TN 30'x60' garden Soil Test Results.

[gary350]

I took my garden soil samples to Farmers Co-op Friday about 10 days ago, they sent it off on Monday results came Friday while we were gone camping for 3 days. Results came to me by email it was a pdf file. My computer will not open pdf so I had to drive 15 miles to get a photo copy.

Man at co-op said, most TN soil is in the low range. I don't think I ever saw a soil test good as yours. He asked what are you growing and I said, potatoes, onions, garlic, tomatoes, corn, cabbage, peppers, strawberries, peas, carrots.

The man said, ph is good, calcium is good, iron is good, organic matter 6.3%, all your plants need 6-12-12 fertilizer and corn needs nitrogen. I would bet this Co-op man has never grown, onions, carrots, garlic or potatoes.

I was expecting Iron to be high I threw 1/4 of a 5 gallon bucket of bent rusty nails in the garden 5 years ago.

I still have no clue why my whole garden turn green with algae last summer. No rain for a month, then July 100°f weather and 1" of rain the entire garden was green with algae this killed all my strawberry plants. OH well strawberry are worse that weeds once you get them started doing 150 trans plants every summer is more work than I want.

Soil test told me what I already expected.

 

[oneeye]

You are smart for getting a soil test friend. I can see from the soil test that you have entered into a danger zone with phosphorus. The man that told you to add 6-12-12 fertilizer gave you very bad advice.

The algae problem you had last year and this soil test is a signal the phosphorus is in the above normal range. Phosphorus doesn't leave or desolve it stays and If you keep adding phosphorus with manures or fertilizers yearly you will make your soil toxic to plants.

Phosphorus builds up in soil due to its strong retention by soil particles and slow leaching, often exacerbated by excessive fertilizer or manure applications, leading to a buildup of phosphorus that will exceed plant needs making soil toxic.

Algae, like all plants, require phosphorus to grow and it's often a limiting nutrient that can trigger excessive algal growth, leading to algae blooms. Adding more will only make your algae problem worse. Algae thrives in excess nutrients, sunlight, and warm temperatures with damp nights. Algae reproduces asexually through spores and your environment is loaded waiting for the right conditions to bloom again.

I have ran into this many times in the horticulture business and working with Texas A&M soil testing lab they always recommended no phosphorus fertilizer for 5 years to allow the soil to regain its homeostasis. I hope that helps. Thanks for the post.

 

[gary350]

You are smart for getting a soil test friend. I can see from the soil test that you have entered into a danger zone with phosphorus. The man that told you to add 6-12-12 fertilizer gave you very bad advice.

The algae problem you had last year and this soil test is a signal the phosphorus is in the above normal range. Phosphorus doesn't leave or desolve it stays and If you keep adding phosphorus with manures or fertilizers yearly you will make your soil toxic to plants.

Phosphorus builds up in soil due to its strong retention by soil particles and slow leaching, often exacerbated by excessive fertilizer or manure applications, leading to a buildup of phosphorus that will exceed plant needs making soil toxic.

Algae, like all plants, require phosphorus to grow and it's often a limiting nutrient that can trigger excessive algal growth, leading to algae blooms. Adding more will only make your algae problem worse. Algae thrives in excess nutrients, sunlight, and warm temperatures with damp nights. Algae reproduces asexually through spores and your environment is loaded waiting for the right conditions to bloom again.

I have ran into this many times in the horticulture business and working with Texas A&M soil testing lab they always recommended no phosphorus fertilizer for 5 years to allow the soil to regain its homeostasis. I hope that helps. Thanks for the post.

Thanks for the good information. Looks like I need to buy 0-0-20 fertilizer. No more phosphorus.

Our weather has changed, spring we typically have rain 6 days a week all spring until May. I recall TV weather man say once today rain so far this year Jan to May was 37". Last year and this year we are in a drought. Even though we had 15" of rain last month and roads were flooded and everything was mud and bridges were wash away we are still in a drought because the total rain for the year is 20" less than average. Last year average rain was low, rain stopped in May rain, no June rain, then 1" of rain, no rain for another month, then 3/4" or rain, no rain for another month, Sept to Dec very low rain. I don't recall how low rain was last year. We are low on rain again this year according to TV weather man. Garden this year is getting off to a very dry start. We have been having wind gusting up to 40 mph for a week and warm weather 75° my garden is dry as desert already.

