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Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

There is one element that the soil test labs don't test for. And that is the element we most often find deficient. What is it?

Steve

11/21/2003 7:11:29 AM

canal winchester ohio

moisture content

11/21/2003 7:17:18 AM

Garden State Pumpkins

oxygen

11/21/2003 7:30:26 AM

berkshire M.A.

sulfur ??

11/21/2003 9:13:04 AM

Western NY

i think chuck got it

11/21/2003 10:15:58 AM

Appalachian Mtns.

O2 or N

11/21/2003 6:21:04 PM

Eugene, OR

co2

11/21/2003 6:37:44 PM

Topsfield, Ma.

Silver bullits ? LOL

11/21/2003 8:07:11 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

Quick exchange on my thoughts...We always send them a scoop full of soil...they get it loose... they have no way of telling how really compressed it is when in it's natural state..ergo any gaseous element would not be represented in the soil sample....hmmmmm???? come on steve?? what do ya think...LOL chuck

11/21/2003 8:49:33 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

There's no point in dragging thos on for 7 days when it deserves conversation. Chuck was correct with Oxygen.

And he's right again with respect to field conitions versus the state it arrives at a lab. The good lab technician can tell be "look & feel" which soils are prone to compaction & thus are likely to exclude oxygen.

Now we can order a texture analysis from the lab for an extra fee. But that would be insane since we can have fun during the off season doing it ourselves. And all we need is a straight sided mason jar, a couple handfulls of soil, & some water.

To prevent having to type all this I will now borrow a portion of an article that appeared in Grounds Magazine. I know the author, but didn't bother to seek his permission to swip this. So I'll change something to avoid litigation! LOL

continued

11/21/2003 10:18:18 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

There is a simple way to get an estimate of the percentages of sand, silt and clay that are in your base mix. This experiment provides a nice, inexpensive way of checking soils if you can't afford to do a lot of testing. Just follow these steps.

Find a quart mason jar with a lid, like the ones used for canning. Fill it a little more than halfway with the soil you want to test. Physically remove any large bits of roots or leaves & such. Fill the rest of the jar with water and attach the lid tightly.

Shake the jar vigorously for a couple of minutes to fully separate and wet the soil. There should be absolutely no lumps of soil left when you are finished agitating it.

Once you know that the soil is fully dispersed in the solution, set the jar down and begin timing.

---After 45 seconds, mark a line on the side of the jar with a grease pencil or tape where the top of the layer of sand has settled in the jar.

---Next, put a mark at the top of the next layer after three hours have passed. This is your silt layer.

---After 24 hours, your clay will have settled out as well.

Measure the total depth of soil in the mason jar. Then measure the thickness of each of the three layers using your marks on the jar.

Calculate the percent of sand, silt and clay in your soil sample with the following procedure:

Divide the thickness of the sand layer by the total depth of the soil in the jar.

Follow the same instruction for both the silt and clay layers.

Multiply each of the three figures by 100, and you will have the percentages of sand, silt and clay in your sample.

11/21/2003 10:21:22 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

I hadn't really considered soil C02 levels. But the green above ground plant parts are what thrive on C02. I think that rootzone C02 enhancement is far less important than just getting & keeping our soil in a fulltime condition where our regular atmosphere can penetrate the entire root-zone. Perhaps after this condition is met we can fool around trying to ehnace certain other gaseous elements

Oh & Chuck. This is why soil nitrate tests are a waste of time. Nitrogen is so volatile that a soil sample begins to loose N to volatilization the instant we pull the sample. So lab analysis for Nitrogen is usually way off the real field level mark. No matter the soil quality.

Steve

11/21/2003 10:27:17 PM

Utah

steve-

thanks for teaching us how to run the test. I know my soil is clay... but it will be interesting to find out the %.

11/22/2003 8:22:31 PM

Montoursville, PA

You all are going to find the higher the OM the higher the worm population should be. OM + Worms = good things in and bad things out. All elements improve with good structure and high humus plus worms. Proper moisture is assumed as it is shortchanged by many new growers.

11/28/2003 8:11:02 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Dwaine is dead-on. Once these values are determined we may find that new decisions must be made. It is challenging at best to alter the percentages of clay/silt/sand (though it can be done). But you can never lose by adding good quality organic materials. The effects on oxygen & moisture moderation is immense. The effect on Pumpkins is fodder for a new thread that could be titled "How to Avoid Disaster the Easy Way". LOL

11/29/2003 8:43:36 AM