Time is A Fleeting for Those Seeking Soil Savings

Saturday, April 20, marks this year’s annual Soil Testing event whereby all property owners within the Candlewood Lake Watershed and beyond are invited to have their lawn and garden soils scientifically tested for nutrient composition before determining whether or not to fertilize. Often these decisions are made without due consideration of what soil amendments are needed and in what amounts, resulting in excess or inappropriate applications that can adversely affect one’s lawn or garden plantings and result in wasted time, energy and money.

Importantly, such actions can also inadvertently place our environment at risk as excess nutrients find their way into Candlewood Lake either overground or via feeder streams. Fortunately, there’s an alternative and it’s smart, free and easy but one needs to act before Saturday to take advantage of the benefits. To learn more, simply access the CLA web site at candlewoodlakeauthority.org/news to understand what’s involved and how to proceed to scoop and package one’s soil samples.

Once done, these samples are to be dropped off on Saturday morning between 8 and noon at one of our Soil Sampling Sites in New Fairfield, Sherman, and New Milford, as described in the materials posted online. Collected samples are then delivered to the Soil Test Lab in New Haven on Monday for expedited processing. Results are returned by mail along with a discount coupon redeemable at our garden center sponsors – Dom’s Garden Market of Danbury, Meadowbrook Gardens, and Scott’s Nursery & Landscaping, both based in New Milford -- along with Lawncare Tips on smart applications. So, act soon for your benefit, that of your neighbors, and to help protect our irreplaceable water and land resources, notably including Candlewood Lake.