FAQs & Resources

Shipping fees are included in the cost of your Soil Health Test Kit. We use Canada Post Expedited Parcel shipping services to ensure your kit arrives to you quickly with a tracking number so you can monitor its progress. Once you have collected your soil sample you return it using the same shipping box that you can monitor with a new tracking number. The whole process is seamless and we use Canada Post Expedited Parcel shipping services because shipping is carbon-neutral!

Your kit arrives with instructions and supplies to collect and send a soil sample. Overall, you will be making one representative soil sample by collecting many separate smaller soil samples. You will collect your smaller soil samples from throughout the entire area you’re interested in testing (not to exceed 25 acres). Ideally, you need to collect at least 15-20 small samples to make your one representative soil sample. You’ll want to collect soil samples from 6 to 8 inches (15-20 cm) below the soil surface, which is the area in which most plant roots will be growing. If you’re collecting samples from your lawn, the samples can be taken from a depth of 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm). Overall, you’re sending us a sample for testing that is about 2 cups of soil. You can review an example of our Soil Health Test Kit sample collection instructions here.

The best time to start knowing more about your soil health is right now! In fact, there is no wrong time to collect and send a soil sample for soil health testing. If you’re planning on repeated soil health tests in the future, then it is important to collect and send your soil samples at roughly the same time of the year (for example, if you send your first sample in the fall for a soil health test then future tests are best completed in the fall). Tests completed at the same time of the year in the future allow you to develop consistent data that may be comparable. Typically, most people collect and send soil samples for testing in the autumn or at the start of the dormancy season because it allows them to make the necessary changes in preparation for the upcoming growing season. If the results and recommendations from the soil test are implemented, there’s plenty of time for any changes that have been made like adding minerals to the soil, to digest and become available to the roots of plants before the planting season. Soil tests done in the fall also provide you with plenty of time to locate the nutrients and fertilizers that will work best based on your own growing needs and soil management practices. Of course, you can also collect and send soil for testing following the spring thaw. Springtime soil testing is especially useful if you’re using winter cover cropping practices or leaving organic residue on the soil thought the dormancy period. Samples collected and sent just after spring thaw doesn’t set you up with as much time to act upon the results and recommendations from the test, but you’ll have very useful information to kick-start the season and to guide you throughout the rest of the growing season. If you collecting and sending a soil sample from your lawn the best time is typically in the midsummer months.

We use Canada Post Expedited Parcel shipping services to ensure your soil sample is delivered quickly. The return shipping label that is included in your Soil Health Test Kit contains a unique tracking number. After you have mailed your Soil Health Test Kit you can use this tracking number to follow its delivery progress along the journey to our laboratory for testing. We use Canada Post Expedited Parcel shipping because it is carbon-neutral!

We process soil samples as they are received. We do not rush soil testing. Depending on the Soil Health Test Kit ordered we may need 15 to 20 business days from the time of sample intake to testing completion. Typically, once we have your soil sample, we aim to complete all tests and email you a copy of your Soil Health Report (Certificate of Analysis) within 10 to 15 business days.

Depending on the Soil Health Test Kit ordered we may need 15 to 20 business days from the time of sample intake and processing to testing completion. Typically, once we have your soil sample, we aim to complete all tests and email you a copy of your Soil Health Report (Certificate of Analysis) within 10 to 15 business days. You can review an example of a Soil Health Test Report (Certificate of Analysis) by clicking here.

We are proudly located in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Burlington is rich in history and modern traditions of many First Nations and the Métis. From the Anishinaabeg to the Haudenosaunee, and the Métis, the land spanning from the shoreline of Lake Ontario to the Niagara Escarpment are steeped in Indigenous history. ​​The territory is mutually covered by the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Iroquois Confederacy, the Ojibway and other allied Nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. SoilHealth.ca acknowledges that the land on which we operate is part of the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit. We humbly acknowledge that we are not the first ones to call this spectacular land home.

At this time, we are not accepting soil sample drop-offs at the laboratory. We use Canada Post Expedited Parcel carbon-neutral shipping so by using the return postage option you’re assisting us with offsetting our own carbon footprint and you are helping to fight climate change. The return shipping label that is included in your Soil Health Test Kit contains a unique tracking number. After you have mailed your Soil Health Test Kit you can use this tracking number to follow its delivery progress along the journey to our laboratory for testing.

Depending on the Soil Health Test Kit ordered we may need 15 to 20 business days from the time of sample intake and processing to testing completion. Typically, once we have your soil sample, we aim to complete all tests and email you a copy of your Soil Health Report (Certificate of Analysis) within 10 to 15 business days.

At this time, we are only accepting soil samples from Ontario, Canada. Orders placed outside of Ontario, Canada cannot be fulfilled at this time. We apologize for the inconvenience.

If the soil sample will originate from Ontario, Canada we can work with you to process billing by invoicing.

The soil health testing services we provide are intended for mineral soils not for potting soils or alternative growing media. Please check back often as we are expanding our testing services options.

At this time, we are not offering individual soil properties testing services such as manure testing. Please check back often as we are expanding our testing services options.

Yes. We have recently expanded our soil testing services to include compost testing.

Yes. If you’re a farmer you know about the importance of your soil. We can support you to meet your goals by providing you with accurate and reliable test results. We ensure that all scientific methods used are updated in accordance with advances in soil science to maximize testing accuracy and repeatability. We use state-of-the-art equipment that is calibrated for traceability and compared against blanks and standards to ensure accuracy and precision.

