Preparing the Sample

• Use a clean trowel or knife to collect the sample, following the guidelines in the manual.
• Once the samples are collected and properly mixed, the sample should be air dried at room temperature.
• Do not attempt to dry samples in an oven or microwave.
• Remove and discard leaves, sticks, stones, etc.
• Crush any lumps to achieve a more uniform sample size using the back of a spoon.
• Samples can be sifted through a wire screen if desired.
• Properly dried and crushed samples allow for a more thorough "extraction" of the available nutrients.