Questions tagged [soil-test]
Tests for various soil characteristics including nutritional and contaminant content.
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Mamey seedling showing deficiencies that I couldn't fix
I already lost one seedling in the same manner, leaves get yellow spots then the edges shrivel and the whole leaf dies and falls.
My soil test shows issues with micros obviously, I get very bright sun ...
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What is the proper mowing height for a turf lawn in Northern Illinois to crowd out weeds?
first-time poster in need of help.
This and last year I've taken the approach of crowding out weeds and pulling by hand instead of using weed killers. This is partially because we have a dog that ...
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Soil testing for new gardener
I'm a new gardener interested in getting my soil tested. Does anyone have a recommendation for a lab?
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how to obtain information on fertilizer amount per volume
Very simple question but hour long search with no answer. Concentration of fertilizer is relation ship of amount of fertilizer (either mass or molar) with volume, NOT with area, yet all fertilizers ...
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Distilled water (pH 5.5 due to dissolved CO2) recommended for soil test - Do I need to adjust reading? [duplicate]
All available sources recommend using distilled water for performing a soil pH test.
However, distilled water by itself is anywhere between pH 5.5 and 6.5 due to dissolved CO2 (HCO3- ions).
In my case,...
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Leachfield and fruit trees - bad combination?
There are apple trees growing on our property, just past (downhill from) the septic tank. They are near the leach field, I imagine, but I don't know how close.
The trees produce tiny, non-edible ...
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Interpreting soil test instructions
I tested my vegetable garden soil with a lusterleaf rapitest Soil Test Kit. My soil test came back as depleted for nitrogen and phosphorous, and adequate for potash. This is the section of the test ...
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Soil sample composition over time
I tested my garden soil (NPK for guidance in applying fertilizers) but now I'm questioning my results.
I collected the soil as per the instructions and left it to dry in a bucket. Once dry, I left it ...
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Most accurate home pH test?
What test mechanism (e.g. strips, probes, etc..) that can be purchased online for self testing soil pH is the most accurate? Any recommendations on specific products/brands?
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How can I correct a nutrient excess in soil?
The soil sample I took last fall from my vegetable garden came back from the lab with this result:
Optimum Range
Calcium, Mehlich 3 (Ca) 2063 (...
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Excess Zinc in garden soil
I had the soil in one of my garden beds tested for a wide spectrum of minerals. This bed was originally filled with bought topsoil and mushroom compost, then it was cultivated with parsnips and ...
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Cucumber leaves yellowing and most cucumbers have been colorless - is this P or K deficiency?
After moving to a new place we started a garden in what has been lawn for a lot of years. Our cucumbers grew vigorously at first and have been producing nicely, but the cucumbers started out only half-...
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How to increase nitrogen and potassium at the same time?
I had my vegetable garden soil tested by a local university extension. (If it matters, I'm in the northeast US, zone 5.)
The results indicated that the soil was deficient in nitrogen and potassium. ...
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Soil test results + need help understanding the recommendation
I have gone through couple of similar questions in this forum but did not quite understand on how to interpret and calculate the required amount of fertilizer and type of fertilizer to choose from.
So,...
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Placement of soil sensors
I am looking into soil sensors to connect to an arduino project I am doing. This is just for me playing around and trying to optimize my garden as much as possible with tech 😋 So far the sensors seem ...
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Soil TestResults show low P and high PH, vegetables are already in, what should I do? Help!
I filled 220sq feet of raised beds earlier this spring with 10inches of soil comprised of 5yds organic compost and 2 yds premium screen top soil (about 50/50 by mass). The beds are open on the bottom. ...
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Can there be a calcium deficiency despite plenty of calcium in the soil test
What else should I be looking for in a soil test that shows plenty of calcium when some plants do show Ca deficiency?
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Need help interpreting my soil test results and fertilizer recommendations
The guy from the lab told me to use 13-13-13 fertilizer. my Lawn is 4000 sq feet, 1 (8 pounds/1000 sq ft) in April and 1 in May end. And then 1 each in September and October end. Also, use liquid ...
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Soil Specifications — C:N Ratio Notation
I'm compiling some critical parameters for soil specifications for my wife, and unfortunately I come from a different industry (food safety, post-gate). I'm trying to read a set of lab analysis ...
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Interpreting Soil Content Survey Results
We moved into our new-build property in November 2018, and have been beset with garden (more specifically, lawn) issues since the start.
After badgering and persisting, our developer agreed to ...
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Acidic soil containing chalk?
I’ve recently bought a property in a ‘dry chalk valley’. It’s an old barn with a paddock out the back.
I bought an electronic soil pH meter (two prongs with an analog dial meter) and followed the ...
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UK equivalent of US University Soil "Extension" Offices
I recently found out that there is a (state?-)tax-funded community resource in the US associated with Land-Grant State Universities called "Extension Offices". They offer soil testing kits, ...
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Can good soil turn bad?
I bought potting soil well over a year ago, and left it open (inside the plastic bag) in my rooftop. I live in the Caribbean so it would receive strong direct sun every day.
The soil was relatively ...
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Testing for nitrogen after applying blood meal?
In preparation for refreshing a garden box for a winter season, I tested for nutrients and found it was very low in nitrogen. I added more soil and amendment (for other reasons -- neither has many ...
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Soil chemistry problem -- too high conductivity
I'm a tree farmer near Edmonton, Alberta. My entire operation is in pots ranging from 100 ml to 40 liters
I just got a new load of compost from City of Edmonton.
