Re: soil test options

[Guest guest]

> I probably need to take at least three, if not more,

> samples so it will be pretty pricey.

> Is it necessary, in your opinions, to get the more extensive test?

Hi :

As in most things, you get what you pay for in those soil tests.

Without knowing why you need to do three or more soil tests and

without knowing what you intend to do with the restults, it's hard to

answer your question. One possible answer is to do the extensive test

on your most important soil sample (if there is such a sample), and

do either regular series 1 or regular series 5 on all the soil

samples. That way you could at least get a good picture of one soil

sample and to see if there is much variation in calcium and pH values

across all the soil samples. If you use regular series 1 and find

there isn't much variation in pH, calcium, phosphorus and potassium,

then maybe you won't need to do more of the expensive tests.

Chi

[Guest guest]

Thanks Chi,

We are moving to an acreage and are putting in about a half-acre garden. There

is a small part that has been gardened for years (test 1), an area that was lawn

(test 2), and an area that was pasture with cattle on it (test 3). I thought

the soils could be dramatically different. Do you agree?

C.

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

From: soilfertility

Sent: Thursday, April 04, 2002 4:18 PM

Subject: Re: soil test options

> I probably need to take at least three, if not more,

> samples so it will be pretty pricey.

> Is it necessary, in your opinions, to get the more extensive test?

Hi :

As in most things, you get what you pay for in those soil tests.

Without knowing why you need to do three or more soil tests and

without knowing what you intend to do with the restults, it's hard to

answer your question. One possible answer is to do the extensive test

on your most important soil sample (if there is such a sample), and

do either regular series 1 or regular series 5 on all the soil

samples. That way you could at least get a good picture of one soil

sample and to see if there is much variation in calcium and pH values

across all the soil samples. If you use regular series 1 and find

there isn't much variation in pH, calcium, phosphorus and potassium,

then maybe you won't need to do more of the expensive tests.

Chi

[Guest guest]

--- In @y..., " Conway " <mclcdcmcmc@m...>

wrote:

> We are moving to an acreage and are putting in about a half-acre

garden. There is a small part that has been gardened for years (test

1), an area that was lawn (test 2), and an area that was pasture with

cattle on it (test 3). I thought the soils could be dramatically

different. Do you agree?

Hi :

It depends on what you mean by " dramatically " . Before you put in your

garden or add any soil amendments, it would be good, if you could, to

let a grazing animal out to graze in the area. If the grazing animal

shows no discrimination between the areas, then there may not be much

difference in the soil fertility in the three areas.

If you can't get an animal, perhaps you should do test #1 in all

three areas first. That should show if there are major differences in

the three top soils. If there isn't, then you would probably only

need to do one expensive test. Before you add anything to the soil,

it's handy to know the cation exchange capacity, the base saturation

percentages of calcium, magnesium, potassium and hydrogen, the pH and

the organic matter content.

Chi