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Buffalo, New York

My soil test results came in today.....here are the results.
Hope this helps solve my vine growth problem.

Organic Matter = 17.9
Nitrogen = 12
Phosphorus Weak Brey = 140
Phosphorus NaHCO = 122
Potassium = 766
Magnesium Mg = 396
Calcium = 2824
Sodium = 87
Sulfur = 211
Zinc = 10.3
Magnesium Mn = 5
Iron = 37
Copper = 2.1
Boron = 1.5
PH = 7.2

Percent cation Saturation:

Potassium = 10
Magnesium Mg = 16.5
Calcium = 71.6
Sodium = 1.9

Soil Fertility Recommendations:

Nitrogen = 0.5

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

6/25/2010 8:56:28 PM

Willamette Valley, Oregon

I looked at your plant photos to go with the soil report. I see your soil organic matter looks pretty woody and the plant is pale green. As the soil report indicates, you need N badly. Now is a tricky time to be adding a large amount of anything because of the sensitive newly pollinated fruit so be careful and add in multiple multiple small to medium doses until you see the leaves green up.

Some of the more experieinced folks might chime in, but I'd do something foliar right away, like fish or something soluble and high on the first number in the 0-0-0, but just at the recommended label rate. I'd also add 1/4 to 1/2 lb N per 1000 sq ft to the soil right away (as blood meal and/or urea and/or Ca nitrate in a combination (Say 1:1:1 by N wt) to total the 1/2 lb N). Then I'd keep adding 1/4 lb of available N (but probably mix in some P and maybe K too) every 5 days or so until the leaves green up and then back off in frequency, and switch to a more balanced fert, but keep adding something with N. That woody OM looks like a serious N sink to me.

6/26/2010 2:32:39 AM

Buffalo, New York

Where can you buy this urea or Ca nitrate stuff?
Blood meal is easy to find.

6/26/2010 9:23:46 AM

Willamette Valley, Oregon

A farm and garden place or farmers co-op should have urea or calcium nitrate. They are both much faster acting than blood meal. Actually with your higher pH something like MirAcid (30-10-10) soluble might be a good fast acting choice that's easy to find (expensive per pound though). If you can't find any of those, any granular fertilizer with a higher number in the first position should work ok.

Also remember that those rates are per 1000 square feet. It may end up being only a couple tablespoons in the plant area. I would actually do the whole patch too to catch the whole patch up for N. It won't be much at any one time though. Take it slow.

6/26/2010 3:41:14 PM