The best way to take soil samples

By invitation, I am taking soil samples to our big nursey at Maitland. I have never taken soil samples in my life. What is the best practice?

How big is the area, a plot system is used. A core of soil is taken from each plot. they are all added together then a mean average is taken. If done individually a different result will apply. All this depends if it is free or a cost is involved.

It was offered as a freebee, because we are such easy marks - er - good customers.

By plot, do you mean a grid? The piece of garden I want to samplearea is about 25m x 7m at its widest point. Or should I not take all this too seriously , and just grab about 5 samples, labelled for each semi-definable section?

Betsy, if it is free and they will do individual samples, I would go that way. Yes grid pattern is what is taken, the plot is from where they were taken.
Ok the same applies for the 5 samples, are you going to do them as one or individual ?.
Is this for the health of the entire bed or more for the roses. ?
A core sample using a tube is ideal, to the depth of say the roses, 6 to 12 inches if it was me.

It's for the bed as part of the front-of-house plantings. The bed would be in front of a row of 17 established gardenias, so not for roses. I'm just curious about the soil itself, if it's utter crap and needs complete replacing, or is it okay as a base, and if so, what's the pH.

Soooo. We'll take five individual samples, going down to a 12" core. Might take a few more, further out, too. Got it.

Betsy, are your gardenias doing well there. As you know they like acidic soil so that might be an indication of where your soil is at? It will be good to know to what extent, so go for it, especially if the testing is free. If it was me, I would use your soil as a base and improve that, rather than get in totally new soil. Heard some horror stories of that going pear shaped. What do you envisage going in there?
So many established gardenias. Wow, I'm envious, just love them when they are well grown and lush. My 3 young ones, less than a year old, have shown good growth so far. With white ginger lily and daphne, I'm hoping for knockout scent near the back door.

silky, thegardenias are in specially made beds just for them. they were added about 5 years ago along the front of teh homestead-style house, slightly overspaced if you ask me (I would have put in 25-30) I'm assuming it's a acidic soil, for that reason. I want to know what the original soil in front might be.

Once again, we thinking alike. I am in love with my gawky butterfly ginger. It has produced some specatcular flowers this season, all smelling better than any rose I've ever owned.