Soil Testing

N.C. Cooperative Extension, Mecklenburg County Center provides soil testing sample boxes for residents. Residents must take their own soil sample(s) and send their sample(s) to the Agronomic Division of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture to be tested.

  • To pick up soil sample boxes, please visit our office during business hours and staff will provide assistance.
  • Outside of business hours, sample boxes are available in the white mailbox located outside the office (on the sidewalk, to the right immediately after entering the parking lot).

Soil testing sample boxes are also available at the following Charlotte Mecklenburg County libraries:

Samples submitted between April 1 and the end of November are analyzed free of charge. A peak season fee of $4 per sample is charged for each sample submitted between December 1 and March 31.

A complete soil sample submission includes a completely filled soil sample submission form and matching labeled soil boxes. Incomplete submissions may be discarded.

Those submitting samples can expect a turnaround time of approximately two weeks before receiving their results.

Please note that we do not test these samples; you will mail your samples to:
NCDA&CS Agronomic Division, Soil Testing Section
Mailing Address: 1040 Mail Service Center, Raleigh NC 27699-1040
Mailing Address for UPS/FedEx: 4300 Reedy Creek Road, Raleigh NC 27607
Phone: (919) 733-2655

Please contact the Mecklenburg County Center for more information.


Additional Resources

How to Collect a Soil Sample

Soil Test Interpretation Worksheet

Do you need help interpreting your soil sample? Contact NC State Extension Master Gardener℠ volunteers at 980-314-1409 or meckmastergardeners@gmail.com.

SoilTestInterpretationWorksheet