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| Hello Garden Web-
I just got my soil test back. I would love to know what people think, and see your soil tests! Organic Matter 8.5% Phosphorus 35ppm (very high)
P.H 6.9 lead 154 ppm (low) Everything is way up since this time last year when I just started my garden on depleted urban soil. Except the lead, that is down. I did a ton of composting, and mulched everything with seaweed and shredded leaves for the winter. Looks like it paid off, but my nitrogen is still low. It is my second year so I will be excited to see if my yields go up. I also broadforked everything, so my soil is loosened 15 inches now as compared to 5 or so from the tiller last year. What do you guys think? What is the story with your soil? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| What about your traces? Mn is super important, and Cu and B. Sulphur? My OM is almost 12%, too high really. P and Ca are very high also. My K is way low, as is S and all the traces except copper. Though my plants generally look excellent, grow well and the produce tastes good, there is far too much insect predation. I now think this is due to generally an excess of N in relation to some of the macro and most of the micros. |
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| The seaweed will have added lots of micro-nutrients. It's possible that some of the nitrogen is tied up with all the leaves that have been added. Composting the leaves and seaweed instead and then adding that compost might be an aternative. It may give you a more accurate nitrogen value. Do an other soil test next year when your soil has less raw organic matter. Since you have such high organic matter, digging as deep as you did may have helped dilute the concentration. It certainly will help root penetration. I put money into cold beer, not soil tests. |
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- Posted by darth_weeder z7 NY (My Page) on Thu, Apr 7, 11 at 10:31
| " I put money into cold beer, not soil tests." sounds silly |
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| I wonder if they are mutually exclusive? |
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| Pnbrown, They likely don't run together much. Low nitrogen in the cool springtime is likely normal. After warming the soil becomes alive and nutrients become more available. Nitrogen being fairly vilotile tends to be tied up in residues. Everywhere I tested my gardens' ph with the meter it was 7 ...making me wonder if the battery was bad as 7 is default position. When I checked two nearby fields, they checked 7.5 and in the yard, 7.8. |
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- Posted by tsugajunkie z5 SE WI (My Page) on Thu, Apr 7, 11 at 17:09
| I put my money into beer and soil tests. I wouldn't worry about the nitrogen level, flabber1. Too many factors influence nitrogen in soil tests (cold soil leads the list) and it is just a gee-whiz number to me. tj |
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| Availanble Nitrogen in soil is dependant on how active the Soil Food Web is and that is dependant on the soil temperature. So a low test for N now is not a big concern. Keep in mind that balance is the key, as long as things are in balance there should be few problems. It is when there is an excess of something, which can cause a problem with uptake or useage of something else where the problem lies. pH is good (6.2 to 7.0 is very good) Humus level (residual organic matter) is good (between 5 and 8 percent is optimal). The studies I have seen indicate the lead in your soil will probably not be taken up by the plants, but may cloing to the outside of root crops (carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips, potatoes, etc.) so those should be scrubbed good before eating. |
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