Got a soil test...now if I understood the results.... (?)

[GreatGazoo]

Phosphorous (P) 21 lbs/acre
Potassium (K) 236 lbs/acre
Calcium (Ca) 1351 lbs/acre
Magnesium (mg) 142 lbs/acre

Ph 6.5 (I know that one)
Buffer Ph 6.3

Boron 0.3 lbs/acre
Iron (Fe) 2 lbs/acre
Manganese (Mn) 10 lbs/acre
Zinc 1 lbs/acre
Aluminum 28 lbs/acre

% of organic Matter: 2.3%

I think the calcium, boron and zinc are all low. Calcium may be low also but I don't really know.

Any thoughts or help are appreciated.

[Nitram]

1. This looks like the recommended rates of application.

Usually soil test results are expressed in part per million (ppm). I'd suggest contacting the people who tested it to get an interpretation of the results.

http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/soils/soil-test-interpretations-and-fertilizer-management/#overview-nutrients

http://soiltest.cfans.umn.edu/understanding-your-report/lawn-garden-and-landscape-plants/

[GreatGazoo]

4. they are old school numbers -- if you divide by 2 you get PPM

so for example Phosphorous is 10.5 PPM

[Elad]

2. If you really want to get into the math of it

go get the book The Intelligent Gardener by Steve Solomon. It's a bit much to try and figure it out at first, but he explains how to calculate exactly how much to apply for each mineral based on your soil report.

One thing I can tell you is that your organic matter is pretty low, at least if you're trying to grow vegetables.

[GreatGazoo]

6. No quick cure for the organic matter level.

Maybe a mixed cover crop in September?

[jtuck004]

7. your organic matter is pretty lo > And in fixing this, by adding organic matter, compost,

etc, you will likely fix the other problems without adding specific nutrients.

http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/kswater/images/soil_organic_matter.htm

There are a lot of sites that discuss these things, btw. Just google.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. Wow, did they just give you that with no explanation?

I would contact either the place that furnished the results, or maybe your County Extension office (if that is what they call it in your part of the country) for a explanation.

[GreatGazoo]

5. I am a guest farmer with my own plot on a larger farm (300 acres)

They submitted their sample (last year) with no target crop listed -- so we didn't get 'high - med - low' scoring.

It is now an organic farm so they may have forgone the NPK recommendations since those are usually for conventional fertilizers but relative scoring would be nice.

I am submitting my own soil sample today to a different lab -- U Mass. I will be curious to see how different the results are but I am trying to cue up some soil amendments while waiting for the latest test results. I have only about 2 weeks before I seed my main crop. We tilled a week ago and will till again before rows are formed and that is a great time to add any amendments.

As mentioned up thread the organic matter is low for veg so I may try top dressing with compost for now and then try to get them to cover crop at the end of this season.

[Curmudgeoness]

8. I don't know if this would work for you,

but in my area, the Amish farmers always go into town on leaf pickup days in the fall and spring and gather the bagged leaves to plow into their fields for organic matter. It seems like a lot of work to me, but they have been doing this for years. They also plant clover or other legumes as cover crops to add nitrogen to the soil. And have you considered a no-till method?