How can I correct my soil report? Are the results concerning? Do I need to correct or will it correc - Ask Extension
Hello,
How can I correct my soil? Soil report attached. Are the results concerning? Do I need to correct, or will it correct over time?
Is it safe ...
Knowledgebase
How can I correct my soil report? Are the results concerning? Do I need to correct or will it correc #924442
Asked February 10, 2026, 7:08 PM EST
Hello,
How can I correct my soil? Soil report attached. Are the results concerning? Do I need to correct, or will it correct over time?
Is it safe to plant my vegetable garden?
HELP!
Howard County Maryland
Expert Response
The pH measurement of 7.7 is a little bit high, though not very concerning. Over time, soils in Maryland often trend towards acidic, though the change is gradual. Adding a bit of sulfur to the soil can nudge the pH down faster than it would otherwise change, though making pH changes should never be rapid to avoid shocking roots and beneficial soil microbes. Unless it was listed on another page of the report, it's a bit surprising the lab did not include recommend applying some sulfur, but perhaps that's because vegetables tend to be fine at a pH level of 7.0, and 7.7 is not egregiously off from that upper limit. You can find more information about soil pH and how to make changes on our Understanding Your Soil Test Report page.
The "excessive" levels measured of phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium are not something that needs to be remedied. It merely means that adding more of those particular nutrients (in the form of fertilizer, for example) will not benefit the plants, because the roots already have access to more than they need. Nitrogen is the nutrient plants use in the greatest quantity (and a nutrient the soil test doesn't measure, because levels naturally fluctuate too much for one measurement to have much meaning), so fertilization can focus on providing nitrogen. There are, for example, types of fertilizer that only contain nitrogen (the N in the N-P-K nutrient analysis on the label).
An organic matter percentage level of 12+ is great, as it means there is lots of organic matter that benefits roots and those helpful soil microbes.
We don't see a lead measurement (usually a separate component of the standard test), so unless it was simply omitted from the data you shared with us, that would be a good screening to do, perhaps at your next soil test in couple years. Lead can be common in home soils, but is often at low levels that don't need to be addressed. You can learn more about garden safety as it pertains to lead in the soil in our Lead in Garden Soils page.
Otherwise, based on what we see, you're find to plant vegetables this season. You can find both general and crop-specific care tips in our Fertilizing Vegetables and Vegetable plant profiles on the linked pages.
Miri
The "excessive" levels measured of phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium are not something that needs to be remedied. It merely means that adding more of those particular nutrients (in the form of fertilizer, for example) will not benefit the plants, because the roots already have access to more than they need. Nitrogen is the nutrient plants use in the greatest quantity (and a nutrient the soil test doesn't measure, because levels naturally fluctuate too much for one measurement to have much meaning), so fertilization can focus on providing nitrogen. There are, for example, types of fertilizer that only contain nitrogen (the N in the N-P-K nutrient analysis on the label).
An organic matter percentage level of 12+ is great, as it means there is lots of organic matter that benefits roots and those helpful soil microbes.
We don't see a lead measurement (usually a separate component of the standard test), so unless it was simply omitted from the data you shared with us, that would be a good screening to do, perhaps at your next soil test in couple years. Lead can be common in home soils, but is often at low levels that don't need to be addressed. You can learn more about garden safety as it pertains to lead in the soil in our Lead in Garden Soils page.
Otherwise, based on what we see, you're find to plant vegetables this season. You can find both general and crop-specific care tips in our Fertilizing Vegetables and Vegetable plant profiles on the linked pages.
Miri
