Skip the soil test unless you had real problems.

Probably not. Most garden soil is fine for most veggies and flowers. You’d know if something’s off because your plants would be telling you.

The signs that actually matter: stunted growth, pale or yellow leaves, weak stems, or the same crop failing year after year. Also if you’ve never added anything but water and the soil feels like concrete or soup. Those are clues, not guarantees.

A soil test is useful if you’re growing something finicky (blueberries, certain perennials) or if you just want to be precise. For the rest of us, a layer of compost and a balanced fertilizer covers a lot of sins. Testing without symptoms is like checking your blood pressure because you feel fine — data you don’t really need.

If you had a bad season and can’t figure out why, go ahead and test. Otherwise, save the money and the trip to the extension office.