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Owensboro, Ky.

Hope this soil analysis results request for opinions is early enough to find folks still willing to give input...I would imagine this gets old, like pics of seedlings in spring diaries...LOL I added approx. 4" of 90% maple leaves to 2400 sq. ft. patch in the fall. No chance to till in before local farmer planted winter rye in the patch for free. Leaves seem to be breaking down nicely, but didn't know what to do with them when taking soil samples, so I scraped them away and took soil only...12 places, 7 to 8 inches deep, mixed well and these are the results in #/acre.
pH 7.1 Phos. 481 Pot. 455 Mag. 1,097 Cal. 7,499 Sulfur 56 Boron 8.7 Zinc 37.7 Manganese 178 Iron 512 Copper 6.8 Organic Matter 6.88% ENR = 138#/acre CEC 26.7 Base Saturation: K 2.2% Mg17.1% Ca 70.2% H 10.5%

2/13/2006 6:46:18 PM

Norton, MA

Everything looks nice and high, I can tell you that. The OM could come up some, the leaves will do that nicely. Not sure about the rest. AleX Noel.

2/13/2006 8:40:02 PM

Follansbee, Wv

Hmmm, yet another mistake in typing in the numbers...and another "nice and high" comment. So, who else sees the problem here?

2/13/2006 10:29:08 PM

must be decimal point missing 512 iron?

2/13/2006 11:29:44 PM

San Diego, Ca.

I see a toxic amount of boron.

2/14/2006 12:41:57 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

No typo on my part, will call lab and ask. Toxic? Exp. and/or solution, if numbers are correct? Thanks Peace, Wayne

2/14/2006 7:09:24 AM

San Diego, Ca.

Wayne, on my soil report if the boron level reads high on my test the lab always includes a note saying that boron levels above 4.0 ppm need to be watched because levels above that can affect growth. Saying your level of boron is toxic might be a bit of an overstatement but it is probably not too far from being toxic, considering anything above 2.0 is considered high and readings over 4.0 starts to affect growth. Good news is that boron is easily leached.
Here's a good site to understand your soil report readings:
http://ag.mdsharris.com/education_train/understand.asp

2/14/2006 9:14:06 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

It is very interesting to see 10.5% H on BS with a pH of 7.1 but stranger things have happened.

2/14/2006 10:28:15 PM

Follansbee, Wv

Don found the possible typo (probably the labs fault). 512 pounds per acre equates to 256 parts per million. I think a more normal level is like 2-5 ppm.

Gourdzilla found a real problem. 8.7 pounds per acre Boron would equate to 4.35 parts per million. That is reaching into the danger zone.

I agree Steve, 10.5 is high, but look at that CEC...26.7 That puts the acidity at 2.67 right? With acidity running only 1/10th of CEC wouldn't you expect a near neutral pH?

All in all, what I think we are seeing here is relative to the extraction method used. Most of the levels are in the high to unbelievable range. Wayne, if you call the lab, see if you can find out which extraction method they use. Odds are, your levels are normal, but appear screwy due to that. I believe there may be some conversion tables available to compare one extraction method with another.

2/15/2006 7:32:57 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Yes Monty...It should be near neutral.

This all speaks to using a quality lab that uses a good multiagent extraction process instead of burning the minerals out with strong acids & then applying a formula to try & correct the precipitates.

Unfortunately only CLC & MD Harris use the ideal extraction method & no one here ever uses them.

2/15/2006 10:46:33 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Thanks all, tests were done at Waters Agri. Lab., Inc. On the printout it says Test Method: Mehlich III. I am guessing that is different than the extraction method you referred to? I called the lab and the agronomist(?) is out of town at a conference somewhere, go figure. I will call again and find out. They suggested taking new sample and retesting. I used a sterilized metal tool to dig samples and they said to use plastic or aluminum. Will probably submit new samples as the price is right...LOL Peace, Wayne

2/16/2006 7:28:20 AM

Eastern Pennsylvania

What are you guys paying for samples? I hear $60 or $70 being tossed around. $15 seems to get it done here, full analysis. Should I be weary?

2/16/2006 11:10:12 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

$0 here, my ma knows someone from the lab. Can't beat the price, but am now leary about quality of results. It appears to be a quality lab, used by farmers in the area, but I would not know how to judge the quality of their work. And so it goes...Peace, Wayne

2/16/2006 8:02:19 PM

Norton, MA

Orangeneck, like Wayne, I'm no expert, but I get a 13$ test from UMASS and I know that that is one of the primarily used labs by many area growers. AleX Noel.

2/16/2006 9:54:57 PM

Follansbee, Wv

Wayne, most erroneous soil test results are the fault of the sample taker. We sometimes forget that we are testing for substances measured in the parts per million. So many things can contaminate a soil sample. Plastic, and stainless steel are my tools of choice. I find it odd that a testing lab would recommend using an aluminum tool.

Another mistake many people make is to handle the soil with bare hands. Remember "parts per million".

2/16/2006 11:25:41 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

In the winter many folks are satisfied to find a couple handfuls on days the soil is frozen. I once watched a grower pull a sample by using a plated hand trowel to scoop a single 6 square inch of soil into a sandwich bag. The patch was 2000 sq ft. If a dog, cat or passing bird left it's "mark" there at any time then the sample is worthless. If a passing pedestrian spit some chew juice there, then the sample is worthless. If certain weeds were allowed to grow in that spot for several weeks then that sample is also worthless.

We need to obtain cores or slices of soil from the entire depth of the rootzone. Take 1 sample per every 10-20 square feet using (as Monty said) plastic or better yet, a stainless coring tool made for this purpose. Place all of these into a clean non-reactive vessel & mix the entire contents together. You might have 3 gallons of soil in a 5 gallon bucket so mix it thoroughly. From this you will draw off 1 1/2 - 2 pints of soil to submit to the lab.

Read this page:

http://www.soil.ncsu.edu/publications/Soilfacts/AG-439-30/

2/17/2006 7:10:53 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

I will again state a soil test is like tasting a pot of soup with an eye dropper. Very vague idea of what is actually going on...

2/17/2006 9:24:13 AM

Carrollton, Ga.

How do you recommend doing it shannon?
Doug
jn 3:16

2/17/2006 4:12:12 PM

Indiana

So wouldnt it be better to till first before you do a sample?? But then again you may show high iron from the minute amout you just wore off of your tiller tines. LOL I believe most of this testing is just ballpark figures only. How often and how much faith do some consistant 1000#+ growers put into soil tests? It would be interesting to take the sample the way Tremor said and then sent 3 identical samples each, to six different labs (about a week apart)and then compare results. I bet there will be a fairly large variance in the results even from the same labs. But then again how do you really know who is right? I figure I will test mine about every three years and see what kind of trend I have going. but then again i havent grown a 1000#er yet. hehe
Steve

2/17/2006 7:13:18 PM