- 1). Contact your Washington State University County Extension service for a list of approved soil testing facilities prior to testing your soil. Check with the soil testing laboratory to familiarize yourself with their soil testing procedures before taking soil samples. Collect a sample and return it to the soil testing facility along with your testing fee. Request a soil test that recommends amendments to improve nutrients and moisture retention for your sandy soil as well as the crop that you intend to plant.
- 2). Obtain soil amendments based on the soil test recommendations. In general, most soil tests will recommend adding organic amendments such as peat moss, compost and composted manure. These amendments will absorb and retain water in your soil as well as add nutrients to sandy, nutrient-poor soil. Washington's sandy soil is also very alkaline. For crops such as blueberries, you may wish to add an amendment such as sulfur to lower the pH of soil.
- 3). Break up your soil with a rototiller to a depth of 12 inches. Spread your soil amendments over the soil at a rate of 3 cubic meters per 1,000 square feet of soil. Add between 10 and 20 lb. of sulfur per 1,000 square feet of soil. Mix these amendments with the soil by plowing them under with the rototiller.
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