Soil Evaluation

Are you cultivating living soil and interested in knowing more about your soil biology? Get a soil biology test! 

I am certified to conduct soil biology evaluations by the Soil Food Web School founded by Dr. Elaine Ingham, the soil microbiologist who is credited with discovering the soil food web. I understand how microbial life works in soil and I'm trained to use a microscope to assess soil biological health.  

I use these skills to build healthy and resilient soil from natural inputs at Pott Farms' regenerative hemp farm. Now, I hope to spread this knowledge to enable  other growers to cultivate thriving living soil.  

Knowing your soil biology helps you know if: 

• The right microbial life is present and in the right amounts.
• There are harmful microbial life that indicate problems in your soil.
• You are optimizing the power of nature to provide your plants the best growing conditions. 

A soil biology test will tell you: 

• Bacteria biomass level  
• Fungi biomass level  
• Fungi:Bacteria (F:B) ratio  
• Protozoa identification and count 
• Nematode identification (function, either good or bad) and count 
• Whether these results are in the correct range for the crop you want to grow, based on the stage of succession that is best suited for your crop.  
• Identification of harmful microbial life that can indicate soil problems 

Need a primer on what soil biology is? Check out our blog on living soil here. 

Interested in getting your soil tested? Email Robbin at soilevaluation@pottfarms.org for instructions on how to order a test, take samples, and submit them for analysis.

The fee is $65 per soil sample.