South Dakota · university & extension labs
Where to get a soil test in South Dakota
A soil test is how you stop guessing at fertilizer and fix the one thing your lawn actually needs. In South Dakota, the public program below tests homeowner samples and interprets the results for local soils.
South Dakota state lab
South Dakota State University Soil Testing Lab
SDSU soil testing laboratory.
Visit the lab & sampling instructionsCounty offices
County extension offices.
County extension offices across South Dakota 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. 6 of the most populous counties are listed below.
Not your county? Find your local office in the full South Dakota directory.
- SDSU Extension Sioux Falls Regional CenterSioux Falls, SD
- SDSU Extension Rapid City Regional CenterRapid City, SD
- SDSU Extension Aberdeen Regional CenterAberdeen, SD
- SDSU Extension Watertown Regional CenterWatertown, SD
- SDSU Extension Mitchell Regional CenterMitchell, SD
- SDSU Extension Pierre Regional CenterPierre, SD
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 South Dakota State University Soil Testing Lab. 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 South Dakota 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 South Dakota?
- South Dakota's public soil testing is run through South Dakota State University Soil Testing Lab. 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 South Dakota?
- 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 South Dakota State University Soil Testing Lab for current pricing before you send a sample; the page linked here is the authority for its own fees.
- How do I turn my South Dakota 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. South Dakota State University Soil Testing Lab is the authority for its own test menu, sampling instructions, fees, and result interpretation.