This is our first year here, and there hasn't been a garden for 8 years. We had a soil test done. $14.95 sent to CalMar soil tsting labs in Ohio.

We found out that we have excessive phosphorus, very high potassium, medium calcium medium low magnesium and medium Cation Exchange Capacity???. Very low on organic matter.

sounds like we have a lot of work to do. Organically of course. We need nitrogen, #3.0 #/1000 sq. ft. and lime.

Any comments, suggestions would be appreciated.

We have a compost pile started for next year and plan on add lots of organic matter this fall: straw manure, etc.

Thanks

-- Cindy (S.E.IN) (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), April 25, 2002

Answers

that nitrogen isnt too bad,, if you add manure,, it should do the trick, as well as bring up your organinc amtter,, and balance your PH

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), April 25, 2002.

Your ag agent can add info to this, plant a cover crop of hairy vech or alfalfa, turn it under before planting your garden. Also different beans can add nitrogen by drawing it up from deeper depths into the root system. When the beans die their roots are allowed to decay, leaving nitrogen.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), April 25, 2002.

THAST TOO FUNNY mitch, ,legumes dont get their nitrogen from "deeper" down,, LOL,, check google first would ya?

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), April 25, 2002.

Some epsom salts in your planting holes will aid in the magnesium deficiency. Also look into layered gardening or lasagna gardening. It makes for gardens with lots of humus and less back work of digging. Green manure cover crops are excellent. Blood meal will also boost nitrogen. If you mulch with straw you can till it in in the fall too (organic matter). Mitch was right about planting legumes for nitrogen enrichment even if his info on where the nitrogen comes from was iffy. Actually, legumes fix atmospheric nitrogen in the nodules of their roots in a way other plants can't (through use of bacteria), thus replenishing nitrogen to the soil (when you leave the plants there to compost)rather than depleting it like other vegetation. Good luck, Cindy. Organic is really the way to go in my opinion!

-- Alison in NS (aproteau@istar.ca), April 29, 2002.