Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Ryan Albinger" <ryalbinger@earthlink.net>]

The test results tell what was done and what can be done different next
time and what needs fixing.
High salt content, high K content, high P content, and high organic matter
content show that steer manure could have been applied at too high of rate.
Next time, try with a little less.
Major imbalances- expect plant health problems
High nutrient levels- don't need to add much, just get to some balance
Low nitrogen figures- good amount of manure and high carbon- will it come
available as plants need it?  Is too much carbon the problem?  Plants need
or will possibly need some N.

Ryan


> [Original Message]
> From: TradingPostPaul <tradingpost@riseup.net>
> Just one question - what exactly will you be able to do with the
> information? How will it be useful?  Then I'll respond further.
> paul, tradingpost@riseup.net
> *********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********
>
> On 6/22/2006 at 8:26 PM Greg Bell wrote:
>
> >Ok, here's what the soil testing service told me about these values:
> >
> >-----------
> >Electrical Conductivity                  dS/m        3.7
> >
> >This is a measure of salinity, and it should be < 0.15.  Wow, I'm way
off.
>
> >I'm hoping the recent rains washed this out.  They said excessive 
> >fertilizer could be a reason, but my low N levels would seem to 
> >contraindicate too much fertilizer use.  Of course, the tap/hose water
I'm
>
> >using would be the other possible contributor.  I'll water with saved 
> >rainwater as much as I can, and make sure to water thoroughly with the 
> >hose when I have to use that.  Any other suggestions?
> >
> >
> >-----------
> >pH (CaCl2)                               pH          6.0
> >
> >They say 5-5.5 is preferred, but this recommendation surprised me a bit 
> >when neutral is 7.0 and a few quick google searches (and the New Organic 
> >Grower) say 6-6.5.
> >
> >
> >-----------
> >Bray Phosphorus                          mg/kg       310
> >
> >They say > 50 is good.  Dunno if 310 is too much.
> >
> >
> >-----------
> >Total Organic Carbon                     %           11
> >
> >They say > 2% is good.
> >
> >
> >-----------
> >KCl extractable Ammonium (NH4-N)         mg/kg       12
> >KCl extractable Nitrate (NO3-N)          mg/kg       5.6
> >
> >These are totaled to get about 18 mg/kg.  They say > 20 is recommended
for
>
> >growing veggies.  This is a suprising result given all the compost I
used 
> >in filling the bed.  Not sure what accounts for this low N, especially 
> >considering that the very-high Phosphorus level probably came from my
use 
> >of Blood and Bone meal (so the high-N blood meal should've given me
enough
>
> >N).
> >
> >As Ryan indicated in a previous email, perhaps the N is being bound up
in 
> >the decomposition of the high Carbon materials...
> >
> >
> >-----------
> >Calcium                                  cmol(+)/kg  41
> >
> >should be > 5
> >
> >Potassium                                cmol(+)/kg  11
> >
> >should be > 0.5
> >
> >Magnesium                                cmol(+)/kg  9.2
> >
> >should be > 1.6
> >
> >Sodium                                   cmol(+)/kg  1.7
> >
> >should be > 1
> >
> >
> >They say a Calcium/Magnesim ratio should be > 2 otherwise update of 
> >potassium is hindered.  Mine's about 4.
> >
> >
> >Thanks for reading this far, and for any comments.  I hope this info was 
> >interesting or useful to everyone.
> >
> >~gb
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