Soil test help

I had two soil tests performed: one on my vegetable garden soil and one from city compost bagged in my garden. If someone in the know would like to D-mail me for the help I need in understanding these reports, I would appreciate it. I'll attach the reports to an email. Can we do this from Dave's Garden D-mail?
Thanks.

Where did you get the soil tests done dun1kirk? Did you have to send them to a private lab?

This message was edited Feb 13, 2008 7:55 AM

I don't think you can attach the test to a D-mail ....

You can't but she sent it to me via e-mail. :)

I am anxious to see the report. PH, soil type, trace minerals, and ....?

With dun1kirk's permission I'll see if I can get them to scan. I want some of that compost, it's righteous.

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I just got soil test results back for my vegetable garden. I was going to post a new thread in this forum and get some opinions, but maybe if I post here it'll help dun1kirk figure out his test, too.

Here, our University of Missouri Extension Office sends in soil tests for $15.

Mine came back: pHs 6.9 (high), Phosphorus 276 lbs./acre (very high), Potassium 552 lbs./acre (very high), Calcium 4289 lbs./acre (medium), Magnesium 375 lbs./acre (high).

Organic Matter is 8.0%, Neutr. Acidity is 0.0 meq, and CEC is 13.0 meq. I don't know what those last two mean.

The report says "The soil has adequate calcium and an adequate pH for vegetables. Application of lime, wood ashes, or calcium rich fertilizer is not recommended. You may need to sidedress with nitrogen during the growing season."

They don't test for nitrogen, but I think I need to add some. The corn I harvested last fall had 8-foot stalks except for one area where they tapered down to 2-foot stalks.

How would I add straight nitrogen, and how much to add per 1000 square feet? Should I use ammonium nitrate? I'm afraid to use uncomposted manure around here - I did that once and got a terrible dose of Johnson grass. Thanks.

I would consider adding Milorganite or some other natural type. Ammonium Nitrate is probably the best inorganic source and would help. I like Amonium Sulfate to lower PH is another source of inorganic. I would just look at the lable of recommended application on the bag. I would think that the 8% is pretty low in organic matter. Though I would add a ton of compost and use some covercrop now. Nitrogen fixing in your area would be my choice.

Don't worry about the last 2, that's basically for their records. You could probably test for the nitrogen level yourself with one of those off the shelf kits. And that probably would not be a bad idea, considering how high the others are PK. Sounds like your nitrogen level is spotty the way you are describing your corn crop. Did you maybe add more fertilizer in one area than the other? If you find your nitrogen is within limits i would suggest, just using some composted organic matter as a side dressing during the growing season. The P & K as well as all the other elements are high, so you really don't have to do much.

You can grow most veggies at 6.9 with little problem. It's a tad acidic,but not bad. Check the veggie pkg and see what ph it needs. You can always all a little lime to the area before planting to help bring that ph up a bit. :)

The reason they don't test for nitrogen is because it moves through the soil quickly.

Dun1kirk, dmail me and I'll take a look at your results.

Paul

I already got the tests from her Paul. I find it odd they don't test for nitrogen myself. They do here in VA, so maybe it has something to do with their lab facilities.

Michigan State doesn't test for N either

Paul

The soil test I just had done thru Mich. State U. had nitrogen levels in it. Our extension agent adds his comments & recommendations on the reverse side and is also available for questions. The comments are important because the nutrients to be added will depend on the soil composition. The agent cautioned me in regards to the lime application with the possible effects to root crops. he also questioned me about what I wanted to grow in this soil and targeted his comments towards that.
It might be helpful to ask your ag agent directly for interpetation and comments. I believe that is part of their job.
My pH was 5.7, so you can imagine how much lime I have to add. The target pH is 6.5

Granny, it's going to take you about 2 -2 1/2 years to pull it up that far. Do use pelletized lime, it acts a little faster and is much, much easier to work with. This is where the raised bed would work wonderfully. You could add additional soil, compost and amendments to the point where you could grow good crops.
I believe dunkirk's is from a private outfit, but she could take these results to her local extension agent and he could still interpret the data for her.

Soferdig, doccat5, thanks for the suggestions. That test showed my soil is in pretty good shape, but I'm going to start doing things a little different now.

I've added tons of compost over the years, and I bet my soil is 50% organic material in the top 4". For the soil test they wanted samples from 6" down, and that tested only 8% organic material. Obviously I've got to plow deeper, and my tiller won't do it. I'll put the turning plow on my tractor and turn it down to about a foot. I grew a good stand of Buckwheat in the fall, and turning that under will help, too.

For fertilizer, I've always applied 12-12-12 at the recommended rate in early spring then tilled that in - apparently only 4" or so deep. Then during the growing season I've just run a pack of Miracle-Gro through my soaker hose about once every two weeks. I guess that's giving me a spotty application of N, though the P and K are getting into the soil below.

