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Garden State Pumpkins

Got My soil tests back today...PH is 6.3...My home test I thought was higher by the color anyway. I'm off the charts on everything but magnesium which is above optimal..everything is in lbs per acre is there a site I can go to that will explain and tell me conversions to ppm etc...they have exchangeable cations in Meg/thousand grams and % saturation of CEC...would like to read up on these items since the only thing I know is the NPK ph and organic material which was 8.7%...If you ask me the patch looks like all organic and no dirt so if that's 8.7 percent how do you get it to 20%...Anyway the calcium is way to high because i was adding gypsom and lime to the bed. The friendly Doctor at Penn State said to live with the ph until the calcium drops off.

4/23/2002 3:19:39 PM

Utah

Dad-
Some light reading to get you started. :)
best wishes !

SOIL TEST INTERPRETATION GUIDE- lbs per acre to
ppm convertion and others on the last page.
ppm = (lb/acre)/3.65 for 1 ft depth
ppm = (lb/acre)/2 for 7 in. depth

http://eesc.orst.edu/agcomwebfile/edmat/EC1478.pdf

SOIL MANAGEMENT FOR SMALL FARMS(-ie your pumpkin patch)
http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/eb1895/eb1895.pdf

SOIL SAMPLING FOR HOME GARDENS
http://eesc.orst.edu/agcomwebfile/edmat/EC628.pdf

THE SOIL FOOD WEB:
http://www.statlab.iastate.edu/survey/SQI/SoilBiology/soil_food_web.htm

4/23/2002 4:29:18 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

thanks g1t, went looking back in the old posts and found the eesc one you had posted earlier. Will go through these others now...Now about those cations.....hmmm

4/23/2002 8:57:13 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

Some Great reading above for all of you backyard gardeners. I found the living soil the most interesting and informative. Since I can't change my PH because of my Calcium problem I only have to raise my nitrogen levels, to get the "bugs" going how about the spray of beer,soda,and ammonia.

4/24/2002 7:21:58 AM

Utah

cations- isn't that the state of your cats
after they have been ironed ???

hey... i just provide the links ... i have no idea what
they say or mean .... let alone what you should do
with your patch !!!! :) LOL !

good luck !
gordon

4/24/2002 10:01:15 AM

Garden State Pumpkins

Thanks Gordon, I'm not sure about alot of it but at least i have an idea what some of the lab test means. CEC% is still fun. Chuck

4/24/2002 2:41:32 PM