Growing media evaluation system and method
A system and method for evaluating soil characteristics. The system and method includes providing one or more soil test kits to a user, each kit including a soil sample container. The user is instructed to provide a soil sample from his/her growing area to the system for analysis using the container. The system evaluates the soil samples to identify nutrient levels, pH levels, and other characteristics of the soil. Using the evaluation results, the system provides feedback, recommendations and/or products to the user to improve the soil conditions. The system and method also may include providing a second soil test kit to the user at a predetermined time after the first, to evaluate a second soil sample, and to compare the second evaluation results with the first to assess the improvement of the soil conditions.
1 . A method for evaluating growing media, the method comprising:
(A) receiving from a third party at least one customization element selected from the group: a logo, contact information, and a color scheme;
(B) providing a growing media test kit from the third party to a user;
(C) receiving from the user a first sample of growing media;
(D) evaluating the first sample of growing media to determine a first nutrient level of at least one nutrient and/or a first pH level; and
(E) providing to the user a growing media amendment schedule based at least in part on the first nutrient level of the at least one nutrient and/or the first pH level;
wherein the providing to the user a growing media amendment schedule includes providing a report including the at least one customization element.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the growing media amendment schedule includes at least one growing media amendment frequency plan.
3 . The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one growing media amendment frequency plan includes at least one of a daily plan, a weekly plan, a monthly plan, and a yearly plan.
4 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
(E)(1) providing to the user at least one growing media amendment product recommendation.
5 . The method of claim 4 further comprising:
(A)(1) receiving from the third party entity at least one third party product list;
wherein the at least one growing media amendment product recommendation includes a recommendation of at least one product chosen from the at least one third party product list.
6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the third party is a business.
7 . A method for evaluating growing media, the method comprising:
(A) receiving from a first user a first sample of growing media;
(B) evaluating the first sample of growing media to determine a first nutrient level of at least one nutrient and/or a first pH level;
(C) comparing the first nutrient level of the at least one nutrient to a recommended threshold value of the at least one nutrient to determine a correction amount of the at least one nutrient that, when added to the growing media, causes the growing media to include a second nutrient level of the at least one nutrient that generally matches the recommended threshold value of the at least one nutrient, or comparing the first pH level to a recommended threshold value of the first pH level to determine an amount of a pH level correction material that, when added to the growing media, causes the growing media to include a second pH level that generally matches the recommended threshold value of the first pH level; and
(D) after the determination in (C), determining a custom formulation for a custom-made growing media amendment that includes the correction amount of the at least one nutrient and/or the pH level correction material.
8 . The method of claim 7 further comprising:
(D) producing the custom-made growing media amendment based at least in part on the custom formulation; and
(E) providing the first growing media amendment to the first user.
9 . The method of claim 7 further comprising:
(B)(1) providing the first nutrient level of the at least one nutrient and/or the first pH level to a third party entity.
10 . The method of claim 9 wherein the first nutrient level of the at least one nutrient and/or the first pH level is stored to a database and provided to the third party entity by providing the third party entity access to the database.
11 . The method of claim 10 wherein the custom formulation for the custom-made growing media amendment is determined by the third party entity.
12 . The method of claim 11 further comprising:
(D) producing, by the third party entity, the custom-made growing media amendment based at least in part on the custom formulation.
13 . The method of claim 12 further comprising:
(E) providing, by the third party entity, the custom-made growing media amendment to a second user.
14 . A method for evaluating growing media, the method comprising:
(A) receiving from a third party at least one customization element selected from the group: a logo, contact information, and a color scheme;
(B) providing a first growing media test kit from the third party to a user, the first growing media test kit including a first growing media collection container;
(C) instructing the user to collect a first sample of growing media using the first growing media collection container;
(D) receiving, from the user, the first growing media collection container including the first sample of growing media;
(E) evaluating the first sample of growing media to determine a first nutrient level of at least one nutrient and/or a first pH level;
(F) providing to the user results based at least in part on the evaluation in (E); and
(G) providing to the user at least one recommendation based at least in part on the evaluation in (E);
wherein the providing to the user results in (F) includes providing a report including the at least one customization element.
15 . The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one recommendation includes at least one product recommendation.
16 . The method of claim 15 wherein the providing to the user at least one product recommendation includes providing a link to at least one recommended product.
17 . The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one product includes a growing media amendment.
18 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
(H) providing to the user at least one product based at least in part on the recommendation in (G).
19 . A method for evaluating growing media, the method comprising:
(A) receiving from a third party at least one customization element selected from the group: a logo, contact information, and a color scheme;
(B) providing a first growing media test kit from the third party to a user, the first growing media test kit including a first growing media testing device;
(C) instructing the user to provide a first sample of growing media;
(D) evaluating the first sample of growing media to determine a first nutrient level of at least one nutrient and/or a first pH level;
(E) providing to the user results based at least in part on the evaluation in (D); and
(F) providing to the user at least one product recommendation based at least in part on the evaluation in (D);
wherein the providing to the user results in (E) includes providing a report including the at least one customization element.
20 . The method of claim 19 wherein the growing media testing device includes at least one of an ion-exchange resin, an N-P-K test meter, a color metric strip, litmus paper, an LED color variation test device, a pH meter, a Mehlich-3 test device, a Bray test device, an Olsen test device, and saturated paste.