Soil testing
 

Can anyone suggest a local place (Sumter) to get garden soil tested.
Thanks in advance.

Sumter County Extension Office.

might i ask, what are you looking for?

You can purchase a tester yourself and do it. PH and fertility. Hope you know the soil here is bad for anything not southern for sure.

thank you

just need an idea of soil acidity in an area where i plan to plant roses...
will head to the extension service in bushnell....was hoping for something closer...

Master Gardener - UF/IFAS Extension - University of Florida

Locations and Hours. UF/IFAS Extension Office location at 7620 SR 471, Suite 2, Bushnell, FL. Hours: Wednesdays and Fridays, 10 am to 2 pm.
Annex location at the Sumter County Health Department at 8015 E C-466, The Villages, FL. Hours: Mondays, 9 am to 3 pm. Sumter County Service Center location at 7375 Powell Road, The Villages, FL.

My two cents worth. Depending on the rose you choose to plant the ph range is variable. My view, proper rose care is well a lot of work. What is being sold as shrub roses, low care my opinion are they worth growing. The flowers are not impressive either.

Your soil ph depends on where you are and for that matter where the soil used to level your lot came from.

As to something closer. The cooperative extension has soil sample bags or did. How to take the sample, properly, is important. You mail it in to the lab. You can use one of those probe things they cost about $10. However, readings. They will give you a number. Is it right? Who knows. A proper lab will regularly calibrate the meter against a known value.

If, you are going, I am sure they have a list of roses that do well in this area as well as soil preparation. I think it is too late to properly plant roses. Bare root plants need time to root in before current heat. The potted roses likely are root bound now.