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my soil test results
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Posted by
coeng NE NJ (
My Page) on
Tue, May 1, 12 at 9:19
| Below are the results I just received (with personal info edited out) from Rutgers. A lot of this information is way over my head so I'm hoping someone can interpret this a little better for me and tell me what (if anything) I need to add before planting my veggies as well as during the growing season.
Thanks!
  
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: my soil test results
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| It looks great to me. They want you to add some nitrogen before planting. You don't need to change your soil ph. They suggest that you compost which is good thing to do. |
RE: my soil test results
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| Any suggestions on what to use as my extra nitrogen source? My compost tumbler won't be ready by then. |
RE: my soil test results
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| If you are going organic blood meal, but it is easy to burn the plants with blood meal. You can not use too much. If you are going with commercial brands miracle grow liquid. If you soil is not composted up yet, then miracle grow works via the plants leaves. I use osomocote and miracle grow and lily miller is good brand, but must be careful not to over use it. It is easy to use too much and burn the plants. Fish emulsion is supposed to good for vegetables. There are so many choices, I hate to prejudice you in any one direction. |
RE: my soil test results
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| There's always good ol' pee. :-D |
Here is a link that might be useful: Liquid Gold
RE: my soil test results
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| That's a good looking soil report. You should have no problem growing excellent crops. Just a couple of comments: Rutgers is telling you to add two pounds nitrogen per 1000 sq. ft. - that's two pounds of actual N, as opposed to two pounds of fertilizer. If your fertilizer has an NPK of 10-0-0 that means 10% nitrogen, 0% phosphate, 0% potash. To achieve two pounds of actual N, you'd apply twenty lbs. of your 10-0-0 fertilizer. What to use to supply nitrogen? I'm generally organic and use a mix of 1/3 blood meal, 1/3 feather meal and 1/3 Chilean nitrate. They each have different characteristics. Chilean nitrate, for example, is a mineral source and good for use in early spring before the soil warms up. Blood meal is relatively fast release and feather meal is slower to release, but lasts longer. |
RE: my soil test results
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| I am wondering why 10-0-0? It seems like 10 10 10 is more common or maybe a special food for vegetables that would not be N-0-0. You could just add the blood meal for a N 0 0, but I wondering if small amount of the other two would be better? Like 10 2 5, I just picked those other numbers randomly. For example the Osomocote veg food is 14 14 14. Is not N 0 0 kind of weird? |
RE: my soil test results
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| If you're above optimum on P & K (as shown in the results), using a fertilizer that contains those nutrients is wasteful, can push levels to a point that they may inhibit the uptake of other nutrients and could contribute to pollution. I'd stick with one of the nitrogen only materials. |
RE: my soil test results
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| I am wondering why 10-0-0 I was just using that as an example to simplify the math. Blood and feather meals are both 12% N, Chilean nitrate is 16% N. |
RE: my soil test results
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| Congratulations! Your soil has an excellent mineral balance and should be suitable for a wide range of plants*. The only thing you don't state is whether the soil is sandy, loamy or clay. This is vitally important as whether it dries out quickly (sandy) or slowly (clay) is also very important for the choice of plants. Can you get back to us on that? If you're not sure how to tell, get a handful and roll it in you hand, if it forms a sticky ball it is clay. If it falls apart it is sand. If it adheres a bit but won't form a solid lump it is loam - the best soil. - Ian. *If you are considering brassicas (cabbage, cauliflower) or carnations and certain other lime-loving plants you might want to consider adding some lime, just in the area you plant them. |
RE: my soil test results
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| ok, I get it now. I heard to always use balanced like 10 10 10 so you don't get out of balance. |
RE: my soil test results
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| It all depends on what's there to begin with. If you can't find N-only fertilizers another possibility is the typical lawn fertilizer which is about 29-3-4. The P and K are pretty low in that stuff. |
RE: my soil test results
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| That 2 pounds of Nitrogen per 1,000 square feet is a very common suggestion and if you think about it it is a pretty negligable amount and I have found not usually necessary. |
RE: my soil test results
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| So best to leave it as is for now? I will be adding compost as soon as my tumbler can cook up the batch that's been in there since March. |
RE: my soil test results
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| Well, you could add the blood meal, just not too much. I think that is Nitrogen only. |
RE: my soil test results
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| I don't know if I'd add the blood meal if the soil is already high in iron. I'd plant just as-is, add your compost as a top dressing when it's finished. You just started the compost in March - is it hot? May not be done in time if it's a cold pile. |
RE: my soil test results
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| Blood Meal is a source of a very soluble Nitrogen, about 7 percent N. Theree is no more need to put down some Blood Meal than any other Nitrogen source. While I find many, questionable, sources that try to tell me that Blood Meal is a good source of Iron none of them tell me how much Iron is in the meal. |
RE: my soil test results
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| Bradfield Organics lists their blood meal as a minimum 13% N and .2% iron. |
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