix 12 or more spots into one cup of soil, air-dry it overnight and mail it as a parcel. Results arrive by email in about 7 to 10 business days. Checked Nov. 12, 2026.
How many kits do I need?
Penn State wants a separate kit for each area that’s treated differently: front lawn, back lawn, vegetable garden, flower bed, new lawn vs. existing lawn.
| Enter how many areas you want tested |
$10 per standard kit from Penn State AASL; sampling depths from the lab’s sampling instructions.
How to take the sample
| Area | Depth | Spots to sample | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawn | 2–3 in | 12 or more | Throw out the grass and thatch. Use a separate kit for a new lawn and an existing one. |
| Vegetable or home garden | 6 in | 13 or more | Or tilling depth in a worked garden. |
| Fruit trees | 8 in | 15–20 | Just inside the drip line of the canopy. |
Use a clean plastic bucket and a trowel, spade or soil probe. Take thin slices or cores at the depth above from spots spread across the whole area, and skip odd spots like old burn piles or where fertilizer spilled.
Mix everything into one sample. Spread it on newspaper in a warm room to air-dry overnight; don’t heat it.
Put 1 cup in the kit bag, fill out the form with what you’re growing, and mail it as a parcel, not a letter. Postage is on you.
From Penn State AASL’s sampling instructions. Penn State Extension gives slightly deeper ranges for lawns in its general article; follow the lab’s numbers since the lab runs the test.
What it costs and what you get
Covers the test itself. The kit has a submission form, sample bag and mailing envelope. Optional extra tests cost more, and you pay the postage.
Emailed after the lab receives your sample, with lime and fertilizer recommendations for what you said you’re growing.
Soil fertility drifts. Penn State’s Master Gardeners suggest testing every 2 to 3 years, and before seeding or sodding a new lawn.
From Penn State AASL fees and the Washington County Master Gardeners.
Neighboring states
| State | Where homeowners send soil |
|---|---|
| New York | Cornell’s Nutrient Analysis Laboratory has closed. Cornell points people to Penn State’s AASL, the University of Maine’s lab and the Cornell Soil Health Lab. Cornell notice |
| Ohio | Some Ohio State Extension county offices sell kits. Franklin County’s go to Penn State’s lab (Franklin County), and Summit County sells kits for $15 that cover the standard analysis (Summit County). |
| New Jersey | Rutgers Soil Testing Laboratory. |
| Delaware | The University of Delaware Soil Testing Program offers a home lawn and garden soil test that includes a lead screen. |
For every other state, see soil testing labs in all 50 states: where to send a sample, what the basic test costs and which states test for free.
Questions
How much does a soil test cost in Pennsylvania?
Penn State’s standard soil test kit is $10, and the price includes the test. Postage to mail it is on you, and optional extra tests cost more.
Where do I buy a Penn State soil test kit?
At any county Penn State Extension office, or at garden centers and other businesses that stock them. You can also print the submission form from the lab’s website and mail it with your sample and payment.
How deep should I take a soil sample?
Penn State’s lab says 2 to 3 inches for lawns, 6 inches (or tilling depth) for vegetable and home gardens, and 8 inches just inside the drip line for fruit trees. Take 12 or more spots across a lawn and mix them into one sample.
How long do Penn State soil test results take?
Penn State Extension’s Washington County Master Gardeners say results come by email about 7 to 10 business days after the lab gets your sample.
How often should I test my soil?
Every 2 to 3 years, according to Penn State Extension’s Master Gardeners, and before you seed a new lawn or build new beds.
Where do New York and Ohio homeowners send soil samples?
Cornell’s Nutrient Analysis Laboratory has closed, and Cornell points people to Penn State’s lab, the University of Maine’s lab and the Cornell Soil Health Lab. In Ohio, some Ohio State Extension county offices sell kits; Franklin County’s go to Penn State’s lab.
Sources: Penn State AASL, Soil Fertility Testing (fees and kits); Penn State AASL, Soil Sampling Instructions; Penn State Extension, Soil Testing; Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Washington County, Soil Tests; Cornell Nutrient Analysis Laboratory notice; Ohio State University Extension, Franklin County, Soil Testing; Ohio State University Extension, Summit County, Soil Testing; Rutgers Soil Testing Laboratory; University of Delaware Soil Testing Program. Checked Nov. 12, 2026.
Muthler Landscaping & Construction · Lock Haven, PA
New lawn or new beds?
We grade, bring in topsoil, seed, sod and build planting beds across Clinton, Centre, Lycoming and Union counties. A soil test first tells us how much lime and fertilizer the new lawn or bed actually needs.
Get a quoteTopsoil calculatorMore Pennsylvania lookups: permit lookup, burn rules, sod calculator.
Muthler Landscaping & Construction LLC · 913 Bellefonte Ave, Lock Haven, PA 17745 · (570) 397-9800 · PA HIC #PA212584.
Using this guide? Link to it or cite it. It’s free to use with a link back, and we keep it updated against official sources.
Cite as: Muthler Landscaping & Construction, “Soil Testing in Pennsylvania,” https://muthlerlandscaping.com/state-guides/pennsylvania/soil-testing/ (last checked November 14, 2026).
Get an email when your state’s rules change
We re-check every entry against official sources. Tell us your state and we’ll email you when something changes.