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Got a soil test done
- Thread starter GOT_BUD?
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That would make sense.
I don't know where the targets came from.
Maybe it's a suggestion on where I want to make adjustments to raise my total exchange capacity? Iirc, we want somewhere around 28, so I am low.
I have a book on how to interpret soil tests. But I just started reading it a few weeks ago and haven't gotten very far into it.
If the total is low, you can't get everything in there that you want to. So will have to wait while some is used up, then add more mid season. That is very typical of sand, but with 50% organic matter, I thought you would be alright.
Don't listen to me though.. I'm about as far down this road as you are. There is a very long thread covering it, but it wasn't applicable in the UK, where methods have changed. The thread seems fixated on ratio's while here we just want enough of everything. We left rato's behind after the war.
Don't listen to me though.. I'm about as far down this road as you are. There is a very long thread covering it, but it wasn't applicable in the UK, where methods have changed. The thread seems fixated on ratio's while here we just want enough of everything. We left rato's behind after the war.
That's a great start to library, that speaks volumes without even picking one up.
Don't get me wrong, there are people here making a living, flying around teaching others based on golden ratio's. It has global acceptance. It's just here that the labs scoff at it. The thread is in advanced. Growers round table perhaps. Lot's of youtube links to a series of professional growers that swear by it in the states.
Don't get me wrong, there are people here making a living, flying around teaching others based on golden ratio's. It has global acceptance. It's just here that the labs scoff at it. The thread is in advanced. Growers round table perhaps. Lot's of youtube links to a series of professional growers that swear by it in the states.
I'm thinking maybe what I should do for now is grow a cover crop in there for about a month, then cut it down, and layer on some new compost, ewc, and other amendments at half dose. Then a fresh layer of straw, top it with some clean cardboard, and let it sit for 2-3 weeks while the worms and microbes do their thing.
That'll give me time to finish up the grow in the big room and come up with whatever clones I'm going to put in the tent.
That'll give me time to finish up the grow in the big room and come up with whatever clones I'm going to put in the tent.
If you can convert the lb's per acre, to ppm, then a feed bottle could be a useful reference? My report came as mg/l which is million'ths. Making comparisons for me hard at 1:30am
Edit: Oh, it is also in ppm. 2am. It's an excuse, and i'm taking it
Edit: Oh, it is also in ppm. 2am. It's an excuse, and i'm taking it
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That is extremely helpful.
I also have that book, but haven't got that far into it. Maybe I should put it next to the toilet instead of playing solitaire, lol.
ETA - I should have read this book a long time ago. I've learned more about soil this morning than I have in a while.
Thanks h.h.!
And now I know I have too much Magnesium for the amount of calcium I have, but I don't want to add more calcium. Also, too much K. I have way too much organic matter. But my sodium is spot on. So I basically want to do nothing but put more plants in and ride it out. Input only whats needed when needed so the plants use up the excesses in the soil.
Now I need to figure out my trace metals.
Damn those worksheets are handy!
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OK, now the tests are starting to make sense. The desired values are based on my Total Exchange Capacity.
Based on this, my sulfur is low, but my phosphorus is spot on. My potassium is too high, and I believe their "Desired Value" is too high as well, based on my soil acidity. But they are the experts, so I'll use what they have.
Mg is also way too high. Guess I shouldn't have added the epsom salts trying to fix the last go round. Oh well. Live and learn.
Extremely low on Boron and Manganese. Zinc and Copper also need to come up.
Based on this, my sulfur is low, but my phosphorus is spot on. My potassium is too high, and I believe their "Desired Value" is too high as well, based on my soil acidity. But they are the experts, so I'll use what they have.
Mg is also way too high. Guess I shouldn't have added the epsom salts trying to fix the last go round. Oh well. Live and learn.
Extremely low on Boron and Manganese. Zinc and Copper also need to come up.
I use RO water. I picked up zinc, copper, boron, and sulfur for pretty cheap. I just need to figure out the math for the right amounts to add.
It seems the best way to get manganese to grow a cover crop, so I threw some down and watered. I'll probably set up a blumat system in there as well.
Something I keep reading about is the amount of organic matter is important for nitrogen, and I am at 49%. I'm supposed to be around 8-10%.
I know quite a bit of it is probably straw and root material, but 49% seems excessive no matter the form.
How do I solve that issue? Or is it really an issue?
I know quite a bit of it is probably straw and root material, but 49% seems excessive no matter the form.
How do I solve that issue? Or is it really an issue?
Hookahhead
Active member
I don’t have any experience with soil tests, but I noticed the organic matter was way high too. As you’ve read I’ve always seen 10% max recommended.
Is this soil out of a field, or is this a mix you whipped up for containers/beds? If it’s a field, I would say you probably just need to let everything decompose a bit more. Maybe using a microbial inoculant might speed things up. If it’s a container mix, you’re probably using a base of peat or coco. I don’t know if these register as organic matter, but that’s surely what they are. In this instance, having a 50% OM content seems reasonable to me. I think a peat/coco based mix would technically be a soilless media?
Is this soil out of a field, or is this a mix you whipped up for containers/beds? If it’s a field, I would say you probably just need to let everything decompose a bit more. Maybe using a microbial inoculant might speed things up. If it’s a container mix, you’re probably using a base of peat or coco. I don’t know if these register as organic matter, but that’s surely what they are. In this instance, having a 50% OM content seems reasonable to me. I think a peat/coco based mix would technically be a soilless media?
St. Phatty
Active member
Could it be as simple as soaking copper Pennies & galvanized crap in water ?
A mixture of copper pennies and zinc pennies.
Maybe some galvanized crap from the hardware store.
Our well water has 39 ppm copper.
Rico Swazi
Active member
I'm curious about the protocol or methods that were used to take the samples
Can you elaborate on the sample area size and the process you took to obtain them?
Can you elaborate on the sample area size and the process you took to obtain them?
It's in my newish 4x4 soil bed in a tent. Soil is ~14" deep. And it is a peat based mix. Specifically KIS Organics mix, which is based on Kalckamas Coot's mix I believe with some tweaking.
Went to four separate areas of the bed, lifted up the straw layer, dug down 6ish inches, and scooped some dirt into a quart container. Took that, tumbled it for a bit to mix it up, and took my 2 cup sample from that.
Rico Swazi
Active member
thanks, when you say scooped out, did you slice the soil vertically to obtain your sample?
