# Soil sampling



## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Quick question:

Does moisture affect soil samples?

I need to do some sampling as soon as I can on ground that is moist and frozen. Snow covered in MN winter. Any reason to wait longer until after all the snow is gone (besides easiness of course)?


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Nope I was always told if you can pull an accurate core, pull them. But then each representative sample will look like 15 big dog turds. you need to put them in a warm spot and completely dry them out before you mix them up and package them to mail to lab


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

I wondered about possible effects from varying moisture contents as well. This fall, sampled when the ground was really dry and hard and was not able to get decent samples. most were 2" deep at most. I did so as there was no rain in sight and I know what happens when you procrastinate, ground freezes.... Could not believe the results so I re-sampled everything. Good moisture and 5-6" sampling depth on every sample. Virtually identical results. Now I am not sure what that means but I planned my fertilizer program this coming spring on the results. Apparently the depth did not matter nor the moisture content. Scientifically, I find that hard to swallow, being a trained soils guy but consistent results are consistent results and neither big Al nor Putin had anything to do with them


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

I usually only get 3-4 inches deep (dry soil), but as stack mentions just about same time every year (after taking off 1st cutting), works for me in MY area.

Larry


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