Lab soil sample is in! What does it mean?

[obsessed]

So the results are in I got

ph 7.07 very high
Phosphorus, ppm 398.10 Very High
Potassium, ppm 580.00 Very High
Calcium, ppm 3,878.0 High
Magnesium, ppm 841.00 High
Sodium, ppm 289.30 Excessive
Sulfur, ppm 56.90 High
Copper, ppm 6.53 High
Zinc, ppm 61.30 High


There were no recommendations or Nitrogen. Basically all I understand is that I may have went a tad crazy and added too much or excessive Epsom Salt. But now what? I know I have to lower my ph by to around 6? for most veggies. And to do that I add sulfur but my sulfur is already high. Anyway, I will call my extension agent tomorrow and see what the deal.

 

[digitS']

Are they saying that a pH of 7.07 is "very high?" It certainly wouldn't rate an "excessive," anyway.

Why aren't they telling you about nitrogen? Usually, that is the nutrient that is required at the highest rate. Many other minerals are used only in minute amounts by plants.

It looks to me that you may just need to "dilute" the soil you've got. A good quality compost that would be suitable all by itself mixed with your soil, may be just the ticket. Increasing the organic matter in the soil should lower the pH if it is deficient.

Did they tell you how much organic matter you already have in the soil?

Steve

 

[obsessed]

I ok so here is what I got after talking to my extension agent. He said that overall my soil is good and that I should not add anything to it.

He said that the very high readings are largely a result of the bunny manure and the epsom salt. He said NEVER add the manure or the coffe grounds and compost them first. He also said that they don't measure Nitrogen because it is so volitle that what ever was in the soil at the time of sampling is likely to be gone now. He said watch my plants for nitrogen. He also said they don't measure humus (I do have sandy loam soil). It is is a separate test. He said don't worry about the ph because it is only a little high and messing with it would likly cause more harm than good. And to continue turning the soil to aid the decomposition process.

Well. I don't know what I will do yet. If I will stop adding the poop and the top dressing of coffee ground and grass. I will stop with the epsom salt (at least for this season). I don't know how I will incorporate my new soil fertilizer idea (from mother earth news) or my cover crop I planned on this winter. There is alot of conflicting info. I will probably do what is easiest at the moment.

Oh and he recommended Rodale's Organic Gardening book.

 

[davaroo]

Steve's advice sounds pretty good. The entire spectrum is shifted up, so I'd avoid keying on one thing and look to dilute everything as Steve suggests.

I'm wondering, though, why you are having this test done and by whom?
The problem with something like this is once we have the results, we feel we MUST do something.
So, how is your garden doing overall? DO you really need to drastically change anything?

Usually, changes in the garden are best affected slowly, especially one that is already working. Adding compost or peat is a universal recommendation to correct soils, letting Nature do her thing. It sounds like a plausible idea.

I'll be interested to hear what is recommended by an expert...

 

[seedcorn]

If my garden had those readings, I'd be singing and dancing. Try to keep a 7 pH on sand/gravel.

Not sure who did your test but CEC as well as pH are the 2 largest readings I want to know about. Watching your plants will tell you the rest of the story. If you want to know nitrogen, best is to send in leaf tissues but if plants are dark green, U R golden. Too much nitrogen will cause plants to develop more plant tissue and can stop fruit production.

Nitrogen detection levels can vary from amount of fiber placed on soil, amount of rainfall or water, plants growing at time, etc. Probably why he didn't do nitrogen for you.

 

[obsessed]

I did the soil test for just knowing what it is I need if anything at all. I thought my soil would be poor. Mostly because I didn't really get tomaotes, peppers, or squash this year as I had in previous years in various locations (states). I got tons more tomaotes/zucini and bigger plants in Montana. But not here. And although the tomatoes never got ripe in Montana I did get quite a number of them verse here where I got many maybe 6-8 per plant. The zukes just didn't make it at all very poor fruit set. The peppers have also not produced as they did in montana. Here they are stunted just off of what I am used to. But the cukes were out of control. I would have thought that it was too much nitrogen but the plants were not as big/leafy as they were in montana either.

So now I know my soil is good but what is the answer to "how to get more production out of my small suburban garden"?


I collected the sample by takeing multiple beds samples of multiple beds aiiming for 6 inches deep. the sample was process at the LSU ag station.

I don't nessasarily feel I need to do something. But keep gardening.

ETA: most of my plants right now are light chartrues looking green. All except one squash in a bed of other squash(weird)

 

[momofdrew]

I would love to have that ph If you want to lower it tho I'd use peat moss which in naturally acidic...the only thing I'd worry about is the sodium and you said you were using epsom salt so stop using so much

 

[davaroo]

I did the soil test for just knowing what it is I need if anything at all. I thought my soil would be poor. Mostly because I didn't really get tomaotes, peppers, or squash this year as I had in previous years in various locations (states). I got tons more tomaotes/zucini and bigger plants in Montana. But not here.

And although the tomatoes never got ripe in Montana I did get quite a number of them verse here where I got many maybe 6-8 per plant. The zukes just didn't make it at all very poor fruit set.

The peppers have also not produced as they did in montana. Here they are stunted just off of what I am used to.

But the cukes were out of control. I would have thought that it was too much nitrogen but the plants were not as big/leafy as they were in montana either.

So now I know my soil is good but what is the answer to "how to get more production out of my small suburban garden"?

Good answers, good questions. SO, as I make it, since you've moved to LA, you see less production - for living in near subtropic conditions, right?

I'm guessing it is mostly about water and cultivar choice. Your soil isn't all that bad. Well, nothing that enrichment with organic matter and sweetening over the winter won't help.

The high mineral content may have as much to do with topography as anything. Slidell is in the MISSISSIPPI drainage plain, and there are normally high mineral levels in such places. Sediment clays are also likely.

You're doing raised beds, right? That's smart. But, I wonder - are you giving as much water as you were in arid Montana? If so, you may be over watering. In Montana, you probably had to pour the water to them just to keep up. In Slidell, you may need to back off! You have been doing things right, it seems. So, what else might it be?

Also, there may be choices in cultivars that better suit your location. Disease can be a big problem in hot, humid environments and certainly insects are legion in steamy environs. It may be that you should stick close to the recommendations for your rather unique environment. The excellent information given in the publication you got from the LA Ag Center looks pretty good.

If there is one thing I've learned this season it's that timing is everything. About the only things that really hold up well in my SC summers are okra, tomatoes, eggplant, Malabar Spinach... those "hot" things that are traditional in the Deep South.

Melons, cukes squashes, brassicas, lettuces, etc., all succumb quickly to either the heat or disease and need to be finished by now. Peppers still challenge me once summer hits hard, too.

You may be facing the same issue as me: comparing current results to previous, very different experiences. I also want more things than are suited to the time of year. Your light green foliage colors sound pretty familiar....