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Kevinstinindians@yahoo.com

I have two soil tests I need some help with, on I only added lime to last fall, the other I added lime, mushroom compost and 5 year old cow manure. The one I added just lime to is Ok, I think. The other, well thats another story. First the lime only plot. Everything in parts per million

OM: 3.5%
N : 19
P1: 119
P2: 155
P : 274
Mg: 136
Sulfur: 20
Zinc: 3.2
Mn: 19
Iron: 236
Copper: 1.5
Boron: 0.8
Calcium: 1554
Sodium: 10
Soluble Salts: 0.1
Excess Lime: Low
pH:6.6
Buffer index 6.9
CEC: 10.2

Organic matter is very low, what is the best way to add more without screwing things up at this point in the game, peat moss? My iron went up from 131 last year to 236 this year, not sure why. Mg, is low and if I add OM my pH will go down, so maybe a little Mag Lime and some peat? What other problems does anyone see?

5/1/2006 4:02:57 PM

Kevinstinindians@yahoo.com

Now for the really messed up second one:

OM: 11.1%
Nitrate: 71
P1: 370
P2: 371
P : 773
Mg: 546
Sulfur: 64
Zinc: 25.1
Mn: 28
Iron: 139
Copper: 8.3
Boron : 2.0
Calcium: 2584
Sodium: 39
Soluble Salts: 0.1
Excess Lime: Low
pH: 7.0
Buffer Index: (none listed)
CEC 19.6

Is there anything that can be done for this patch other than let it sit or plant a cover crop? I know it grows weeds really well already. Thanks for the help.

5/1/2006 4:15:03 PM

Kevinstinindians@yahoo.com

What is at toxic levels in test #2? Or is there anything so high that it would kill plants or prevent them from setting fruit, if I did put plants in it?

5/1/2006 4:28:42 PM

Mocksville, NC

Maybe, some body else should look at this!
1st i dont see K thats potash or potasium p= phophate.
I may be way off base ,but i personaly would plant in # 2 patch 1st. wait a few and get more responces, but im totally serious i would plant in the 2nd one 1st.
Roger

5/1/2006 5:25:22 PM

Kevinstinindians@yahoo.com

I hope you're right Roger! This is only me second year of getting a soil test and I thought I way over did it. I've never seen numbers this hi in alot of areas before. I guess I could include the base saturation percentages too.

Test#1
K : 6.9%
Mg: 11.1%
Ca: 76.2%
H : 5.4%
Na: 0.4%

Test#2
K: 10.1%
Mg: 23.2%
Ca: 65.8%
H : 0.0%
Na: 0.9%

Test one I think the percentages are right on, with Mg a little low maybe.

Test two, Pottasium is near double of where it needs to be, and Mg is about 5% above, Ca is ok.

I was thinking in terms of what I thought would be optimal. Since I'm still a greenhorn I could be very wrong. I'd love to hear from some of the more knowledgable guys here.

5/1/2006 5:58:04 PM

Kevinstinindians@yahoo.com

That should say, "This is only MY second year...", I'm not a pirate. LOL

5/1/2006 5:59:51 PM

Kevinstinindians@yahoo.com

I did put P in place of K, I'm not sure why I did that. Anyway, P should read K.

Test #1 K = 274
Test #2 K = 773

5/1/2006 6:08:37 PM

Mocksville, NC

STAN PUGH K WAS OVER 1200+ WHEN HE GREW HIS 1268LBS HE WOULD HAVE TO VERIFY THAT, BUT MY # ARE ALOT HIGHER THAN YOURS BASE SATURATION 100% CEC ALMOST DOUBLE ,YOU GOT TO REMEMBER WE PUMPKIN GROWER USUALY HAVE ARE PATCHES JACKED COMPARED TO NORMAL GARDEN. SEE WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAY ALL MINE LAST YEAR, AND THIS YEAR READ V HIGH IM NOT GOING TO TELL YOU PLANT, BUT PERSONALY I WOULD. ROGER YOUR ph WILL DETERMIN WHAT THE UPTAKE TO THE PLANT WILL BE EVEN IF YOU HAVE A 100 TIMES THAT AMOUNT.

5/1/2006 7:55:07 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

I might add some gypsum to elevate the calcium but the #2 patch looks Ok from here. I think you'll do well here.

Patch #1 (low OM) would benefit from some well aged organic amendments. I'd look for any old rotten manure &/or leaf compost.

5/2/2006 12:01:47 AM

Kevinstinindians@yahoo.com

Thanks Tremor, I thought the P1, P2 and Zinc were gonna kill me. It was the first time I've ever seen those two that high. Maybe all those wheelbarrow loads I hauled paid off. Can anyone say just how high some of the micro and macro nutrients can get before they start to become a problem, assuming the soil is fairly well balanced?

5/2/2006 6:28:06 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

I don't like the Phosphorus this high but we can't do anything to draft it down & still grow on it this year. The Zn is high but with all of this organic material you should be OK.

Remember thought that the large addition of organic material is going to take some time to become into *stable organic matter*. So soil test numbers & the crops response is going to be a little unpredictable for a while. Spent Mushroom Bedding is especially volatile if it hasn't had sufficient time to age into compost.

5/2/2006 7:34:46 AM

Roanoke Il

Worry about the ph the rest can be added during the season folarly or buy trecnhing. lets say you mixed every thing took ten samples mixed them altogher properly a soil test will only give you a ruough idea how your soil is and what is needed. learn to be intouch with your plant it will tell you what it needs during the season. and take your folar and drench feeding program and do it light amounts everyday not a big shot once a week. the big shot once a week tends to split the pumpkins...mark

5/2/2006 8:49:27 AM

Kevinstinindians@yahoo.com

I added everything last fall, I haven't added anything yet this spring. I'm planning on spraying it with molasses, adding kelp meal @ 50lbs/1500 sq ft and 10lbs of Ironite/1000 sq ft. Does anyone see a problem with this? How much gypsum per 1000 should I add to patch two?

5/2/2006 4:53:16 PM

Kevinstinindians@yahoo.com

I forgot to ask, do you foresee the hi Phosphorus causing any specific problems?

5/2/2006 5:11:15 PM

berkshire M.A.

maybe 200-400 lbs.of gypsum per 1000. But this is just me.What do you guys think ??

5/2/2006 6:46:06 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

That'll do it for the gypsum.

The high P will be toxic to mycorrhizae but it doesn't really lock other nutrients out like some of the other elements.

5/2/2006 11:24:54 PM