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questions about my soil test #890673

Asked December 10, 2024, 10:56 AM EST

Hello, I am looking at my soil test report, and I think I understand what i need to do mostly but I want to check. It says my calcium level is 750 ppm, but no analysis was provided for that. Do you think I should add calcium to my soil? Or is it within a decent range? I read that for my level of cec (6) 700 is fine. My ph is 6 so I dont think i need to add lime, but should I add lime or a non-ph changing calcium? This is for a lawn with shrubs and flowers.

Houghton County Michigan

Expert Response

Rozalyn - After reviewing your MSU soil test, I see a couple of areas that you should focus on.  One is that your Potassium level is Below Optimum and the other is that the organic matter in your soil is low.  For what you are growing in this area, there should be little that you need to do with the Calcium or pH.  Below is my input on the Potassium deficiency and low organic matter.  

Potassium:  Note the recommended fertilizer ratio is 1:0:3 which translates into one part Nitrogen to 3 parts Potassium.   Finding a general fertilizer with this ratio may be challenging so my suggestion is that you purchase a product with both Nitrogen and Potassium (but 0 Phosphorous since that is Above Optimum).  Then you could purchase  Potassium fertilizer and apply it separately from the general fertilizer.  If you have a large area, you can usually find larger bags of Potash at a farm mill store.  For each product, come back to the MSU soil test site and enter the product bag numbers into the Fertilizer Calculator (found under Tools) and the site will calculate how much of each product to distribute over a year for 1,000 sq. ft.  Remember that if your area is smaller or larger than 1,000 sq. ft., you will need to pro-rate the amount to apply in one year.  The two product applications do not have to be done at the same time and should be done when the grass/plants are not dormant.

Organic matter:  organic matter in soils can range from 5-15% and those with less than 5% organic matter tend to be less productive.  I am including two links below that explain in more detail the value of organic matter in the soil as well as how to increase it.  

https://www.canr.msu.edu/hrt/uploads/535/78622/Organic-Matters-figure-6pgs.pdf

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/soilits_more_than_dirt

Good job starting with a soil test to understand the health of your soil  Hope that helps!


Diane - MSU Advanced Extension Master Gardener Replied December 11, 2024, 11:38 AM EST

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