Maryland · university & extension labs
Where to get a soil test in Maryland
A soil test is how you stop guessing at fertilizer and fix the one thing your lawn actually needs. In Maryland, the public program below tests homeowner samples and interprets the results for local soils.
Maryland state lab
University of Maryland Extension soil testing resources
UMD Extension list of soil testing labs.
Visit the lab & sampling instructionsCounty offices
County extension offices.
County extension offices across Maryland stock sample forms and can help you read your results. Whether an office will forward your sample to the state lab varies from county to county, so call yours before you drive over; otherwise mail it in with the form. 24 of the most populous counties are listed below.
Not your county? Find your local office in the full Maryland directory.
- University of Maryland Extension, Allegany County officeCumberland, MD
- University of Maryland Extension, Anne Arundel County officeGambrills, MD
- University of Maryland Extension, Baltimore City officeBaltimore, MD
- University of Maryland Extension, Baltimore County officeCockeysville, MD
- University of Maryland Extension, Calvert County officePrince Frederick, MD
- University of Maryland Extension, Caroline County officeDenton, MD
- University of Maryland Extension, Carroll County officeWestminster, MD
- University of Maryland Extension, Cecil County officeElkton, MD
- University of Maryland Extension, Charles County officeBel Alton, MD
- University of Maryland Extension, Dorchester County officeCambridge, MD
- University of Maryland Extension, Frederick County officeFrederick, MD
- University of Maryland Extension, Garrett County officeOakland, MD
- University of Maryland Extension, Harford County officeStreet, MD
- University of Maryland Extension, Howard County officeColumbia, MD
- University of Maryland Extension, Kent County officeChestertown, MD
- University of Maryland Extension, Montgomery County officeDerwood, MD
- University of Maryland Extension, Prince George's County officeClinton, MD
- University of Maryland Extension, Queen Anne's County officeCentreville, MD
- University of Maryland Extension, Somerset County officePrincess Anne, MD
- University of Maryland Extension, St. Mary's County officeLeonardtown, MD
- University of Maryland Extension, Talbot County officeEaston, MD
- University of Maryland Extension, Washington County officeBoonsboro, MD
- University of Maryland Extension, Wicomico County officeSalisbury, MD
- University of Maryland Extension, Worcester County officeSnow Hill, MD
The steps
How it works.
Get a form and sample the way your lab says to
Pick up a form at a county office or download it from University of Maryland Extension soil testing resources. Where you pull cores and how you mix them decides whether the report means anything, so follow the lab's instructions exactly.
Send it in
Mail your sample to the lab with its completed form, or call your county office first to ask whether it will forward samples.
Turn the report into a plan
When results come back, the numbers only matter if they change what you put down. Enter them in the app and it builds the plan.
The app · soil report analyzer
Got your Maryland report back? Analyze it.
Enter your report values in the Lawn Dominator app and pick your lab, and it handles the messy part: units and extraction methods differ by lab, so your numbers get compared against turf targets that match how your lab measured them. Then it helps build the fertilizer plan for your grass type and checks timing against your live soil temperature.
Free to download on iPhone and Android.
Common questions
Before you ask.
- Where can I get a soil test in Maryland?
- Maryland's public soil testing is run through University of Maryland Extension soil testing resources. Many county extension offices (listed on this page) stock the sample forms and can help you submit. National mail-in labs like Logan Labs, Ward Laboratories, and Waypoint Analytical are established alternatives.
- How much does a soil test cost in Maryland?
- Fees vary by lab and by which package you choose (basic pH plus phosphorus and potassium, versus expanded panels with organic matter and micronutrients). Check University of Maryland Extension soil testing resources for current pricing before you send a sample; the page linked here is the authority for its own fees.
- How do I turn my Maryland soil test into a fertilizer plan?
- Enter your report values in the Lawn Dominator app and pick your lab so units and extraction method are handled correctly, and it compares your numbers against turf sufficiency targets and helps build the fertilizer plan for your grass type.
Looking for another state? See the national map of soil test labs. University of Maryland Extension soil testing resources is the authority for its own test menu, sampling instructions, fees, and result interpretation.