FprEN 17733
(Main)Soil improvers and growing media - Methods for sampling and sample preparation
- Abstract
This document specifies references to methods for sampling of soil improvers and growing media and sample preparation of soil improvers and growing media for subsequent determination of quality and quantity.
This document is applicable to the fertilizing product blends where a blend is a mix of two or more fertilising products belonging to the categories of fertilizers, liming material, soil improvers, growing media, inhibitors and plant biostimulants, and where soil improvers and/or growing media are the components with the highest percentage in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of products in liquid form by dry mass. If the soil improvers and/or growing media are not the components with the highest percentage in the blend, the European Standard relevant to the component with the highest percentage in the blend applies. In case a blend is composed of fertilising products mixed in equal quantities, the user of the standard decides which standard to apply.
NOTE A soil improver or a growing medium consists of a single bulky (volume-building) component or a mix of bulky (volume-building) components (for example peat, wood fibres, coconut coir, compost, expanded perlite).
- Status
- Not Published
- Publication Date
- 06-Jan-2027
- Technical Committee
- CEN/TC 223 - Soil improvers and growing media
- Drafting Committee
- CEN/TC 223/WG 6 - Harmonization
- Current Stage
- 5020 - Submission to Vote - Formal Approval
- Start Date
- 17-Sep-2026
- Due Date
- 04-Nov-2026
- Completion Date
- 17-Sep-2026
FprEN 17733 is a CEN draft European standard for methods for sampling and sample preparation of soil improvers and growing media. It tells users which sampling and preparation methods to apply so later quality and quantity determinations are based on representative material. It is written for people handling these products and related fertilising product blends, especially laboratories, quality managers, producers, and inspectors.
What does FprEN 17733 specify?
FprEN 17733 specifies references to the methods used to take samples of soil improvers and growing media, and to prepare those samples for later testing of quality and quantity. In practice, it acts as the route map for choosing the right sampling and sample-preparation standard before chemical, physical, or microbiological work starts.
FprEN 17733 also sets the applicability rule for blends. A blend is covered when soil improvers and/or growing media are the components with the highest percentage by mass or volume, or by dry mass for liquids. If another fertilising product category is present in the highest proportion, the standard for that dominant component applies instead. When the blend contains equal quantities, the user decides which standard to apply.
The document is organized into:
- Scope
- Normative references
- Terms and definitions
- Sampling and sample preparation
- Bibliography
What are the key requirements of FprEN 17733?
FprEN 17733 mainly tells users which referenced method to apply in each sampling and preparation situation. The practical value is that it links the overall standard to the correct detailed procedures rather than repeating them.
- Sampling for control purposes shall follow EN 12579:2024. This matters because the sample must represent the lot or batch before any test result can be trusted.
- EN 12579:2024 is used for soil improvers and growing media in solid form, pre-shaped growing media, and liquid form. That tells the sampler which product forms are covered when taking material from a production or market sample.
- For microbiological examinations, five segment samples shall be taken as described in EN 12579:2024. In practice, this gives a defined sampling approach when the laboratory needs microbiology results.
- Sample preparation for chemical and physical tests, dry matter content, moisture content, and laboratory bulk density shall follow prEN 13040-1:2025. This separates general lab preparation from microbiological handling.
- Sample preparation for microbiological examination shall follow prEN 13040-2:2025. That matters because microbiological work needs preparation that avoids contaminating or damaging the sample.
- If a blend does not have soil improvers and/or growing media as the highest component, the standard for the highest component applies instead. This helps the user choose the right standard for mixed fertilising products.
- If the blend contains equal quantities, the user decides which standard to apply. This is a practical decision point for mixed products where no single component dominates.
What terms does FprEN 17733 define?
FprEN 17733 uses terminology from prEN 17732:2025 and introduces a few important product and process terms in its text.
- Soil improvers - materials used as bulky components to improve soil properties; the scope notes examples such as peat, wood fibres, coconut coir, compost, and expanded perlite.
- Growing media - bulky or volume-building materials used to support plant growth, including single components or mixtures of such components.
- Fertilising product blends - mixtures of two or more fertilising products from categories such as fertilizers, liming material, soil improvers, growing media, inhibitors, and plant biostimulants.
- PFCs - product function categories in Regulation (EU) 2019/1009, used to group EU fertilising products by intended function and related requirements.
- CMCs - component material categories in Regulation (EU) 2019/1009, meaning the component materials from which EU fertilising products are made.
- Segment samples - the five samples taken for microbiological examinations under the sampling rule in the document.
Who uses FprEN 17733?
FprEN 17733 is used by people who need to take or prepare samples before testing soil improvers and growing media. That includes manufacturers, contract laboratories, quality managers, inspectors, and conformity assessment staff.
It is also relevant to anyone working with fertilising product blends that may include fertilizers, liming material, inhibitors, or plant biostimulants. In practice, users rely on it to choose the right companion standard, collect representative material, and prepare samples correctly for chemical, physical, or microbiological testing.
What changed in FprEN 17733 from the previous edition?
FprEN 17733 will supersede CEN/TS 17733:2022. The foreword states these technical changes:
- the title was revised
- redundant information was removed from the Introduction
- an applicability statement was added to the Scope
- Clause 2 was updated
- ISO and IEC terminology databases were removed from Clause 3
- requirements for sampling and sample preparation for microbiological analyses were added to Clause 4
Which standards are used with FprEN 17733?
| Standard | What it contributes |
|---|---|
| EN 12579:2024 | Sampling methods for soil improvers and growing media, including the basis for the five segment samples used for microbiological examinations |
| prEN 13040-1:2025 | Sample preparation for chemical and physical tests, dry matter content, moisture content, and laboratory bulk density |
| prEN 13040-2:2025 | Sample preparation for microbiological examination |
| prEN 17732:2025 | Terms and definitions used in the document |
What does the FprEN 17733 document contain?
