You're doing things OK ninjabut and I can relate to feeling stress from this economic downturn. It appears that more and more people are turning to simplifying their lives - by necessity, not choice. Due to this, vegetable gardening in the US is enjoying a Renaissance.

I am however, somewhat dismayed over the cost of soil tests from your local co-op extension. Over here in southern New England, a pH test is $3 - pH + soil,analysis - $8 - full Monty = $12 . . . you're getting reamed on the west coast. Try to find a less expensive alternative for soil testing - must be another resource.

A soil test is the #1 way to know what you're starting with before sinking $$ into amending it.

Nonetheless...unless you're putting in some high value plants you can just grow with what you got and see what it can do for you. When you're wondering what $5-$20 bag of what to throw on your land though...a soil test might pay for itself. Things can limit each other in the soil. One element and it's uptake can be limited by things like pH or an over/under-abundance of another element in soil.

BTW, here in NC our soil tests are "free" (tax supported) if done by the state. Kinda cool...everyone from commercial growers to the home gardener.

There was a time when state subsidized soil testing was readily available here in Wisconsin, but the program has been phased out, and today, a typical test runs about 35 dollars. You can do research into the soil type for your area. This information is published online, with a little internet searching. For example, the soil we have here in our yard, in Madison, Wisconsin is described as "alfisol," with abundant calcium, magnesium, and potassium. It is also described as having "high native fertility, over a sub-surface horizon of clay." Since most of Wisconsin was underwater for much of the earth's history, it makes sense that we have so much limestone, and hard water to go with it. The entire USA is mapped, according to soil type.

It was said "I am however, somewhat dismayed over the cost of soil tests from your local co-op extension."

The Extension Service in CA hasn't done soil tests for MANY years. Same goes for certain other states, among them OR.

Bottom line: You can't always generalize.

It was said "Bottom line: You can't always generalize."

Thank you for that oxymoron jean - ;)

arch,

Thanks, I'm glad you caught that. That's the point!

Beyond that, OP said plants were doing well. So, no need for a soil test at this time.

I kind of think of my tomato plants as canaries in the coal mine as far as soil health. So much information is published online about tomato mineral deficiencies and how it affects the plant - I pay very close attention to leaves curling or a slight color change in the leaves. It's not exact, but you can identify some problems.

Obviously folks have been successfully gardening long before soil tests were ever available. If it doesn't fit your budget, I wouldn't sweat it.

Well there are tricky things that can foil some people depending on how you use your soil.

Cabbage, for instance, loves boron. If you follow a boron-heavy feeder with a crop like beans or corn without monitoring your boron you could end up with some very sad beans and corn.

pH can limit a plant's uptake of nutrients no matter how much is available and correcting pH after trying to correct a problem by over-applying what's missing can lead to a mess, too.

Your plants mirror the condition of the soil. The bottomline is to grow healthy garden. Since you are amending your garden soil with so many different atems, the chances are good that the soil is well balanced.

To make sure, you can get one of those inexpensive soil test gadgets from HD or other places( around $12.00). They may not be super accurate but will give you some clues. If it indicates a PH of 5.8 to 7.2, the chances are that the PH is OK. More often garden soils are little more acid, rarely too alkaline.
Big majority of garden veggies can do fine within a wide PH range (5.5 to 7.2). There are few that are PICKY.
Most compost and organic maters are on the acid side. Adding wood ash, gypsum and lime can raise the PH. Now is the best time to do it because it will take several months for wood ash, lime, gypsum to interact.

PS: sprinkle some epson salt on your gardens as well. They are inexpensive. You can buy them from nurseries or from drug sores. It provides magnesium. I also foliar feed Epson salt to some of my veggies. It is water soluable and a TBSP per gal will do.

Thanks all.
Maybe I'll try the HD tester thing next payday. I just thought about it and each raised bed was filled from different loads of soil, so they might be all different!
I'll just keep doing what I'm doing for now. NT

If your low on funds enjoy your plants not giving money to the soil test sounds like your doing just fine

Try Urban Farmer Seeds for a soil test. Only 5.99 + shipping

Here is a link that might be useful: Soil Test Kit