Are you planning to have soil testing done this fall? Well, the time is now. The NC Department of Agriculture charges a “peak season” testing fee of $4 per sample from November 25 through March 31, 2016. During the peak season, Master Gardeners will not be collecting samples in the Extension office or collecting payments; you will need to drop your samples and fees at the NCDA Soil Lab at 4300 Reedy Creek Road, Raleigh.

NCDA has provided some guidelines for peak season samples:

• If soil samples are postmarked November 25^th but arrive on November 26^th, they will still be charged the $4 fee per sample.
• Samples dropped off at the soil lab in Raleigh must take place during the business hours of 6am to 6pm, Monday through Friday.
• Payments for soil samples submitted during the peak-season can be made via credit card or with an escrow account. Consult the NCDA Agronomic Division website http://www.ncagr.gov/agronomi/ for information on how to set up an account. Contact number for NCDA is 919-733-2655.

Soil tests will be conducted free of charge from April through November. During that time period, samples can again be dropped at the Extension office for delivery to the soil lab. If you plan to beat the fee this month, please call the Master Gardener office prior to dropping your samples off to make sure that the samples can be delivered to the lab in time.