FprEN 17733 is a short method-oriented standard. It contains the scope, the cited reference standards, the terminology link to prEN 17732:2025, and the core instructions for sampling and sample preparation.
The technical content is concentrated in Clause 4, which directs users to EN 12579:2024 for sampling and to prEN 13040-1:2025 or prEN 13040-2:2025 for sample preparation, depending on the type of analysis. The bibliography also points to Regulation (EU) 2019/1009, which frames the wider EU fertilising products context.
Relations
- Effective Date
- 20-Nov-2024
- Effective Date
- 19-Jan-2023
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Frequently Asked Questions
FprEN 17733 is a draft published by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). Its full title is "Soil improvers and growing media - Methods for sampling and sample preparation". This standard covers: This document specifies references to methods for sampling of soil improvers and growing media and sample preparation of soil improvers and growing media for subsequent determination of quality and quantity. This document is applicable to the fertilizing product blends where a blend is a mix of two or more fertilising products belonging to the categories of fertilizers, liming material, soil improvers, growing media, inhibitors and plant biostimulants, and where soil improvers and/or growing media are the components with the highest percentage in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of products in liquid form by dry mass. If the soil improvers and/or growing media are not the components with the highest percentage in the blend, the European Standard relevant to the component with the highest percentage in the blend applies. In case a blend is composed of fertilising products mixed in equal quantities, the user of the standard decides which standard to apply. NOTE A soil improver or a growing medium consists of a single bulky (volume-building) component or a mix of bulky (volume-building) components (for example peat, wood fibres, coconut coir, compost, expanded perlite).
This document specifies references to methods for sampling of soil improvers and growing media and sample preparation of soil improvers and growing media for subsequent determination of quality and quantity. This document is applicable to the fertilizing product blends where a blend is a mix of two or more fertilising products belonging to the categories of fertilizers, liming material, soil improvers, growing media, inhibitors and plant biostimulants, and where soil improvers and/or growing media are the components with the highest percentage in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of products in liquid form by dry mass. If the soil improvers and/or growing media are not the components with the highest percentage in the blend, the European Standard relevant to the component with the highest percentage in the blend applies. In case a blend is composed of fertilising products mixed in equal quantities, the user of the standard decides which standard to apply. NOTE A soil improver or a growing medium consists of a single bulky (volume-building) component or a mix of bulky (volume-building) components (for example peat, wood fibres, coconut coir, compost, expanded perlite).
FprEN 17733 is classified under the following ICS (International Classification for Standards) categories: 65.080 - Fertilizers. The ICS classification helps identify the subject area and facilitates finding related standards.
FprEN 17733 has the following relationships with other standards: It is inter standard links to CEN/TS 17733:2022, EN 12579:2013. Understanding these relationships helps ensure you are using the most current and applicable version of the standard.
FprEN 17733 is associated with the following European legislation: EU Directives/Regulations: 2019/1009; Standardization Mandates: M/564 AMD 1, M/564 AMD 2. When a standard is cited in the Official Journal of the European Union, products manufactured in conformity with it benefit from a presumption of conformity with the essential requirements of the corresponding EU directive or regulation.
FprEN 17733 is available in PDF format for immediate download after purchase. The document can be added to your cart and obtained through the secure checkout process. Digital delivery ensures instant access to the complete standard document.
Standards Content (Sample)
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
oSIST prEN 17733:2026
01-januar-2026
Izboljševalci tal in rastni substrati - Metode za vzorčenje in pripravo vzorcev
Soil improvers and growing media - Methods for sampling and sample preparation
Bodenverbesserungsmittel und Kultursubstrate - Probenahme
Amendements organiques et supports de culture - Echantillonnage
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 17733
ICS:
65.080 Gnojila Fertilizers
oSIST prEN 17733:2026 en,fr,de
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
oSIST prEN 17733:2026
oSIST prEN 17733:2026
DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
prEN 17733
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
December 2025
ICS 65.080 Will supersede CEN/TS 17733:2022
English Version
Soil improvers and growing media - Methods for sampling
and sample preparation
Amendements du sol et supports de culture - Méthodes Bodenverbesserungsmittel und Kultursubstrate -
d'échantillonnage et de préparation de l'échantillon Methoden für Probenahme und Probenvorbereitung
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 223.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations
which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.
This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.
Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2025 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 17733:2025 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
oSIST prEN 17733:2026
prEN 17733:2025 (E)
Contents Page
European foreword . 3
Introduction . 4
1 Scope . 5
2 Normative references . 5
3 Terms and definitions . 5
4 Sampling and sample preparation . 5
Bibliography . 7
oSIST prEN 17733:2026
prEN 17733:2025 (E)
European foreword
This document (prEN 17733:2025) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 223 “Soil
improvers and growing media”, the secretariat of which is held by NEN.
This document will supersede CEN/TS 17733:2022.
prEN 17733:2025 includes the following significant technical changes with respect to
CEN/TS 17733:2022:
— The title has been revised;
— Redundant information has been removed from the Introduction;
— An applicability statement has been included in the Scope;
— Clause 2, Normative references, has been updated;
— The ISO and IEC terminology databases have been removed from Clause 3, Terms and definitions;
— Requirements for sampling and sample preparation
...