High phosphorus could be not enough rain to wash it away. Starting today NO more phosphorus in the garden all summer.

 

[oneeye]

Thanks for the good information. Looks like I need to buy 0-0-20 fertilizer. No more phosphorus.

Our weather has changed, spring we typically have rain 6 days a week all spring until May. I recall TV weather man say once today rain so far this year Jan to May was 37". Last year and this year we are in a drought. Even though we had 15" of rain last month and roads were flooded and everything was mud and bridges were wash away we are still in a drought because the total rain for the year is 20" less than average. Last year average rain was low, rain stopped in May rain, no June rain, then 1" of rain, no rain for another month, then 3/4" or rain, no rain for another month, Sept to Dec very low rain. I don't recall how low rain was last year. We are low on rain again this year according to TV weather man. Garden this year is getting off to a very dry start. We have been having wind gusting up to 40 mph for a week and warm weather 75° my garden is dry as desert already.

High phosphorus could be not enough rain to wash it away. Starting today NO more phosphorus in the garden all summer.

Your soil test shows no need for any NPK at all.

 

[Meadowlark]

... I can see from the soil test that you have entered into a danger zone with phosphorus.

A predictable outcome for years of synthetic fertilizer use without soil tests.

The philosophy of "After 50 years of garden in TN I learned what works with no soil test. It is more important to know what your plants need than what your soil needs" eventually catches up to everyone who adheres to it.

A very wise lesson in evidence.

Correcting the overload is not easy or quick.

 

[Meadowlark]

Your soil test shows no need for any NPK at all.

I didn't see any reading for "N"...did you?

Also, many of the micro-nutrients have no values that I can see. Sometimes those can be critical.

 

[Meadowlark]

...I still have no clue why my whole garden turn green with algae last summer. ...Soil test told me what I already expected.

That soil test was more than just a clue...

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Long term rain fall figures can be deceptive. I remember an Arizona cousin telling my father their annual rainfall and it was only a couple of inches less than Southern England, where it always seems to be raining.
"But why is it desert?"
"You get drizzle all the time, we get a year's worth in three days."

 

[RootLover1]

Do you have to divide result values by 2 to convert to ppm?

 

[oneeye]

I didn't see any reading for "N"...did you?

Also, many of the micro-nutrients have no values that I can see. Sometimes those can be critical.

The above is a basic soil test without micronutrients. You can ask for a more details for more money with different soil tests. Texas A&M has many different soil analyses for a price. However with a pH of 6.8 hes probably good in micronutrients.

 

[oneeye]

Thanks for the good information. Looks like I need to buy 0-0-20 fertilizer. No more phosphorus.

Our weather has changed, spring we typically have rain 6 days a week all spring until May. I recall TV weather man say once today rain so far this year Jan to May was 37". Last year and this year we are in a drought. Even though we had 15" of rain last month and roads were flooded and everything was mud and bridges were wash away we are still in a drought because the total rain for the year is 20" less than average. Last year average rain was low, rain stopped in May rain, no June rain, then 1" of rain, no rain for another month, then 3/4" or rain, no rain for another month, Sept to Dec very low rain. I don't recall how low rain was last year. We are low on rain again this year according to TV weather man. Garden this year is getting off to a very dry start. We have been having wind gusting up to 40 mph for a week and warm weather 75° my garden is dry as desert already.

High phosphorus could be not enough rain to wash it away. Starting today NO more phosphorus in the garden all summer.

High phosphorus content will not wash away with the rain like other nutrients. Phosphorus is non-metal element without magnetic properties or conductivity. That's the whole problem, friend It doesn't wash away. If you get a soil test every year for the next five years you can see what I'm talking about.

 

[oneeye]

I didn't see any reading for "N"...did you?

Also, many of the micro-nutrients have no values that I can see. Sometimes those can be critical.

Nitrogen can be regenerated from added materals in the soil that feed the microbes. Plants obtain nitrogen from the soil in the form of nitrates (NO3-) and ammonium (NH4+) after it has been converted by microorganisms through a process called nitrogen fixation. If he adds any nitrogen to the soil he will feed the algae problem.

