A better soil test

Rajun Gardener · November 16, 2016

I'll just post this here for anyone that needs a real soil test that tells you what's available for the plants to use. This is better than other soil test than you'll get from you state. It costs more but if you're a market gardener then it's worth it.

Soil Savvy for the Smart Gardener
The same soil testing technology used by leading agricultural producers, turf managers and landscapers is now available to the home garden community. Soil Savvy™ is a professional grade soil test kit that provides pH and a fertilizer recommendation for both organic and synthetic nutrient products. A truly sustainable approach to fertilizer management, Soil Savvy™ determines what nutrients are needed by your plants and eliminates over application of the nutrients you don’t need.

Here's some comments from the video.
"Nice video Donald. But we can do a soil sample survey from our county extension service here in Florida for $6.00. Yours is $30.00 with shipping.... Just a idea..."

It’s my understanding that the Soil Savvy test is different from other test. The little ball you saw in the test cup acts like the plant’s roots by absorbing what is available for uptake to the plant. Other soil test only tell you what’s in the soil. If their claim is correct then I would rather know what can actually be taken up by the plant, not only what’s in the soil.…..Donald

That is correct Donald. I am an agronomist at UNIBEST International (makers of Soil Savvy) and what sets the resins apart from your standard soil test are that the resins are only going to adsorb nutrients that are in forms and amounts available for plant uptake. The resins take into consideration soil pH, soil type, nutrient ratios in the soil, etc...Where your standard soil test is going to tell everything that is in your soil, even if it is not available for plant uptake. Essentially, the resins act like a synthetic plant root.

http://unibestinc.com/industries/lawn-garden.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShC2pvDzv2E

Worth1 · November 16, 2016

Looks interesting.
The government and university stuff (tests) baffles me to no end and one of the reasons I have never had one done.
From my experience if the worms are happy for the most part the plants are happy.
If they aren't there something is wrong.
If they are on top of the soil it is too wet.
If they are floating down the street it there is a flood.

Worth

PureHarvest · November 21, 2016

The tests in the mid-atlantic region run the Melich 3. In different regions there are others. They are just like what this company says theirs does. It uses an acid solution to extract nutrients from the soil that mimics the soil solution in the rhizoshpere to predict what nutrients are available for plant growth. In other words, trying to mimic what is going on in the soil solution and interaction with plant root/acids.
So when I get a test done, it is showing me what nutrients are available that year for plant growth. Not what the total load is in the soil.

BigVanVader · November 22, 2016

Are you the webcajun? He was the first guy I watched on Youtube lol. I love his vids.

Rajun Gardener · November 22, 2016

No I'm not and yes he has some good videos.

brownrexx · November 22, 2016

It looks like a fairly accurate test with one exception. They only send a small cup for the sample and most people who see that will just take one small sample. A better way to take a sample is to make a composite sample by taking 8 -12 samples throughout the garden and mixing them together. Then take your small sample from that mix. This way you are getting an average reading from the entire garden and not just one small place.

My soil testing Lab is Pennsylvania State Ag Lab and they also use Melich 3 for testing. It is $9 for each sample tested and I pay my own postage which is about $4 for one cup of test material. I usually add $5 for the optional test for % organic material. I am an organic gardener and I like to check on this.

I am very satisfied with their results.

Cole_Robbie · November 22, 2016

I wish there was a contest tied to the soil test - whoever has the best stuff wins something. I would enter just for the sake of vanity and potential bragging rights.

habitat_gardener · November 22, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

I wish there was a contest tied to the soil test - whoever has the best stuff wins something. I would enter just for the sake of vanity and potential bragging rights.

The local county fair (in a suburban/urban county!) has a compost competition! It's 6 months away, and I just heard about it recently.

Cole_Robbie · November 22, 2016

Sugar would scratch her head at the idea of her having any competition.

November 16, 2016	#1
Rajun Gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Tomato Cornhole Posts: 2,550	A better soil test I'll just post this here for anyone that needs a real soil test that tells you what's available for the plants to use. This is better than other soil test than you'll get from you state. It costs more but if you're a market gardener then it's worth it. Soil Savvy for the Smart Gardener The same soil testing technology used by leading agricultural producers, turf managers and landscapers is now available to the home garden community. Soil Savvy™ is a professional grade soil test kit that provides pH and a fertilizer recommendation for both organic and synthetic nutrient products. A truly sustainable approach to fertilizer management, Soil Savvy™ determines what nutrients are needed by your plants and eliminates over application of the nutrients you don’t need. Here's some comments from the video. "Nice video Donald. But we can do a soil sample survey from our county extension service here in Florida for $6.00. Yours is $30.00 with shipping.... Just a idea..." It’s my understanding that the Soil Savvy test is different from other test. The little ball you saw in the test cup acts like the plant’s roots by absorbing what is available for uptake to the plant. Other soil test only tell you what’s in the soil. If their claim is correct then I would rather know what can actually be taken up by the plant, not only what’s in the soil.…..Donald That is correct Donald. I am an agronomist at UNIBEST International (makers of Soil Savvy) and what sets the resins apart from your standard soil test are that the resins are only going to adsorb nutrients that are in forms and amounts available for plant uptake. The resins take into consideration soil pH, soil type, nutrient ratios in the soil, etc...Where your standard soil test is going to tell everything that is in your soil, even if it is not available for plant uptake. Essentially, the resins act like a synthetic plant root. http://unibestinc.com/industries/lawn-garden.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShC2pvDzv2E

November 21, 2016	#3
PureHarvest Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Mid-Atlantic right on the line of Zone 7a and 7b Posts: 1,369	The tests in the mid-atlantic region run the Melich 3. In different regions there are others. They are just like what this company says theirs does. It uses an acid solution to extract nutrients from the soil that mimics the soil solution in the rhizoshpere to predict what nutrients are available for plant growth. In other words, trying to mimic what is going on in the soil solution and interaction with plant root/acids. So when I get a test done, it is showing me what nutrients are available that year for plant growth. Not what the total load is in the soil. Last edited by PureHarvest; November 21, 2016 at 05:03 PM.

November 16, 2016	#2
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Looks interesting. The government and university stuff (tests) baffles me to no end and one of the reasons I have never had one done. From my experience if the worms are happy for the most part the plants are happy. If they aren't there something is wrong. If they are on top of the soil it is too wet. If they are floating down the street it there is a flood. Worth

November 22, 2016	#4
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	Are you the webcajun? He was the first guy I watched on Youtube lol. I love his vids.

November 22, 2016	#6
brownrexx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Southeastern PA Posts: 1,420	It looks like a fairly accurate test with one exception. They only send a small cup for the sample and most people who see that will just take one small sample. A better way to take a sample is to make a composite sample by taking 8 -12 samples throughout the garden and mixing them together. Then take your small sample from that mix. This way you are getting an average reading from the entire garden and not just one small place. My soil testing Lab is Pennsylvania State Ag Lab and they also use Melich 3 for testing. It is $9 for each sample tested and I pay my own postage which is about $4 for one cup of test material. I usually add $5 for the optional test for % organic material. I am an organic gardener and I like to check on this. I am very satisfied with their results.