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Wed, Apr 27, 11 at 4:16
| I just got my 3 yearly, pretty comprehensive, soil test back.
For the first time I had sulphate sulphur tested and it came back very low. My ph is 6.9: on the high side for New Zealand. Everything else in the medium or high range except Total Base Saturation, which is, unsurprisingly, very high. I need to increase the sulphur, and my garden could come down a ph point or 2. I'm finding it difficult getting info about the best way to improve soil sulphur levels without wiping out the fungi. Is sulphur like RPR and more effective/less harmful put through the compost rather than added directly to the soil? But then my compost beasties... I need to get 'Teaming with Microbes' out of the library. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Every other macro and micro nutrient is in the medium to high range? The test showed all the traces? That is some pretty incredible soil. Even so by Liebig's law the lowest nutrients need to be raised. Because if you need to increase any nutrient you can add it as a sulfate and get a little sulfur that way. |
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| Mg, n, k, c, p all at the high end of 'medium' or above. My chemistry's pretty average, but it does seem a bit odd that everything bar one would be high. More research I think. |
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| I have friends who have moved to enzed and they tell us we should too. Based on your soil test maybe we should! |
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| Yeah, NZ rocks, although don't go thinking my results are standard; the ph at my parent's place is under 5! But we can all garden all year round... But is my understanding that the level of the lowest nutrient (ie sulphur) is the biggest limiting factor on all the others correct? I've been looking at diagrams of 'the protein barrel analogy', and from what I'm understanding, without reasonable sulphur levels, everything else may as well be low too. My plants always look really healthy, so any issues either havn't shown up yet, or are invisible to the naked eye... A bit ot, but the lab didn't test micros like boron, iron, copper etc. I'm thinking that while my sample's still there, I could get the trace elements done if it's worthwhile. Soil testing isn't subsidised here, so it doesn't come cheap! I'll call the lab again tomorrow and ask more questions. |
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| My understanding is that the traces are very important. So if you find that some are low, which assuredly you will (depending on the lab's paradigm), you will likely add them in sulfate form. |
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