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[<dmnorton@royaloakfarmorchard.com>]



Alan,

 

It has been our experience that it is always best to send soil samples to an independent lab.  We have used A & L Great Lakes Laboratories in Ft. Wayne, IN (http://www.algreatlakes.com/) for years.   I send them the soil samples and they send me an e-mail when the samples have been tested and the results posted to our account on their web site.  They have our sample results for several years in their databases and it gives us a really good picture of how our fertilizer/nutrient program is going.  They have a free software pack called Soil Trak that allows us to compare results for many years.  I highly recommend them.

 

Dennis Norton
Royal Oak Farm Orchard
Office (815) 648-4467
Mobile (815) 228-2174
Fax (609) 228-2174
http://www.royaloakfarmorchard.com
http://www.theorchardkeeper.blogspot.com
http://www.revivalhymn.com

----- Original Message -----

From: Alan Haigh

To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Sent: Sunday, March 15, 2009 6:02 AM

Subject: [NAFEX] soil tests

A couple months back I asked members if they had any knowledge of a company called International Ag Labs Inc. because I was puzzled by their analysis of 3 sites in the southeastern NY vacinity.  I also asked if anyone could explain  the very high pH of the soils when their data showed deficiency in base forming minerals- particularly calcium and magnesium.

 

No one gave me an adequate explanation and I ended up sending a couple of  samples from the same sites to Cornell.  Well, Cornell found very high quantities or calcium and magnesium and their results make perfect sense to my feable mind. 

 

Thought a few of you might appreciate this as a cautionary tale.  I now can easily manage the soil without prescribing to IAL Inc's complicated and self serving recipe of amendments (they sell them).   I wonder how much my client paid them for the tests?