Submission Requirements
- Samples must be collected from property located In North Carolina.
- Samples must be submitted in NCDA&CS soil sample boxes only. These can be picked up from your county NC State Cooperative Extension Office or at the Agronomic Services loading dock.
- A sample ID chosen by the customer must be on BOTH the soil sample box and on the soil sample submission form.
- The soil sample submission form must contain all required information (PALS account # OR mailing address, phone number and email address) and must accompany the soil sample box(es).
- Client information on the submission form must correspond to the property owner. Advisors and landscapers should list their information in the Advisor section only.
- Failure to adhere to any one of these requirements may result in your sample(s) not being processed.
FAQs
There is not really a "soil test kit" per se. You will need a sample submission form and an NCDA&CS soil sample box, which you can get from either the loading dock of the Agronomic Services lab in Raleigh, or from your local county cooperative extension office. In some counties, local hardware stores may have boxes as well. Detailed information on collecting samples may be found on the "Collect Samples" page.
Predictive
This is the most common type of soil sampling. Predictive testing is used to determine what nutrients are needed before planting or to maintain adequate fertility of established plantings.
Diagnostic
Diagnostic testing is used for "diagnosing" a soil fertility problem when a problem is occurring. Examples of this may be stunted growth, patches in the lawn, or discolored plants. To submit a diagnostic sample, collect samples from both the problem location and from a healthy location for comparison. Collecting and submitting corresponding plant tissue samples is helpful as well.
Sample IDs are a combination of up to 5 letters or numbers created by the person submitting samples and should be listed on both the soil box and the submission form. The sample IDs should reflect where the sample was collected (e.g. Lawn, Berry, Front) and allows the client to correlate the report data to these areas.Sample IDs are critical to understanding your soil report.
Crop codes indicate what the person is growing or intends to grow in that area. This information is vital to obtain lime and fertilization recommendations.
Homeowner crop codes are:
| Crop | Code |
|---|---|
| Azalea / Camelia | 020 |
| Lawn, Centipede | 022 |
| Lawn (not centipede) | 026 |
| Flower Garden | 023 |
| Vegetable Garden | 024 |
| Rose | 028 |
| Mountain Laurel / Rhododendron | 025 |
| Shrubs | 029 |
| Berries / Fruits / Nuts (except blueberries) | 030 |
| Blueberries | 032 |
| Landscape Tree (deciduous and evergreen) | 031 |
The Farm ID appears on the client report an on the PALS report page. It is useful in tracking samples from multiple locations.
Example: Someone has a home in Charlotte and also a beach house. They could use farm ID's "home" for the main home and "beach" for the other.
This page was last modified on 11/13/2026