 

[gary350]

In the past when I got a soil test someone at Farmers Co-op someone would translate what it means. Once I was told TN clay soil needs a lot of organic material. Once I was told soil needs calcium too much rain washes it away. I was always told garden needs 15-15-15 or 6-12-12 fertilizer. I have always been told corn needs nitrogen.

I need an education how to read a soil test. I learned a lot of good information 1970 in college Biology class but 65 years later I think I have forgotten 99% of what I learned.

I find a lot of online information about hot weather and rain washes away nitrogen and nitrogen naturally goes away on its own fairly quick. Corn research online tells correct way how to fertilizer corn.

I'm am not finding anything online how to get ride of too much phosphorus? I am not putting any PK fertilizer in my garden all summer.

Our weather has changed we are not getting rain 6 days a week anymore. My soil is usually mud until late April. We have never had 70+ temperatures every day the month of March.

We use to be zone 7a now we are zone 8a.

 

[Meadowlark]

In the past when I got a soil test someone at Farmers Co-op someone would translate what it means. Once I was told TN clay soil needs a lot of organic material.

All garden soils benefit from lots of organic material. It helps maintain nutrient balance in your soil.

Once I was told soil needs calcium too much rain washes it away.

All garden soils need the presence of calcium. Calcium can be one of the first nutrients plants absorb for cell wall strength and growth stability. Optimum levels are 80 to 320 ppm.

I was always told garden needs 15-15-15 or 6-12-12 fertilizer.

What a garden needs can only be determined precisely through a comprehensive soil test. Many people recommend balanced synthetic fertilizers in the absence of current tests, but without test results, they are simply guessing.

I have always been told corn needs nitrogen.

Certainly, it does...however without knowing how much Nitrogen is available in your soil, one is simply guessing when amending with synthetic Nitrogen...and guesses can often be wrong and counterproductive. One of the beauties of organic amendments is that they are long lasting in Nitrogen releasing it over time as the organic matter decays.

I find a lot of online information about hot weather and rain washes away nitrogen and nitrogen naturally goes away on its own fairly quick.

In a veggie garden, Nitrogen is used by most of the veggies planted exception being legumes such as beans which actually add Nitrogen to your soil through the process of Nitrogen fixation. I have studied and am continuing to study how much Nitrogen is typically used in a growing season by different plants. It varies considerably.

Optimal Total Nitrogen ranges from 32 to 60 ppm. Your soil test did not measure Total Nitrogen, for some reason. At least, I could not find it posted. Again, by using organic sources of Total Nitrogen, your garden can provide nutrients continuously through the growing season according to whatever each plant needs/requires.

I'm am not finding anything online how to get ride of too much phosphorus?

It is a tedious process that takes time and serious monitoring to accomplish.

Here are some effective strategies:

1. Organic matter: Add organic materials like composted aged manure. Cover crops employing chop and drop and green manure amendments are also effective. These can help dilute the concentration of potassium and improve overall soil structure and nutrient balance.
2. Low-potassium materials: Use soil amendments that are naturally low in potassium, such as lime or gypsum (depending on your soil pH), to avoid adding further potassium while improving soil health. Caution must be employed however to avoid any sudden or excessive ph changes. I have noted your quote "I use wood ash as fertilizer it contains a lot of P & K". Wood ash can be great in the right circumstances, but it is very easy to create excesses and imbalances without soil tests when using it.
3. Frequent watering: Leach excess potassium by watering your garden deeply. This helps flush out water-soluble nutrients, including potassium, though you'll need to monitor other nutrients to ensure they're not excessively depleted. I've seen your board methods. Those actually prevent leaching out excess potassium...counterproductive.
4. Grow plants that consume potassium: Select crops or plants that thrive in high-potassium conditions to naturally draw some of the excess from the soil. Tomatoes and/or potatoes are examples that can help. Brassicas and daikon radishes are good.
5. Test and monitor your soil: Conduct soil tests to confirm potassium levels and adjust your strategy accordingly. This ensures you're making precise amendments rather than guessing. Now that you know that "Soil test here in TN is $100 and it takes 6 months to get the results" are not anywhere near that expensive or time consuming, they should be embraced not spurned.

Years of just throwing out whatever synthetic fertilizer you "think" a plant needs without knowledge of what the soil has already available causes imbalances and imbalances can lead to significant problems in your garden over time...problems which are not easy to fix.

 

[Tundra20]

i enjoyed reading thru this always learn something new