Soil Analysis Laboratory
What’s underneath
is everything.
Tilth reads the language hidden in a handful of dirt — and tells you exactly what your land is hungry for.
Free prepaid return shipping · Results in 7–10 business days
Transparent Process
What happens to your dirt
Complexity earns trust. Here is every step, in plain language, from the moment your sample leaves your hands.
Sample Arrives in a Prepaid Mailer
You collect 250g of soil from multiple spots across your field or bed — we provide a clear protocol. The sealed bag drops into any mailbox. Our receiving team logs it within 2 hours of arrival, assigns a chain-of-custody ID, and queues it for analysis.
250g sample · prepaid return label · chain-of-custody tracking
A Technician Loads the Spectrometer
Your sample is dried, ground to 0.5mm, and loaded into an ICP-OES spectrometer — inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Plasma at 7,000°C excites every element present. The instrument reads 32 mineral channels simultaneously, down to 0.01 parts per million.
ICP-OES analysis · 32 mineral channels · 0.01 ppm detection limit
The Chromatograph Prints Its Peaks
Organic matter and microbial biomass are measured separately via loss-on-ignition and PLFA chromatography. Each compound leaves a peak at a precise retention time. The height of each peak is your soil's biological fingerprint — how much carbon is locked in humus, how active the microbial community is.
LOI + PLFA chromatography · organic carbon fraction · microbial biomass
Your Prescription Is Generated
Every reading is cross-referenced against 14 years of regional soil data. The algorithm flags deficiencies, calculates application rates, and outputs a plain-language prescription — not just numbers, but specific amendments and quantities per acre (or per cubic foot for beds). The PDF is in your inbox before the end of the business day.
14-year regional dataset · amendment rates per acre · PDF + CSV export
Who We Serve
Every land has a different question
Row-Crop Growers
Inconsistent yields across a quarter section — same seed, same inputs, different results.
Tilth maps the mineral variation across your field by zone. Our prescription tells you which blocks need lime, which need micronutrients, and where you're over-applying. Growers who test before planting reduce input costs by an average of $34/acre.
Vineyard Managers
Chasing terroir through chemistry — soil is the difference between a $12 bottle and a $60 one.
Trace mineral ratios — calcium-to-magnesium, iron-to-manganese — shape fruit flavor in ways that no irrigation schedule can override. Our Comprehensive panel reads 32 elements and gives you the terroir map your enologist has been asking for.
Hobby Gardeners
Two seasons of raised-bed failure. Something's wrong — but what?
Most raised-bed failures trace to pH lock-out or calcium deficiency in commercial potting mixes. Our Basic Nutrient Panel identifies the culprit and specifies exactly what to add — in cups per cubic foot, not confusing agronomic rates.
Sample Report
The invisible, made legible
Every Tilth report reads like a letter from your soil — specific numbers, plain-language interpretations, and a prescription that tells you exactly what to apply, where, and how much.
Nutrient Panel
Sample #TLB-2026-0847 · North Field, Zone 3
Tested
Feb 25, 2026
Soil pH
Prescription
Apply triple superphosphate
High45 lbs/ac
Apply zinc sulfate foliar
High0.5 lbs/ac
Lime to raise pH to 6.8
Medium1.2 T/ac
7–10
business days
From the day your sample arrives at our lab to report delivery.
Order Your Test Kit
Choose the kit that matches your land
Every kit ships with a prepaid return label, a sampling protocol card, and a chain-of-custody bag. The click below carries you to the selector.
Basic Nutrient Panel
$49
pH, macronutrients (N-P-K-Ca-Mg-S), and plain-language amendment guide. Ideal for raised beds and small gardens.
Comprehensive Soil Health
$119
Full 32-element ICP-OES analysis, organic matter %, microbial biomass index, and field-zone prescription. Built for row-crop and vineyard clients.
Contaminant Screen
$89
Heavy metals (Pb, Cd, As, Hg, Cr) and persistent organic pollutants panel. Required for urban lots, reclaimed land, and organic certification.
Every kit includes a prepaid USPS return label. Drop it in any mailbox.
No account required. No subscription. Pay once, get your prescription.
Results in 7–10 business days · Questions? hello@tilth.co