Has this "garden space" been used as a garden previously? If so, what vegetables were grown?

JJ -- Hope this link will help. If you can add earthworms to your soil, they are the magix elixer to 'normalize' soils.

Here is a link that might be useful: Organic Fertilizer & Amendment Guide

Yes, this has been used as garden space for many years, with perennials, tomatoes, strawberries, fruit trees. Things have grown OK and I add as much compost as possible and a 10-10-10 fertilizer yearly. But I did a test to get a better focus. Thanks.

Sufficient amounts of organic matter. What is the humus level of your soil now? What did the soil test say about the level of Calcium and Magnesium in your soil?
Adding earthworms to a soil without sufficient levels of organic matter is not worthwhile since they will either leave or die from lack of food. Add enough OM and the earthworms will appear with no need to buy some.
You may wish to use these simple soil tests, in addition to the report from the University of Maryland,

1. Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. A good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top.
2. Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up.

3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart.

4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell.

5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy.
to see what more your soil needs.
A 10-10-10 fertilizer does not supply everything a plant needs to grow strong and healthy.

Calsium and Magnesium are all good. And yes, organic matter is great. I add as much as I can. But will OM solve the iron and phophorous problem? Probably not. Either triple super phosphate or bone meal. Bone meal seems fairly expensive.

Organic matter can help with the phosphorus and might if the actual amount of Iron in the soil is there but not readily available because of the soil pH. Superphosphate will not help with iron, nor will bone meal.

The amount of Fe was .7 ppm and it is a measure of how much Fe is actually in the soil, independent of pH and its affect on availability.

It's likely he'll need to add dolomite, TSP, and something to bring the Fe level up. Sprint 330 would be a very good choice of chelated Fe, but there are other sources.

Al

I got DAP, 18-46-0. I got it from a local Southern States at .31 cents a pound. Any help with how to apply? Thanks.

They said lack of iron is not a problem in these parts. maybe upping pH would help. But I might add some ironite as my iron was too low.

I found a rate for turf of 50 lb bag for 9,000 sq. ft.

if the actual amount of Iron in the soil is there but not readily available because of the soil pH
5.6 is plenty low for iron availability. Unless, of course, you're saying it's too low. In that case I would say, the pH can't get too low for iron availability. The more acid the soil is, the more available iron is. Period. No exceptions.

The amount of Fe was .7 ppm and it is a measure of how much Fe is actually in the soil, independent of pH and its affect on availability.
Kind of, but not entirely true. That's the amount of iron in the soil that is detectable based on whatever extraction they ran (which isn't given). The amount of iron they can detect will vary depending on how it was extracted. If they measured the iron in saturated media extract, the detectable amount will be lower than if they extracted it via mehlich 3 or DTPA, which will be lower than if they extracted it via quadruple ammonium acetate, etc.

Some of the iron may still be on the exchange and some may be in less soluble forms and could become available if chemistry conditions change.

Perhaps UCG will provide a partial solution ... and FREE besides!
Summary: Use of Starbucks coffee grounds in amending mineral soils up to 35 percent by volume coffee grounds will improve soil structure over the short-term and over the long-term. Use of the coffee grounds at the specified incorporation rates (rototilled into a 6- to 8-inch depth) will substantially improve availabilities of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and copper and will probably negate the need for chemical sources of these plant essential elements.......Nearly all potassium and all magnesium are in the available forms. This means that immediate availability improvements for these two elements will take place when the coffee grounds are blended with mineral soils. About half of the copper and calcium are in their immediately available forms.

Here is a link that might be useful: UCG Analysis

Dear God, do not add Ironite - it contains Arsenic and Lead. Canada banned its use. Washington State has issued a 'stop sale orders'. Find another source of iron.

Good info from gargwarb. Low pH makes the trace minerals more available. But lots of organic matter would help 'buffer' the soil and improve mineral availability, too. I wouldn't spend a lot of effort to raise the pH except to add organic matter.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ironite legal actions

Thanks so much. Unfortunately, I just added some lime, but not too much. In the future, I think I'll stay with 5.6 as OK pH. Thanks on the Ironite! I will avoid it. I'm not sure how UMASS tested the iron level. I local person said that low iron is not usually a problem here, which is outside Baltimore. Wow, great advice!

gargwarb: "The more acid the soil is, the more available iron is. Period. No exceptions."
According to my college soils text, below ph 5.5 and under flooding conditions iron begins to become less available. My own soils are calcareous, pH 7.2 and some plants including raspberry, pear, Red Maple and others exhibit iron deficiency. Folks in the relatively wet east (except FL) are probably less aware of calcareous soils. Just say'n.

I tried really really hard to find something that specifically agrees with that. It took a pretty long time and I was really starting to doubt it but I finally found this from a study or iron availability in waterlogged rice soils:
"The distribution between water soluble and exchangeable iron fractions was highly pH dependent with a decrease in pH at a given redox potential increasing the relative amount of ferrous iron in the soil solution at the expense of that on the exchange complex."
I think that's good enough to safely say I stand corrected.

I applaud the effort garg.: my text also mentions the waterlogged rice example but somehow it didn't seem germane to the OP's situation. I don't know about you but, sometimes I hate having to look stuff up I've forgotten from years ago. On the other hand, sometimes the effort is very gratifying.