I don't think sodium is actually used by plants. Excess sodium can be a problem. Low sodium is not, I think. Well, it might have some effect, but it isn't considered an "essential nutrient" for most plants. Sodium may have a role in soil structure, however.

If the test was done by a professional test lab, call and ask them.

And next time you get a soil test, at the same time request "recommendations for a home garden."

Don't do anything. Sodium is found in fertilizers (especially synthetic), water (ground and/or surface), and some miscellaneous things like pesticides, so it's going to get into your soil regardless. And it's way, way, way better to have low Na+ than too much. If levels are high it can displace other, more vital nutrients taken up by plants, especially K+ and other cations. Too much in the soil will lower the water potential and will reduce or even reverse water uptake by plant roots. And it can bind to clay in soils and really do bad things to soil texture, structure, and permeability.

It's a problem here, especially if you have well water.

IMO, leave it alone, assuming your potassium levels and pH were within normal range.

You use Miracle Grow you have said. It contains plenty of salts.

Dave

It is curious that your soil testers give a narrow range for "optimal sodium". I can't find any references to "optimal sodium" in soil. If it's really high, it's bad, mainly because it displaces other ions and is usually pretty alkaline. I'd be interested to know what they're talking about.

The lab analysis shows Na to be 22 ppm (low)

The literature that come with it says:

Na >>>> 20 = low >>>>50 =acceptable >>>>> 80 = optimum >>>> 200 =high >>> 300 = VHigh.

This A & L Agricultural Laboratories.

Sey

After a little research, I see that the metric that is considered here is the ESP = "exchangable sodium percentage". If the ESP is too high (>6), you have "sodic" soil, and causes soil to not clump. That is, individual grains start to separate and "disperse", and don't allow easy infiltration of water. That greatly increases erosion and crusting. As best I can tell ESP=6 corresponds to about 400 ppm Na. So I think the lab is saying to stay way away from sodic soil. So it's about soil structure.

No clue why 20ppm is considered "low".

Dan, the lab report says 300 ppm is VERY HIGH. So that must be the "sodic" soil that you have mentioned.

I have read somewhere that Na can improve tomato taste. HOW ? I have no clue.

Sey

It is said that sea salt in a garden bed makes tastier tomatoes. But it depends who you ask.

http://njfarmfresh.rutgers.edu/documents/TomatoSalt2009.pdf

I'd take that study with a big grain of er, salt, however. I have my suspicions that particular study of a commercial product was funded by the maker of that commercial product. They could have done the study with generic sodium chloride. But no, they did it with Sea-90, which is basically branded (and pretty costly -- $5/lb) sea salt. That's one way salt can improve the taste of a tomato!

But if you sprinkle sodium chloride on a tomato, I do think it improves the taste.