Soil test recommendations

Joe1980

14 years ago

I'm considering getting a soil test done for my vegetable garden. I have a few questions though, to make sure I do this right. Firstly, when would be the best time to do this? My garden is fully planted out now, and I hand tilled the recommended dose of chickadee doo-doo this spring. Do I wait until next spring, or go for it now? Also, looking at the tests available through the UW system here in Wisconsin, the one recommended for "home gardens" seems very minute to me. It only gives you the pH, potassium, phosphate, and % organic matter, for $18. However, for $25, you can get the test for professionally managed turf, which includes the above, plus all of the trace elements like calcium and magnesium. It claims to be for professional use only. I would imagine I'd want the whole shooting match, so I should go for the professional only one, right? Thanks in advance!

Joe

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Comments (3)

Deborah-SC
14 years ago
It seems to me that for $7 extra it's a no-brainer. That's my take on it!
Joe1980
Original Author
14 years ago
The only thing is, the "home garden" kit has all the analysis stuff and recommendations, the "professional" one does not, most likely assuming that I would be "professional" and know what to do with it. I suppose I'd have to decipher the results on my own, with the help of my fellow gardeners of course! It's the timing thing I am more concerned about, not wanting to send off a sample that would be affected by the chickadee doo-doo, or any other factor.

Joe
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chas045
14 years ago
In North Carolina, we can get soil tests done for free from NC State (an ag school). We also get instructions from our local ag agents both from classes or publications. Timing doesn't seem to matter. I believe commercial growers are still interested in new results and could be in situations similar to yours where supplies have already been added. So you could certainly send off a well mixed sample of your fertilized soil.

However, if it were me (only doing one test), I think I would want to know what my native soil would be needing and I would dig up several undisturbed chunks of soil away from your garden (and each other) and send a mix of that. The report will probably tell you what to add and MAY also tell you what to add in subsequent years for maintanance.