Can someone decipher to me what my soil sample means?

Stainless · January 31, 2015

I built a raised bed last year and bought some garden soil mix from a local vendor. It was three parts sand, mushroom compost and I think some sort of mulch. i can't remember. My garden did really well in it and the tomato plants swarmed and produced everywhere.

I am planning on using the same raised bed for tomatoes again so I mixed it up real well and grabbed a sample to send off. I just got the results and my pH is a little high for tomatoes. Is 7.2 too high? I'm kind of curious to what it was when I purchased it last year.

It also lists some recommendations at the bottom that I'm a little confused about. Can someone help me out by deciphering what these results mean and what do I need to do to prepare it for this Springs garden?

Cole_Robbie · January 31, 2015

I think it says you need a pound of Nitrogen per 1000 square feet of garden, unless you're just growing beans. The "N" number on the fertilizer package is the percentage of Nitrogen. Urea is about 50-0-0, so two pounds of urea would make one pound of nitrogen. There are obviously many other sources of Nitrogen; the math is just easy on that one.

Stvrob · January 31, 2015

Wish my soil was that good. Looks like your good to go, all you need to do is manage your nitrogen.

salix · January 31, 2015

Alfalfa meal/pellets would be a good source of nitrogen if you wanted to go thattaway, and would also add a bit of organic matter. I don't understand why they thought it was a 'clay' soil if the original mix was mostly sand and mushroom compost. Also, when in doubt - add compost...

Question to others more knowledgeable - would coffee grounds help with nitrogen and a bit of acidification?

ScottinAtlanta · January 31, 2015

Coffee grounds are not acid, but they are great nitrogen sources.

AlittleSalt · January 31, 2015

Cover crops like clover can also add nitrogen when tilled/turned under. Also growing legumes like Black Eyed Peas and turning them into the soil adds nitrogen. Human urine is an extremely high nitrogen source and probably should be composted first.

One thing to remember is that when there is too much nitrogen, many plants grow really leafy - instead of putting on lots of fruits/vegetables...especially tomatoes.

Worth1 · February 1, 2015

I would like to see the ph at 6 not anything over 7 for tomatoes.
Whatever you do dont do anything that will raise the ph more.
As was said coffee grounds aren't acidic but the coffee that comes from them is.
Tomatoes like an acid soil 7.2 is not acidic.
Worth

ScottinAtlanta · February 1, 2015

Where is the meq in this soil sample?

Marcus1 · February 1, 2015

Stainless, Since you say you had good results with the garden last year I would follow the N recommendation and add more compost like someone else mentioned. Try to find a compost that is as acidic as possible, maybe something with cotton seed or brewers leftovers in it. An additive that might help your garden reach its full potential would be humic acid. I buy mine from Kelp For Less, it has really helped my gardens. Since your soil is so high in calcium,iron, and zinc I would probably put a little super phosphate around the plants when you put them in. I know it says that you have plenty of P but with that much cal very little of it is available to the plants. Do you water with a well ?
Good luck, Marcus.

Redbaron · February 1, 2015

What it means is you have good soil that doesn't need any amendments to grow a good crop if you plant a mixture of plants including legumes. If you plant no legumes, then you could potentially run low on nitrogen. The Haney test is a better test for the available nitrogen than this sort of test, because it not only tests what is available now, but also tests what will become available in the growing season due to biological activity. But this test seems to show that you are good in the things that the test looked at. I wouldn't necessarily add any fertiliser at all. Simply by companion planting a few legumes between your tomatoes, and maybe a cool season cover crop mixture that also contains legumes in the off season, you should be good.

PS The coffee grounds suggestion is a good one.