I performed the following test:
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What should general PH and nutrient levels be for new planting bed after amendments?
I am planting a salad garden with lettuces, kale, spinach, root crops, pole beans, tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. So many different PH level requirements and such for different plants are confusing ...
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What is my apple orchard soil type?
It's about three month that I have bought this orchard.
I have have done Bottle test on my orchard soil. But my test results did not look like what I have seen in internet. So I decided to post my ...
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What is the average Haney Test composting results for a pile of wood chips?
I've heard a lot about the Haney Test from different soil scientists, and was wondering how the Haney test average results look for wood chips that compost for 6 months-5 years.
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How to grow a grafted avocado in bad soil?
I live in St.Croix and want to plant into the ground a grafted avocado tree that is 2'ft (60 cm) high. I live close to the ocean. I see lots of mango trees in the neighborhood, but few if any ...
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Testing Soil with rapid-test by luster leaf
For Christmas I got one of those small kits that test the soil using a chemical enclosed in capsules. The one I got does Ph, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash. And today I gave it a spin, and this is ...
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How to verify that my organic landscaper isn't using synthetic fertilizers?
A lot of companies offer "organic" programs for lawn and landscape care. I have listened to a lot of cynics say that all of them sneak prohibited chemicals onto the landscape to deliver results (...
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Portable soil and compost testing kit
I am growing vegetables. I need soil and compost testing kits for soil Ph, soil EC and compost nutrients test.
Can anyone suggest which instruments will be good and have a reasonable price?
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Soil test came back. I need help
The test came back pH a tiny bit to low but the sodium, sulfur, potassium and phosphorus are way to high. Manganese to low. We are square foot gardening. Raised beds. Made. Mel's. Mix with 1/3 ...
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Is testing the pH of soil with cabbage juice accurate?
I was looking into testing the soil in my yard so I knew how much I needed to prepare it for blueberry plants. I came across a method I hadn't heard of before, that I thought was interesting.
It ...
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I think my moisture meter is giving me a wrong reading in one pot
I think my moisture meter is giving me a wrong reading in one specific pot.
The meter reads extremely wet even though if I dig down the soil just feels damp.
Any ideas what would cause this?
The ...
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How to manage soil high in calcium and sulphur?
I did a soil test of my backyard and am unsure how to proceed with the results. My calcium at ~546ppm is way over. No idea how to lower that or if I should even worry about it. Sulphur is high at ~...
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Is there a soil sieving and packing procedure to ensure equal moisture distribution?
I would like to know if there's a way to ensure every sample has the same initial conditions when performing soil experiments. The samples are going to be enclosed in containers of 13 cm height and 18 ...
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How can I measure the pH of my soil?
I was told to measure the pH of my soil to help identify some of the symptoms on my vegetable plants. Does anyone have recommendations of a device I can purchase to measure soil pH?
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What are the best tools for testing soil?
I have a large pile of ashes from burning leaves, wood, limbs, pine straw etc, and I've read that ash can be helpful to plants if my soil pH is not over 7.5.
How would you recommend that I test my ...
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How to remedy lead in soil?
I live near an oil refinery (probably about 1 mile away). I have a small back yard with sparse grass. I have some planter beds with bushes. I have a lawn in the front. I'm concerned that I may have ...
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What type of tester works best for measuring soil pH? [duplicate]
I want to measure the pH of soil in my potted plants (especially for the dwarf citrus trees that I just bought).
I've seen many different options: expensive laboratory-grade meters, cheap digital ...
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How can you analyze if a land has good soil?
I have a feeling that my question is not a good question, but don't know how else to formulate it.
I'm an engineer by profession, but I did spend a full season working in an organic farm.
I'm ...
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Is it possible to do my own extensive soil/organic matter testing?
I've read the posts on soil testing, and I realize it's cheap and widely available through local universities, etc.
Question: Is it possible to do my own soil testing? Are there some compounds that ...
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Can I measure chemical elements in soil myself?
What sort of equipment would one need to ensure that plant soil contains the right concentration of the 13 mineral nutrients necessary for plant growth? Specifically, can this be measured in real-time ...
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What is an accurate method to measure the C:N ratio of Bokashi pickled/composted kitchen waste?
In a container gardening situation without soil to bury Bokashi pickled/composted kitchen waste, it seems viable to add to a tumble composter.
What is an accurate method to compute C:N of Bokashi?
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How do I determine what the soil conditions are where I live?
I am starting to get into gardening since I have a bit of garden space for the first time. When I do research online, I often see recommendations for plant soil quality like "rich, porous, somewhat ...
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Should I do a soil test before or after amending soil?
I want to plant blackberries, raspberries, and a vegetable garden in the heavy clay soil in my backyard. So, I plan to heavily amend it by spreading 3" expanded shale and 6" of compost and working ...
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What soil problem would cause fruit and vegetable to grow very small?
One that is lawn clipping compost with a pH 6.0 where everything grows pretty well. The other garden is 40cm deep of supposedly Rich Organic Garden Soil but has a pH of 7.0. The only things that grow ...
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Is there an accurate way to test a mixture of multiple soils?
Last night I started putting together a mixture of soil for blueberry plants. This mixture includes:
top-soil
garden soil
organic mushroom compost
sphagnum moss
(I also have pine ...
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Why is it a problem to use manure as a fertilizing amendment over the long term?
I had my soil tested last fall. As part of the submission I checked the box that said I use manure as a soil amendment / fertilizer.
In the results from the lab, they included a note that said that ...
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