This year I'm going to apply ammonium sulfate (21-0-0) at the recommended rate and plow it in deep along with the dead Buckwheat before planting. Then I'll side-dress with ammonium sulfate a couple of times during the season - that should provide plenty of N and lower the pH a little. I don't think I'll need much of anything else.

All of your comments are helpful. Yes, doccat5, feel free to send my reports to whomever wants to look at them. I'm sure none of you remember, on a very old comment, I wrote that my county extension person recommended that I NOT spend the money on a soil lab test!

Well, he/she must be an idiot. That's one of the things they get paid to do. Were I you I would contact your landgrant college, I'd had to look that up. But I'd complain about that. The extension offices were set up to help educate and help people with their garden and agricultural type questions. That's part of the deal. I do know because of funding cut backs a lot of the colleges have had to cut programs and that may be the case. VA doesn't have the problem. Our soil testing costs about $7.00 and the extension office provides the boxes and instructions on how to do it correctly. Plus the agent is there to explain any results you don't understand. I just finished the VA Tech Master Gardener program so I'm very familiar with our process. I do help out in the local county office. Answer what questions I can and provide those boxes, etc to anyone that wants or needs them.
It's a cheap way to make sure of what you are working with. I do them regularly and my soil tests out fine. I would love to have some of your compost. Wow that is good stuff!
Some of us that took the class that are from my county are talking about going to the Board of Supervisors to push for better recycling methods at the county land fill. They make free mulch, I see no reason why they couldn't do compost. They certainly have all the ingredients and the equipment to do it with. 3 of those board members are organic gardeners so we might be able to get something rolling. One of my friends and I have managed to get the county to stop using herbicides on the county grass and lots. They cuttings for those go in the mulch, er no thank you, very much.

dun1kirk,
Good luck, I need to do a soil analysis myself. I think I need to check w/ my local county extension agent.

Here's a picture of why I can't garden with raised beds. This shows only part of my vegetable garden and one of the rock walls are not even in the picture. Three years ago the walls were completely rotted railroad ties. The oother part of the garden is about three times as wide.

Oh wow! Dun1kirk......could you turn that into a giant, economy sized rock garden? Plants that would cascade down the surface of those big rocks. That would be spectacular!! Put the picture on the beginning landscaping forum and ask the experts. I bet it can be done and they can help you with what kind of plants that would work. How neat!!

In your climate, the prostrate rosemary would do well on those rocks and would add fragrance and blue flowers.

You could also do a lot of succelents. They would gice you a surrealistic look to go with all those big rocks.

Just a couple of thoughts.

Did you see the "seascape" that deviant-deziner posted? It's on a thread that she started. Very interesting and perfect for your climate.

katiebear

Katie, do you have the link for deviant-deziner's post by chance? I'd like to see that. I just think that whole area could be such a stunning pallet to work with. So unusual too.

I don't know how to link. It's in the California Gardening Forum a thread called "when it's so bad it's good, begun on March22, 2007. There is a link there to dd's blog which has more pictures and pictures by Calif Sue. Worth checking out.

kb

When we lived in CA, I liked to grow "iceplant" in locations like that. I don't know the correct names, but there are many different kinds, it's a succulent, and it spreads over rocky areas and walls. The one I liked best bloomed a brilliant rose-purple.

Succulents are one of the things I miss growing here where it freezes. I miss my apricot tree, too. lol

I shall check it out. Thanks kb :)

Nice rock wall to start your painting. I love the opportunity to put tall plants against a natural rock terracing. I have a terracing rock wall that has a lot of Soapwort cascading. It is a beautiful lavender during its 5 to 6 weeks of flower and deep green for the rest of the year. Quite xerioscapable. I add a lot of tall perennials to add texture to the soapwort.

Sofer, that is beautiful!

I personally invite all of you from VA, MO, Mi, Mexico (returned 3 weeks ago from a fly fishing then being touristas, from Chile) and of course the fly fishing capitol of the US, MT, to come help me do that planting!!! I DO need help. Being 65, a dog groomer 20 hours a week, a grandma, a wife, the housekeeper and the only one who gardens, it's a wonder I have time to do anything else but leaf through all the catalogs and keep buying stuff I have no time to plant!

I too need to have help so anyone who wants to fly fish, canoe, hike the rockies, ski the rockies, sit in hot springs, sail, horseback ride, ....... well you get the idea. Come out and visit. I have had 3 DGers already at our home and await more. I can even take you touring in the canoe while I collect hardscape. Oh yes sometimes you have to swim home.

I love to fish too, and I do a lot of it. That's one of the reasons why we chose the MO Ozarks when I retired. Every place you'd want to live has some good and some bad points, but this place suits me fine.

A friend of mine lives in White Plains and he says the same thing. Lots of fishing and cheap to live.