Soil is Better Than I Thought - Needs Nitrogen

Ozark · February 26, 2016

My vegetable garden mostly failed last year. When I planted in the spring, I covered my paths between rows with partly-composted oak chips 2 to 3 inches deep. I kept the oak chips away from plants, and since I water with soaker hoses this shouldn't have been a problem. Then we got weeks of torrential rains in May, June, and July.

The garden flooded repeatedly, the oak chips washed around everywhere, and there were standing puddles of brown, possibly acidic, oak-water. Plants were stunted, production was very poor, and I figured a whole bunch of tannic acid from the oak had leached into my soil.

But no. Either the oak didn't acidify my soil, or if it did the pH is back to normal now. Maybe last year's garden failure was entirely from too much water. I just got back the results of a current soil test and it seems pretty good:

pH 6.5; Phosphorus (P) 271 lbs/a (very high); Potassium (K) 416 lbs/a (very high); Calcium (Ca) 4610 lbs/a (medium); Magnesium (Mg) 309 lbs/a (medium); Organic Matter 2.7%; Neutr. Acidity 0.5 meq; CEC 13.8 meq.

Fertilizer and Lime Recommendations: None, except add 0.5 lbs. Nitrogen per 1000 square feet. My garden is 35' x 50' = 1750 square feet.

My plan is to scrape off what's left of those oak chips with a tractor blade and put them back into a compost pile. Then I'll add the nitrogen and plow or till it in before planting anything. I have a turning plow blade for the tractor that will go about a foot deep, or my garden tiller will go about 3" deep.

Question: In what form, how much, and exactly how would you add that nitrogen? How deep to work it in? Thanks!

February 26, 2016	#1
Ozark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Ozark, Mo. Posts: 201	Soil is Better Than I Thought - Needs Nitrogen My vegetable garden mostly failed last year. When I planted in the spring, I covered my paths between rows with partly-composted oak chips 2 to 3 inches deep. I kept the oak chips away from plants, and since I water with soaker hoses this shouldn't have been a problem. Then we got weeks of torrential rains in May, June, and July. The garden flooded repeatedly, the oak chips washed around everywhere, and there were standing puddles of brown, possibly acidic, oak-water. Plants were stunted, production was very poor, and I figured a whole bunch of tannic acid from the oak had leached into my soil. But no. Either the oak didn't acidify my soil, or if it did the pH is back to normal now. Maybe last year's garden failure was entirely from too much water. I just got back the results of a current soil test and it seems pretty good: pH 6.5; Phosphorus (P) 271 lbs/a (very high); Potassium (K) 416 lbs/a (very high); Calcium (Ca) 4610 lbs/a (medium); Magnesium (Mg) 309 lbs/a (medium); Organic Matter 2.7%; Neutr. Acidity 0.5 meq; CEC 13.8 meq. Fertilizer and Lime Recommendations: None, except add 0.5 lbs. Nitrogen per 1000 square feet. My garden is 35' x 50' = 1750 square feet. My plan is to scrape off what's left of those oak chips with a tractor blade and put them back into a compost pile. Then I'll add the nitrogen and plow or till it in before planting anything. I have a turning plow blade for the tractor that will go about a foot deep, or my garden tiller will go about 3" deep. Question: In what form, how much, and exactly how would you add that nitrogen? How deep to work it in? Thanks!