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Johnston, Iowa

Just received the results of my soil test back from A & L. Last fall their test of my patch gave a Organic Matter result of 8%. Then I tilled in four yards of composted horse manure, and a four inch layer of maple leaves into this 600 sq foot area. No cover crop was grown.

This spring I tilled again and sent my soil test. Now the results say I have an Organic Matter level of just 3.6%

Does this make any sense that the Organic Matter level should down that much over the winter?

4/20/2011 3:41:51 PM

Linden, Mi.,

NO - sent another one, but to some other lab

4/20/2011 7:10:41 PM

tilling lowers om most times

4/21/2011 8:12:15 AM

Johnston, Iowa

Thanks Don! I just don't have enough experience with soil testing to know if this was an expected finding or not.

At the same time, kind of counterintuitive/depressing when you work hard to amend the soil and the test results go in the opposite direction.

4/21/2011 8:52:18 AM

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

Four yards of manure and four inches of leaves in a 600 square ft. area is a LOT of OM. Your % of OM would only go up from what it was previously. You may want to get another test.

4/21/2011 10:44:26 AM

you also added this


http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=152855

dan you have my number call me

4/21/2011 11:21:43 AM

Johnston, Iowa

The truckload of black dirt was not applied to the area that was tested, it was exclusively used to create a "new" growing area. Sorry for the confusion!

Don - I will give you a call - I really appreciate your help!

4/21/2011 3:54:01 PM

Buffalo, New York

mine went down too slightly......now at 16%

both tests were sent to a & l west

4/22/2011 8:23:16 AM

Upa Creek, Mo

Mine was around 5% last December. I added about 5 yards of compost, 3 of manure and 2 of soil in a 1200 square foot patch (it was really poor to start with). I am expecting results any day, and I'll let you know Dan.

4/22/2011 9:14:34 AM

Wisconsin

I took a soil sample last fall. Mixed it all in a ziploc bag and sent half to Agri-Energies in IL and half to the University of Mass. One came back at 7.9% OM and the other came back at 12.2%??? This stuff is all confusing enuff... let alone having totally different results out of the same bag of soil?

4/26/2011 12:46:30 PM

Johnston, Iowa

I ended up sending a second soil sample taken from the SAME area to Midwest Labs - Got an OM result of 6.6

Thought it would be higher, but still a lot better than 3.6

Most of the macro and micro nutrient levels are very different than the results from A & L. Given this, and Pumpkin Buck's experience, it really makes you wonder about the reliability of some of these labs.

4/29/2011 1:10:06 PM

Ohio

Dan, are you getting your soil samples in 4 or 5 diffrent places in your 600 sq ft patch or are you just getting it from one area only?

With all that om you added you would think 4 yards of manure and all that leaf compost you would be way higher in your om readings... espically with it all going into a small 600 sq ft area.

4/29/2011 7:45:22 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

A soil sample is like tasting soup with an eye dropper. It gives you a general idea of what you have.

4/29/2011 9:35:58 PM

Johnston, Iowa

Brooks - yes I did take soil from 8 different places, which I feel gave me a representative sample of this area. I mixed the soil from these 8 different places in a bucket, then bagged it up for the lab. I agree - I'm still puzzled as to why the OM reading isn't higher, given all the work I did adding manure and leaf compost to the soil.

Linus - your point is well taken.

I guess the bottom line is that despite the results these labs have given me, I feel like I've done the best job I've been able to do with my patch. I feel good about the current state of this soil, and at the end of next week the pumpkin will go in.

I really appreciate everyone's comments!

4/29/2011 11:46:03 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

Dan, I'll email you later, but A&L reported my nitrogen went from a very low 5 ppm to 2 ppm. This is after I added bloodmeal, 6 yards of black gold compost and 3 yards of aged manure. It is mind numbing right now... according to the results, I should try growing on concrete.

5/5/2011 6:46:16 PM

Williamsburg,KY

A soil sample is a sample, like a snapshot of time. It could be how wet the soil was when you collected, how it was dried, how long did you hold it before you sent it, there are many variables. Im learning also. You pay for your soil to be tested and you also pay for time to talk to the person who did the soil test. I made a phone call this year to the lab and learned alot. If you arent satisfied with the lab you are using, there are many out there and some even know about Giant Pumpkins. I sent samples to two different labs and they both came back about the same. As for nitrogen, it is not easy to test for since it can change from minute to minute. OM is also difficult to change your soil is what your soil is. What type of soil do you have? Sandy/loam, loamy/silt..it all adds in there. Give a call to the lab and see what they say. Good Luck and Grow Em Big!

5/6/2011 9:35:02 AM