Personally I just sprinkle a bit on the top of the ground and lay my mulch over it. The worms in the bed will do the rest in making the nitrogen from it available gradually through the growing season without getting too big of a punch that causes tomatoes to produce all leaves and little fruit.

beeman · February 1, 2015

A word of caution, if I may? There is mention of Urea as a nitrogen source. I totally agree, but caution when applying it.
Ideally it should be done in the fall, otherwise spring application will result in burnt young roots.
I missed that point one year, and where I applied it the plants struggled badly.

January 31, 2015	#4
salix Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: north central B.C. Posts: 2,310	Alfalfa meal/pellets would be a good source of nitrogen if you wanted to go thattaway, and would also add a bit of organic matter. I don't understand why they thought it was a 'clay' soil if the original mix was mostly sand and mushroom compost. Also, when in doubt - add compost... Question to others more knowledgeable - would coffee grounds help with nitrogen and a bit of acidification? __________________ "He who has a library and a garden wants for nothing." -Cicero

February 1, 2015	#10
Redbaron Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 4,488	What it means is you have good soil that doesn't need any amendments to grow a good crop if you plant a mixture of plants including legumes. If you plant no legumes, then you could potentially run low on nitrogen. The Haney test is a better test for the available nitrogen than this sort of test, because it not only tests what is available now, but also tests what will become available in the growing season due to biological activity. But this test seems to show that you are good in the things that the test looked at. I wouldn't necessarily add any fertiliser at all. Simply by companion planting a few legumes between your tomatoes, and maybe a cool season cover crop mixture that also contains legumes in the off season, you should be good. PS The coffee grounds suggestion is a good one. Personally I just sprinkle a bit on the top of the ground and lay my mulch over it. The worms in the bed will do the rest in making the nitrogen from it available gradually through the growing season without getting too big of a punch that causes tomatoes to produce all leaves and little fruit. __________________ Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture Last edited by Redbaron; February 1, 2015 at 10:21 AM.

January 31, 2015	#2
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I think it says you need a pound of Nitrogen per 1000 square feet of garden, unless you're just growing beans. The "N" number on the fertilizer package is the percentage of Nitrogen. Urea is about 50-0-0, so two pounds of urea would make one pound of nitrogen. There are obviously many other sources of Nitrogen; the math is just easy on that one.

January 31, 2015	#3
Stvrob Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 1,413	Wish my soil was that good. Looks like your good to go, all you need to do is manage your nitrogen.

January 31, 2015	#5
ScottinAtlanta Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 2,593	Coffee grounds are not acid, but they are great nitrogen sources.

January 31, 2015	#6
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Cover crops like clover can also add nitrogen when tilled/turned under. Also growing legumes like Black Eyed Peas and turning them into the soil adds nitrogen. Human urine is an extremely high nitrogen source and probably should be composted first. One thing to remember is that when there is too much nitrogen, many plants grow really leafy - instead of putting on lots of fruits/vegetables...especially tomatoes.

February 1, 2015	#7
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	I would like to see the ph at 6 not anything over 7 for tomatoes. Whatever you do dont do anything that will raise the ph more. As was said coffee grounds aren't acidic but the coffee that comes from them is. Tomatoes like an acid soil 7.2 is not acidic. Worth

February 1, 2015	#9
Marcus1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Colorado Posts: 124	Stainless, Since you say you had good results with the garden last year I would follow the N recommendation and add more compost like someone else mentioned. Try to find a compost that is as acidic as possible, maybe something with cotton seed or brewers leftovers in it. An additive that might help your garden reach its full potential would be humic acid. I buy mine from Kelp For Less, it has really helped my gardens. Since your soil is so high in calcium,iron, and zinc I would probably put a little super phosphate around the plants when you put them in. I know it says that you have plenty of P but with that much cal very little of it is available to the plants. Do you water with a well ? Good luck, Marcus.

February 1, 2015	#11
beeman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 692	A word of caution, if I may? There is mention of Urea as a nitrogen source. I totally agree, but caution when applying it. Ideally it should be done in the fall, otherwise spring application will result in burnt young roots. I missed that point one year, and where I applied it the plants struggled badly.