P Allen Smith explains that winter is often a good time to test your soil, since not too much goes on in the garden during the cold weather.

Healthy soil is the key to any kind of successful gardening, so it’s good test yours and make sure it’s healthy and balanced. You’ll learn if the soil is acidic or alkaline, and the NPK levels.

You can take samples of your soil and send it to your local county extension agent to get it tested, but they are often busiest in the spring. So doing it in the winter gives you time to correct any issues, and also beats the crowd.

You can also purchase electronic soil testers that can measure your soil to check the pH, the NPK levels, and even measure how much sunlight you’re getting in a certain spot.