How to Collect an Infield Sample

Like soil testing, infield testing gives you valuable information about the makeup of your field. That information will help you identify and correct any problems proactively. The first step of the process is collecting a sample, which is simple when you follow these steps.

First, grab a shovel and a bucket. A five-gallon bucket or larger will do the job.

Next, use the shovel or your hand to brush all of the conditioner off of the area you’re going to sample. You want to collect a sample of just the infield mix, not the conditioner.

Use the shovel to remove a sample from four inches deep and put it in the bucket. Four inches is the depth to which the infield should be blended. 

Repeat the process at least four times (and as many as eight times) in various locations around the infield. Once all of the samples are in the bucket, agitate it to blend them. From the bucket, fill a gallon-sized freezer bag halfway full. 

The freezer bag is what you’ll submit for testing. Talk to your ATS rep if you have questions about where to send it, and check out this resource for help interpreting the results from your test when you receive them.