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Hayward, CA

Hi,
I have a 30x30 patch with clay soil and just received my report back from A & L Labs. This is the report findings:

pH: 6.9 Organic Matter: 3.3% ENR 110
Phosphorus: 310 LB/ACRE
Potassium: 644
Calcium: 4644
Magnesium: 670
Sulphur: 180
Boron: 2.0
Copper: 7.6
Iron: 310
Manganese: 94
Zinc: 30.2
Sodium: 140

The Calculated Cation Exchange Capacity: 13 meq/100g
The Calculated Cation Saturation:
%K 6.0
%Ca 70.6
%Mg 19.8
%H 1.5
%Na 2.3

K : Mg ratio .30

Their soil fertility guidelines are the following:

N : 90 LBS/ACRE
P2O5: 30
K2O : 50

This was based from the crop listing as "pumpkins". I had asked them about the Phosphorus being that it seemed higher than the optimum range and was told it would be fine. I looked at the reccomendations for the other growers listing thier reports and there seems to be different reccomendations based on the soil types.
I have an idea for shredding leaves that I will be adding to the patch and I will be tilling in lots of Mulberry leaves once I can find the new gear for my tiller transmission (tough clay soil was hiding large piece of rebar) and adding 6 yards of composted horse manure from a supplier nearby. I would like to plant a cover of winter rye but want to make sure I have the soil set before doing so.

Any help on this report would be greatly appreciated.

Brent

10/20/2007 10:22:45 AM

Ontario, Canada.

Your 900 sq.ft area should have enough additions of NPK within the 6 yards of horsey poop.

The rec. for 90 lbs per acre of N is a very small quantity. Consider that 40,000sqft. Divided by 90 is just 2lbs per 1000. You've got that in the manure anyways.

Keep adding greens of all sorts and use brown mulches(leaves, dried grass clippings or other such types) during the growing season with a high C:N ratio. This will help to bring up the OM levels a year from now and drive bacterial growth in your lower than ideal OM patch.

10/22/2007 2:10:02 PM

Ontario, Canada.

This soil test raises a good point I would like to through out there for other growers to consider.

Low Organic Matter Patches cannot be retified in one fall season. The problems with adding too much OM often result from the flourish of decaying bacteria which release N that cause fruit to split. I believe growers should always be cautiuos about adding more that 6 yards of any high relitivley new of fresh OM product at a any time.

There are work arounds to this problem such as smaller plants and better watering practices but they all tend to reduce fruit size in the end.

I have learned it is better to add a bit less than to over do it. I wasted three years following my own OM binge with several fast growing BE'sers plowed right back into the patch every year.

10/22/2007 2:20:59 PM

Hayward, CA

Thank you so much for this help. You have no idea how much it means to us. We can reduce the amount of horse manure say maybe only three yards instead and add alot of shredded leaves instead if this would be better in the long run. We can also throw in a few thousand worms to assist the tilling. I understand the little bit is better than lots, but what is meant by "a high C:N ratio" ?

10/22/2007 10:42:28 PM

Ontario, Canada.

C:N refers to carbon to nitrogen ratio. Dried OM usually contains higher carbon content than N. This why mulched leaves are good for your patch. They contain higher levels of carbon than grass clippings which are loaded with nitrogen.

http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/compost/fundamentals/needs_carbon_nitrogen.htm

10/23/2007 4:38:20 PM