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Please help understanding soil sample results #750799

Asked May 19, 2021, 9:36 AM EDT

Hello. I hope this email finds you well. Last fall I took a soil sample to UVM and got the attached report back. Realizing a few of our chemicals are out of wack I need some help figuring out just what to buy to add to the garden. Our garden is 17x32=544 sq feet and is just a general veggie garden. Could you please check out the report and let me know what to buy and how much. I would GREATLY appreciate your help. Cheers, Christian

Grand Isle County Vermont

Expert Response

Hello Christian, it is my guess that your garden is on the site of an old dairy farm.  The supply of primary, secondary and trace elements are all sufficient or even plentiful.  Do not worry about the excessive supplies of primary nutrients; these levels are fine and "excessive" is telling you not to add any more.  I suggest you do very little to this soil unless you find the structure needs attention.  Perhaps it is compacted clay or very sandy?  If either one is the case then please leave a note below and we can discuss that.

The only amendment I would recommend is agricultural sulfur at the maximum rate of just 1/4 lb per 100 square feet.  This will help slowly lower the pH toward the 6.5-6.8 which is considered ideal.  Buy a 5 or 10 lb bag and you can apply the same amount both spring and fall for several years.  Many soils are deficient in sulfur since we got control of acid rain the the 1970's and 80's.  Yours is average for Vermont but lower than I'd like to see it.  Re-test the soil in 3-4 years.


Finally, the nitrogen requirement for most vegetable crops will be met from the large pool of organic matter and I see no need to add any nitrogen.  If you grow some hungry plants like corn and tomatoes then perhaps a light application of blood meal at 1 cup per 100 square feet is in order.  You could do that at planting and again 6 weeks later.  Fish fertilizer is a good choice, too, applied as directed on the label.

Rob ~ Master Gardener Volunteer Replied May 19, 2021, 7:45 PM EDT
Rob.

Thank you so very much for your speedy and thorough email.  It is so helpful.  Our soil is very dense clay.  We have added top soil to it years back which helped a little for a while.  I am lining up a man to till it in the next week.  Do you recommend we add anything to reduce the hardness?  It doesn’t bother me if I don’t have to till it. Ha..  

Where do you recommend getting the sulfur?  I have been to Claussens several times I wonder if they would have this.  Should I do the blood meal and the fish fertilizer together or just choose one?

You are so helpful.  I really appreciate it.

Christian


"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." - Albert Einstein

Christian Slotter
<personal data hidden>



On May 19, 2021, at 7:45 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

The Question Asker Replied May 21, 2021, 8:07 AM EDT

I'm glad to know you are open to suggestion on soil management.  I would not recommend tilling clay in the garden, rather the approach I recommend is to encourage "biological tilling" done by soil life (from fungi to earthworms to toads) and plant roots.  This will take time, but in my opinion it is worth the wait.  This approach uses cover crops, mulches and diverse plantings to encourage diversity above and below ground to improve the health of both.

I'd like to recommend one video produced by Mass-NOFA (Northeast Organic Farmers Association) of a talk by Sharon Gensler.  She manages a farm but she treats it as a garden.  Which is to say she treats it gently and with intention.

Building Soil in the Garden

In answer to your specific question about nitrogen fertilizer you should pick one or use both but cut the application rate in half.  You should be able to find ag-sulfur at a good farm store or you can certainly order online.

Rob ~ Master Gardener Volunteer Replied May 21, 2021, 10:19 AM EDT

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