First, professional soil tests cost nowhere near $300 - most extension services or land grant universities will provide for around 20-25 bucks as do most non-university associated testing labs. Would be worth pursuing as specific nutrient deficiencies could be hampering root development and home testing kits are pretty much a waste of money. Also, root veggies tend to prefer a very slightly acidic to neutral soil pH - right around 6.5 to 7.0.

Typically root veggies do best in a very loose, friable soil, often with high sand component (i.e., "sandy loam") and of sufficient depth.

And let us know where you are located - it DOES make a difference!!

First, store bought tests kits that you do yourself are essentially useless. They are very often completely wrong. Second, there's no way a professional soil test don't cost $300. If you live in the U.S. check with your local extension service to see if they do soil tests. If they don't they'll point you to somewhere that does.

As for your failure with root vegetables, you probably don't even need a soil test. Your greens doing nicely combined with the fact that your roots had a lot of leaves but no root means your soil had too much nitrogen.

Rodney

Edit: gardengal's response wasn't there as I was typing.

@gardengal48, you must be from the US. In Canada it is very expensive and very limited number of labs. That's the price I was given - basic $230 + additions + 12% tax... for us it is almost $300.00. I am located in a suburb of Vancouver, Canada.

Acidity was within limits for root veggies, we did check that. Assuming the machine worked properly.

Thank you Rodney, I'll look into reducing nitrogen!

Just googled removing nitrogen from the soil and apparently it's not as simple. Is there a quick way to remove it and being able to plant and have some kind of veggies this year? Or would putting wood chips in between rows of plants help?

Also wouldn't nitrogen levels change since last year? We live in a very rainy area (mostly rain from October to basically now). It says watering a lot would help, but we just had rain for the past 6 months.

MBLabs, Sidney B.C. - $35.00 for basic soil test

Xova (formerly Soilcon Labs), Surrey B.C. - $35.06 (dunno about the .06!!) for basic, $79 for a complete soil test.

UOGuelph, Ontario (and the largest agricultural/horticultural focused university in the country) - $35.00 basic garden soil test.

You can also send your samples to any US testing lab with a USDA import permit (available online).

btw, you can't remove nitrogen. Just do not add any additional high N organic matter or fertilizers but you have to have some N for any plant to grow, root crop or not.

I've spoken to a gardener on my lunch break and he says to try to grow root veggies now, because it's been raining and chances are nitrogen levels are normal comparing to a year ago and he says testing is not accurate anyway.

All this is a bit confusing because i've never experienced this before (things just grew!), and everyone is giving a different answer.

I would disagree with him. The ones that do the tests here are University related.

The soil is the most important part of the garden. Plants will grow in a good healthy soil and to know whether you have a good healthy soil requires taking a good look at that soil and includes soil tests for soil pH and major nutrient levels.

These simple soil tests may also help.

1) Soil test for organic
material. 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.
For example, 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, to a point. Too much organic matter
can be bad as well.

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.

Soil needs to have a good pH in the 6.0 to 7.0 range which is where most nutrients are most readi8ly available and balanced nutrient levels. The soil also needs to have adequate levels of organic matter, in the 6 to 8 percent range. The only way to know that is with good reliable soil tests.

kimmq is kimmsr

There is something fundamentally wrong if you can't grow radishes. There just isn't anything easier to grow this side of purslane. :)

Root veg are cool season crops, when did you plant them? Feel free to process all the data you've been offered so far, but I suggest you try radishes again following the directions on the seed packet.

"There is something fundamentally wrong if you can't grow radishes. There
just isn't anything easier to grow this side of purslane."

I've
read many comments on the vegetable forum over the years from
experienced growers who have failures with radishes. It might be easy
for some but for others it isn't.Rodney

"I've read many comments on the vegetable forum over the years from experienced growers who have failures with radishes..."

Good to know. And what turned out to be fundamentally wrong?

"Root veggies we tried: 3 types of beets, 4 types of carrots, 4 types of radishes."

It's possible the beds were too shallow - they need 8-10 inches of soft or sandy soil for the root to develop, or that you planted at the wrong time of year and the tops were done before root development started.

Failure to thin the crop EARLY and often is another cause of no root development. Snip out the unwanted ones and use for beet greens.

Too little Phosphorus (add bone meal)

Too little boron

http://www.motherofahubbard.com/five-tips-for-growing-beets/