Why Do You Need A Soil Test?
•Encourages plant growth by providing the best lime and fertilizer recommendations.
•Diagnoses whether there is too little or too much of a nutrient.
•Promotes environmental quality.
•Saves money that might be spent on unneeded lime and fertilizer.
Common Sense Use of Fertilzer and Lime in the Home Vegetable Garden.
Lime and fertilizer supply the nutrients that plants require for good growth and high yields.
While it is possible to supply all or part of these nutrients through organic materials such as manure, compost, cover crops and other sources, commercial lime and fertilizer products are easy to work with and will generally increase production and improve vegetable quality.(Left: Roger holding carrots from the garden)
Soil Testing
Article info from the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension and NC State.
A soil test is the only way to determine soil pH and general fertility. To have your soil tested, pick up a soil bag and instructions from your county Cooperative Extension office. There is a small fee for the soil analysis depending on what test you want done.
What is a Soil Test? A soil test is a process by which elements (phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, sulfur, manganese, copper and zinc) are chemically removed from the soil and measured for the "plant available"
content within the sample. The quantity of available nutrients in the sample determines the amount of fertilizer that is recommended. A soil test also measures soil pH, humic matter and exchangeable acidity. These analyses indicate whether lime is needed and, if so, how much to apply.
Lime: Soils that are too acidic are not productive because many required nutrients are unavailable to the plant's root system. Liming adds a calcium or calcium and magnesium compound to the soil to reduce acidity. Adding lime when it is not needed can be just as damaging to some vegetables as a lack of lime. When soil acidity (pH) is too high, nutrients also become unavailable.
Acidity is measured by pH: 7.0 is neutral. Most soils should be maintained at a slightly acid level, or at a pH of 6.0 to 6.5.
A soil test is the best way to determine the type and amount of lime to use, especially when establishing a garden for the first time. Keep a record of when lime was applied to avoid over-
or under-liming.
most crops and soils. Be careful when liming soil intended for potatoes, since liming encourages the plant disease scab. A pH of 5.0 to 5.5 is recommended for potatoes. Apply 50 to 75 pounds of ground limestone per 1,000 sq. feet to
sandy soils that have never been limed. On heavier silty or clay soils, apply 75
to 125 pounds of ground limestone per
1,000 sq. feet.
Nearly 200 people attended Horticulure workshops in 2014, gaining knowlege and confidence in areas such as bee keeping, pruning and grafting.