Lead in garden soil - Ask Extension
My daughter recently moved into a 100 year old house in Fort Gratiot. There is an old, established, garden plot next to an old barn. The soil is litte...
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Lead in garden soil #925855
Asked March 11, 2026, 2:11 PM EDT
My daughter recently moved into a 100 year old house in Fort Gratiot. There is an old, established, garden plot next to an old barn. The soil is littered with paint chips that have peeled off of the barn. Is there a way to test for lead in the soil?
St. Clair County Michigan
Expert Response
Hello and thank you for your question. While MSU Extension does provide soil testing, the tests do not evaluate lead or other heavy metals. We do have a list of recommended locations that can test your soil for lead in this article: Testing for contaminants in soil, water and plants - Managing Soil Health
Best of luck!
Best of luck!
