A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Food Garden Forum 5.1-- that's right-- 5.1

So I did something I'd never done before. I had my soil tested. Mind you, this is my "new" soil, in the area where I want my "new" fruit & veggie gardens to me, on my "new" farm. This is a very large space 2-3 acres. The space is perfect. Blank canvas. Just perfect. Right in front of the house, sun all day long. Plenty of space for me to design a lovely big set of inter-woven gardens with fruit trees... .

However, the more I walked around the space, and the more I compared what I was seeing to other parts of the property, the more convinced I became that something was seriously wrong. Everything here is red clay, but the pastures are supporting a fine crop of broom sedge (so pretty when it turns color), and the areas that haven't been bush hogged in years are thriving in stuff (??) as tall as I am. So nature is going her job.

But the new garden space... no so good. Lots of barren patches, drainage issues. Many indications that the soil is too acidic. So I got the Ag extension folks out here. The results came back today.

pH = 5.1

That's right. 5.1 And it gets worse.

Pounds per acre:

Phosophorus: 11 very low
Potassium: 243 medium
Magnisium: 1085 very high
Zinc: 3 high
Calcium: 2011
Soluable salts: 0.1 low


Completely out of wack. But here's an explanation. I learned that when they put in the pool, they scraped up a whole lot of dirt and pushed it to where they needed it to level out where the pool was going to go. And guess where they pushed it from? And then surprise, surprise, the grass didn't grow back! )

Recommendations? In addition to lime, 225 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft., the Ag people are saying to apply 3 pounds of 34-0-0 per 1000 square feet "pre-planting" for veggie spaces. And other stuff.

They didn't give me an analysis of organic matter, but I bet it's "very low." So... I think there's about a ton of gin trash in my future. (Don't you just love that term? "Gin trash.")

Hi Marica, that sounds like a lot of work, but I do like the idea of a blank canvas, especially one that big! Hope it's not too expensive to fix the soil. Are those element concentrations in ppm? Are you able to work on the soil much during winter?

Element concentrations were given in pounds per acre. Yes, I will be able to work the soil during the winter-- when I get a tractor! I don't think it should be too expensive. But the other thing is I am now deciding what to do about the nitrogen issue. I so much prefer to use organic fertilizer, and I'm not sure what the organic substitute is for 34-0-0! Thinking I might need to plant a green manure crop as soon as I can.

I have read that fresh poultry and sheep manure are the highest in N, but they still contain similar concentrations of P and K. Non organic, it seems some of the grass fertilizers are close to that ratio.

can you plant a cover crop and till it under in the spring?

I was actually thinking about this. Lime & a cover crop, like annual rye. I will have to look into this. Thanks!

I put out winter rye and red clover as mine this year.

Here is a good 'cover crop' topic for you

USDA info on nitrogen fixing crops... (i.e. clover)

Thanks!