Re: Help with soil analysis please...
- Subject: Re: Help with soil analysis please...
- From: vince a*@yahoo.com
- Date: Wed, 3 Dec 2003 10:54:56 -0800 (PST)
- List-archive: <http://www.hort.net/lists/pumpkins/> (Web Archive)
I can give some overall comments on your soil test. First of
all there is no N reading - let's hope you have between
40-60PPM of NO3.
P 897ppm - Your P level is way higher than it needs to be.
However, there are no toxic levels of P. 60ppm is adequate,
100ppm is high, 897 is way high.
K 1185ppm - If this number is correct it is way too high. If
your soil contains more than 350ppm K it can be toxic to soil
microbes and plants. This high level also throws your base
saturation way out of balance which can interfer with the
proper uptake of calcium by the plant.
Mg 429ppm - This is also too high. A high level of Magnesium
can cause Phosphate, Potassium and Nitrogen deficiencies in the
plants. High Mg also causes clay soils to cement tightly
together. If Mg levels are over 300ppm, you should take
corrective action.
Ca 3110ppm - For proper cationic balance Ca should be increased
to about 3900ppm. Liming will help.
Your soil report did not provide Base Saturation which shows
the balance of the cationic elements in your soil. I roughly
calculated them as follows:
K - 13.3% s/b 5-7%
Mg - 16% s/b 10-15%
Ca - 70% s/b 75-80%
Na - 1% s/b less than 3%
K is way high, Mg is a little high and CA is a little low. As
stated earlier, this can lead to problems with the plant taking
up enough calcium.
For corrective action, you should consider treating your soil
with gypsum. This helps leach excess K and Mg out of the soil
and also adds Ca without affecting Ph. I would use 10 pounds
per 100 square feet broadcast evenly and tilled in when you can
work your soil in the spring.
You might also consider backing off on the amount of new
fertilizers you add to the soil.
Your soil test did not provide a reading for soluble salts or
ECe. This reading indicates the level of potentially harmful
soluble salts including Sodium, Chloride, Boron, Mg and others.
It would helpful to know if this is less than 1.0...
best of luck,
vince
--- Richard Plourde <richardplourde@rogers.com> wrote:
> Finally got my soil analysis today. It's from my patch which
> grew
> the 804 Plourde 02 and the core splitin' 585 Plourde 03. The
> organic
> ratio was not available, however I'm sure it's fine. I added
>
> composted chicken manure in 2002 and will be adding shrimp
> and crab
> compost in spring 2003 to the rate of 4-5 cubic yards to my
> 1000 sq
> feet area. I am getting fairly good results from my soil but
> the
> Calcium, Potassium, Phosphorus and Magnesium are high I want
> to keep
> this patch healthy. So here goes.
>
> pH 5,9 This have to move up. Langevin recommends 50 lbs of
> lime if
> pH is under 6,0 any comments?
>
> CEC 32,3 (Meq/100g)
> P 897 ppm
> K 1185 ppm
> Ca 3110 ppm
> Mg 429 ppm
> B 1,2 ppm
> Cu 7,8 ppm
> Zn 39 ppm
> S 73 ppm
> Mn 29 ppm
> Fe 312 ppm
> Al 920 ppm
> Na 47 ppm
> Soil index 6,4
>
> Also does anyone have a link to a soil related web site that
> would help?
>
> I REALLY appreciate your help!
>
> Thanks
>
> --
> Richard Plourde
> Edmundston, NB Canada
__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now
http://companion.yahoo.com/
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Pumpkin-growing archives: http://www.hort.net/lists/pumpkins/
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PUMPKINS
