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Connecticut

This is my first post on the site and was looking for some interpretation of my soil analysis. This soil is from a compost pile near my house, and I figured that I should have the soil tested before I added it to my garden. The test was preformed by my college and here are the results...

pH 7.4
Calcium >4000 lbs./acre
Magnesium 494 lbs./acre
Phosphorus >100 lbs./acre
Potassium > 600lbs./acre

soil texture: Sandy loam

Organic content classification: High

The organic matter as determined by loss on ignition (?) is 16.2%

The Souluble salts are 0.9 MMHOS/CM

The Nitrate-Nitrogen is about 175 lbs./acre

Personal questions:
1. What does loss on ignition mean?

2. Are my salts high?

3. I think my pH is high, how would I lower it?

4. Will this soil grow a big one?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. :-)

12/6/2003 5:03:07 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Loss on ignition is the result of first drying the sample. Then it is weighed. Then it's literally burned in an oven to burn the organic matter. All that remains is mineral. The loss of weight for your sample was 16.2% whicj is a nice Organic Matter level.

Give me a few minutes for dinner & I'll post a link I think you'll enjoy.

Steve in CT

12/6/2003 5:28:20 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Here we are:

http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~blpprt/bobweb/bobweb.html

Matt,

I forgot to say WELCOME to a facinating hobby. There are good people here.

The pH of 7.4 is odd for our area. Any chance this area got hit with wood ashes? Sulfur at 10 lbs per 1000 sq ft will straighten this out for you.

Take a look at the website & fire away.

Steve

12/6/2003 5:51:31 PM

Montoursville, PA

Your test is excellent. Partially finished compost will always read a bit high. It will finish right at 7.0 PH exactly where you would like it to be.

You may consider a bag of gypsum. It will grab and or hold the salts plus improve your general patch conditions.

I would add trn pounds of Green Sand or Ironite for the trace element support, ten pounds of food grade corn meal and get ready to foliar feed fish, kelp and molasses. My talk is considering a 1000 sq. ft. patch.

Yes you can grow a nice pumpkin in that patch right now. Working to improve the patch is an ongoing prevelege. The fruit will improve in size and weight as your practices become more polished. Good luck on the grow.

12/20/2003 8:01:20 PM