How to Take and Prepare a Soil Sample with a Dutch Auger

Knowing what’s happening beneath the surface is one of the most important steps in managing soil health and fertility. A good soil sample gives you the information you need to make decisions on fertility, forage, and cropping systems.

This season, our team has been using a Dutch auger to collect soil samples from plots and pastures across West-Central Alberta. Here’s a quick overview of the process:

Step 1: Choosing Your Sample Location
Select a representative spot in your field or pasture. Avoid areas that are not typical, such as near old feed sites, fencelines, or wet spots. Before using the auger, clear away any surface plant residues so you’re sampling just the soil and not crop or pasture debris.

Step 2: Using the Dutch Auger
Insert the auger straight into the soil to your desired depth (commonly 6–12 inches for fertility testing, or deeper if looking at soil health indicators). Twist and pull to bring up a core of soil.

Step 3: Collecting Multiple Cores
Take several cores from across the field or paddock, usually 15–20 per management unit, to get an accurate picture. Place them together in a clean pail or bag.

Step 4: Mixing and Sub-sampling
Thoroughly mix the soil cores. From this composite, take a smaller sub-sample to send to the lab (approximately 2 cups). This helps ensure the sample represents the whole area.

Step 5: Preparing for the Lab
Label your sample with field name, depth, and date. Keep the sample cool and dry until it is shipped—especially if it will be tested for biological activity.

Member Support Through Farming Forward
Farming Forward members can rent our Dutch auger for free to collect their own soil samples. Once your samples are prepared, we can take care of sending them to the lab for you, with discounted testing rates available to members.

We’ll also soon have a soil sampling truck available, making it even easier to collect samples in fields and pastures.

A little extra care in sampling goes a long way in making sure your test results reflect your actual field conditions.

🎥 Watch the video below to see the Dutch auger in action and learn more about our sampling process.