| 1. | Choose three or four areas that represent typical growth in your garden or orchard. |
| 2. | Take a clean plastic container and a hand trowel, shovel or soil probe and go to your first area. |
| 3. | Remove any mulch covering the soil. | 
Step 3. Remove the mulch. |
| 4. | Using the trowel or shovel, dig a V-shaped hole 7-inches deep. Slice a thin section from one side and place in the pail. If you are using a soil probe, sample to 7 inches and place the soil in the pail. |
Step 4. Sample to 7 inches. |
| 5. | Repeat this procedure at each of the remaining areas. |
| 6. | After all the sections or cores are in the pail, mix the soil thoroughly. | 
Step 6. Mix the soil. |
| 7. | Fill the sample bag (included with kit) two-thirds full. Discard the remaining soil. | 
Step 7. Fill the sample bag. |
| 8. | Fill out the information sheet. Clearly indicate Garden or Orchard. |
| 9. | Mail the sample to the address on the bag. If you purchased the kit from the web site, results will be mailed directly to you. If you purchased the kit at a store, results will be mailed to that store. Please allow 2 weeks from receipt of the sample for the results to be available. |
| 10. | An additional kit may be beneficial if comparing good or bad areas or if sampling large areas.
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