Yes. If you’re growing cannabis for enjoyment or medical needs, you’ll want to focus on the nutrients available in your soil to promote disease defense and encourage the harvest yield of your plants. Growing cannabis in holistically healthy soil can dramatically enhance the overall aroma and flavor, potency, and robustness of your plants.

Most home gardens and lawns, and even larger market gardens, will typically only need one Soil Health Test Kit. Your kit arrives with instructions to aid you with collecting a large, representative soil sample gathered from the total area you want tested. There is no minimum area from which you can collect your soil sample and the maximum area that can be tested with one kit is 25 acres.

You may benefit from purchasing two or more Soil Health Test Kits if you’re interested in knowing more about separate growing areas. Reasons you may want to explore more than one area include: if you want to compare one area where plants are growing very well with a second area where plants are experiencing poor growth performance; if you want to compare an area along a fence line where the soil has been undisturbed with a second area where the soil has been tilled; or if you’re just interested in testing your garden with one test and your lawn with another test since the recommendations are very different. For these reasons and ‘soil’ many other real-life situations you may want to purchase one or more separate kits. Areas larger than 25 acres will require two or more kits.

Many people test their soil each year or every other year (annually or bi-annually). The results of your first soil test will create a baseline against which you can compare future testing results. A follow-up test is recommended after you have made changes to your soil (i.e., making nutrient adjustments or changing how you interact with your soil). The follow-up test allows you to see if you’re having a positive influence on the biological, chemical, and physical properties of your soil and improving your soil health.

No. We empower our customers with data and knowledge about the health of their soil so that they can make informed decisions about how they want to proceed. Our Soil Health Report (Certificate of Analysis) does not promote, endorse, or market products. An educated customer is better able to find and purchase products and services that best meet their own growing needs and support local businesses.

You may benefit from purchasing two or more Soil Health Test Kits if you’re interested in knowing more about separate growing areas. Reasons you may want to explore more than one area include: if you want to compare one area where plants are growing very well with a second area where plants are experiencing poor growth performance; if you want to compare an area along a fence line where the soil has been undisturbed with a second area where the soil has been tilled; or if you’re just interested in testing your garden with one test and your lawn with another test since the recommendations are very different. For these reasons and ‘soil’ many other real-life situations you may want to purchase one or more separate kits. Areas larger than 25 acres will require two or more kits.

There are ‘ab-soil-utely’ so many good reasons to sign-up for an account, like access to special announcements, limited promotions, and discounts, but you do not need to create an account to purchase a Soil Health Test Kit.

Yes. You can review an example of a Soil Health Report here.

Our Soil Health Report will provide you with the values of the nutrients available in your soil (along with ‘soil’ much more). You can use these values to calculate the quantities and types of amendments and fertilizers that you choose to apply to your soil to influence changes.

Our Soil Health Report has been designed and written to present information in an easy-to-understand format with resources to help explain testing procedures and testing outcomes. We feel confident you will be able to interpret the data, values, and information we present in our Soil Health Report. If you experience difficulty understanding your Soil Health Report, please send us an email at info@soilhealth.ca.

You may benefit from purchasing two or more Soil Health Test Kits if you’re interested in knowing more about separate growing areas. Reasons you may want to explore more than one area include: if you want to compare one area where plants are growing very well with a second area where plants are experiencing poor growth performance; if you want to compare an area along a fence line where the soil has been undisturbed with a second area where the soil has been tilled; or if you’re just interested in testing your garden with one test and your lawn with another test since the recommendations are very different. For these reasons and ‘soil’ many other real-life situations you may want to purchase one or more separate kits. Areas larger than 25 acres will require two or more kits.

We test every soil sample that we receive for its unique biological, chemical, and physical properties. When all three of these soil properties are analyzed together and the results are correlated, we can discover far more about the health of your soil than would be possible by testing only one or two of these soil properties alone. For more information about our testing services and Soil Health Report please visit here. 

We test every soil sample that we receive for its unique biological, chemical, and physical properties. When all three of these soil properties are analyzed together and the results are correlated, we can discover far more about the health of your soil than would be possible by testing only one or two of these soil properties alone. For more information about our testing services and Soil Health Report please visit here. 

There may be times when you may want to test many different areas. Contact us directly for large sample submission discounts Send us an email at info@soilhealth.ca

The recommendations we provide adhere to guidelines set by OMAFRA. We are in the process of applying to ISO Accreditation and CALA. We do comply with Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) outlined by OECD. We are applying for membership to the NAPT. Please check back regularly for updates on the scope and progress of our Accreditation.

No. We make no guarantee or warranty concerning crop performance. Plants may experience growth performance problems due to numerous factors other than soil fertility. For example, diseases, infestations from insects and pests, insufficient daylight exposure or too much direct sunlight, soil moisture or compaction, climatic and environmental pollutions conditions, and poor soil management may all lead to undesired outcomes.

Yes. If you care about your property, keeping your soil productive and sustainable, and want to contribute to the fight against climate change then yes, we think that a soil health test is right for you. Plants get the nutrients that they need to grow and use to fight disease from the soil in which they’re growing. If the biological, chemical, and physical properties of your soil are not well balanced then any plants growing in the soil will be expending more energy working to improve its growing conditions (like breaking through compacted soil or struggling to find available nutrients) instead of putting its energy into growth, and flowering or fruiting. Plus, knowing about your soil health will allow you to make informed decisions which can save you money by not buying unneeded nutrients or fertilizers. And, if your plants and soil are healthy, you’ll be able to spend less time caring and tending for them. So, whether you’re investing in seeds, seedlings, or transplants then you’ll likely want them to be growing in healthy soil and the only way to know is with a soil health test.