To have our best gardens, we need to know our soil. A soil test is the single best piece of information you can obtain for your garden. Here’s my soil test as an example, and what kind of recommendations are given to improve garden soil.
The first part of a soil test will show you how much of the major nutrients are in your soil. Notice that the most needed nutrient for plants, nitrogen, is not evaluated. Nitrogen levels in soil can vary a lot through the season, so just a recommendation of how much nitrogen to apply is given.
Remember a soil test uses your soil at that location. You may have different types of soil across your yard if your yard is really hilly.
My vegetable garden has plenty of phosphorus, but is quite low with potassium levels. I need to focus on a fertilizer that has high amounts of potassium and little or no phosphorus. An agronomist friend told me my soil has enough phosphorus for my lifetime.
Here is the overall top headlines of my soil test.
Magnesium and calcium amounts in my soil are adequate. The pH is 7.2 making my soil just slightly alkaline. A pH of 7.2 is good and allows most nutrients to be available to the plants. If your soil is highly alkaline or highly acidic soil there will be recommendations on how to bring the pH to more neutral.
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The CEC, or Cation Exchange Capacity, tells me how good my soil is at holding potassium, calcium and magnesium. A CEC of 7.2 is not good. It means my soil doesn’t hold and exchange these nutrients with plants very well. It’s a strong sign of sandy soil.
Also notice the organic matter makes up only two percent of my soil. Organic matter holds moisture and nutrients. I need to add organic matter to improve my soil, especially with such a low CEC.
I know the strengths and weaknesses of my soil. Now I get to the recommendations part of the soil test. The recommendations are for 1000 square feet of garden. Yes, you have to do a little math. You can handle it.
I need to apply nitrogen, potassium and organic matter.
One section of an MSU soil test shows how much and what type of fertilizer to use on your garden.
MSU does a little math for you with examples of various amounts of different fertilizers. The problem here is it will be tough for most people to find a 22-0-22 fertilizer. They don’t carry that specific analysis at the home stores. You will likely have to go to a fertilizer elevator or farmer’s coop to find someone that can help you get the right fertilizer. Otherwise you have to get something close in analysis and do some math.
Recommendations of how much of various types of fertilizer to use on my vegetable garden.
One of the best actions we can all do to our garden soil is add organic matter. The recommendation below says keep adding a few inches of organic matter each season. After several years you will notice an improvement in the health of your gardens. You’ll also notice you don’t have to water as much. If you live in the Saginaw area, the city produces some great finished compost.
Soil tests will give you an organic matter percentage and how to increase organic matter if needed.
Now that we can plant much of our gardens, with the exception of frost possibilities next week. If you have received the results of a soil test, incorporate the nutrients you need now. If you are late in getting a soil test, plant your garden and take your soil test. You can always side dress the nutrients you need after your garden is planted.
I think you will enjoy your garden more after you get the soil test and know what to add and what not to add to your garden.
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