Software
Houzz Logo Print
unasmith_gw

Luster Leaf #1601 soil test kit

16 years ago

Does anyone know how reliable this soil test kit is? I am using it for screening of problem spots around my garden. I suspect low N everywhere, but the first test result was an unpleasant surprise.

The soil came from a hedgerow bed planted many decades ago. When I acquired it 4 years ago the hedge was plainly sick. Judging by stuff left behind in the garden shed, maintenance had consisted of heavy fertilizing with a variety of "balanced" NPK fertilizers and other stuff, heavy shallow watering, and removal of all organic debris from the property.

I decided right off the hedge was going to go, and I did not water it. Most of the stems died. The stems were 1-3 inches diameter at the base, but digging them up I found root crowns 6-12 inches in diameter and riddled with rot, in soil barely 6 inches deep.

The soil test from this bed: pH okay, 0 N, too much K, and a P test result so extreme that the color was dark blue violet. The range on the test chamber is yellow to light blue green. So I am looking at remediating phosphorus toxicity, or?

Looks like I need get a laboratory soil test that includes zinc and iron. What else?

Comments (8)