Who do you recommend for soil testing? CTAHR?
I'm sure that CTAHR is a fine lab, but I don't recommend them for a few reasons.
1. They use the Modified Morgan test which I'm not familiar with yet and it'll probably be awhile before I am. There's a lot of agronomists and horticulturists that like the Modified Morgan test and believe it gives results of what is available to the plants. I think it's a good test too, but I've been using the Mehlich 3 and Ammonium Acetate pH 8.2 test which I think give a very good idea of what is potentially available to the plant.
2. They're kind of slow a lot of times. They can take 3 weeks and I had to drive my sample down to the extension office here.
3. They're not cheap for the stuff I'd want to test for. I don't remember how much I paid, but it wasn't cheap and they don't include a few things in their standard tests that they should. For example, you have to request the tests for sodium and sulfur. Both of those are vital numbers to know IMO and should be part of any standard soil test. I think it costs about $90 per test for the stuff I want from CTAHR and it's less
Besides CTAHR I've used Logan Labs and Spectrum both in Ohio. Just take a good sample of your soil. There's several places to look up how to take a good soil sample including Logan Labs' and Spectrum's websites. Put about 2 cups in a ziplock bag. Print out their soil receiving permits and print out their soil sample submitting sheets. Put the soil sample(s) and the permits in a box and pack it so it doesn't wiggle and send it on it's way. They'll call you and you can pay with a credit card. They have other form of payment too.
Last time I sent a sample to Logan Labs it took 3 days and Spectrum took one day to have the test reports emailed to me. You can request the standard soil test from Logan Labs and the T3 or S3 from Spectrum. I'd also request for Silicon. And if the Mehlich 3 test shows that your pH is above 7 than I'd also recommend getting the ammonium acetate pH 8.2 test. If you have to get the M3 and AApH8.2 tests then it will cost about $55-$60. If you only have to get the M3 then it'll be closer to $30 with the silicon test.
I'm going to call both the labs today though and see if they'll weigh out soil samples upon request and how much it will cost. Most labs use a soil scoop that's calibrated to be approximately 2 grams of field soil instead of actually weighing out 2 grams. This method isn't the best for lightweight mixes like a lot of canna growers use. That's where some of the labs who use the Morgan or Modified Morgan might do better since I'm pretty sure they take into account weight and density of every sample. I'll let you know what I find out today if you want.