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3. Basic Soil Monitoring and Evaluation
Water
•
Labs will need specific amounts of
water for testing. It is important to
confirm the amount needed with the
lab you are sending it to. A good rule of
thumb is one cup.
•
Sample containers should be plastic
with good, leak-proof caps. Be sure
caps are screwed on tightly. Do not use
glass containers!
•
Containers should be clean and then
rinsed three times with the water you
are sampling before taking the final
sample.
•
Containers should be filled as
completely as possible.
•
Label containers with a permanent
marker. If a container cannot be
marked directly, place a piece of
masking tape on the bottle and mark it.
•
Keep the sample cool, preferably in a
refrigerator. Do not freeze!
•
If you are mailing samples, refrigerate
them prior to sending. Pack them
securely with newspapers or Styrofoam
(be sure caps are tight) in a sturdy box.
Label the box, KEEP FROM HEAT, on
all sides.
Plants
•
Test what you are interested in — if
animals eat the whole plant, sample
the whole plant; if they eat just the
leaves or fruit or seeds, sample the
leaves, fruit, or seeds.
•
Pick the green or ripe tissues, not the
yellow or gray dying or dead leaves or
dried out fruit.
•
Find out how much material is needed
for the test you want to do.
•
Collect from multiple areas or sources
and mix the samples well to submit an
aggregated sample.
•
For some tests: don’t let the sample
become overheated or dry out; Place
it in a sealable bag and keep it cool
between collecting and shipping.
However, you don’t want mold to
grow in your bag. Make sure to plan
for quick shipping and processing. For
other tests, air drying in a paper bag is
adequate. Again, check with the lab for
instructions.
General guidelines for shipping samples
When shipping samples to a lab it is best to
do so at the beginning of the week, so that
they are received, opened, and processed
or properly stored before the weekend. You
will need to make sure that your samples are
clearly labeled with unique identifiers so that
when you get your data back you can make
sense of it.
•
Always include a paper information
sheet with the sample. Put the sheet in
a plastic bag to prevent it from getting
wet or dirty from a leaky sample
container.
•
This sheet should contain any relevant
information about the samples, as well
as your contact information.