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Muddy Waters

Are you heavy hitters testing your soil before or after you add compost in the spring?

1/9/2014 8:49:02 AM

Muddy Waters

Dont be shy were all HH to someone.lol

1/9/2014 8:49:45 AM

Cameron

I'm no HH, but we do it after our compost has been added. Our manure & compost are added in the fall & tilled in. We take our soil sample in April & only add what we really need to in the spring depending on what the report recommended.

Tissue tests in early June, mid July & maybe in mid Aug (depending if we have a big one or not) will help tell us if we are lacking any nutrients. Good luck.

Jane & Phil

1/9/2014 10:08:40 AM

Fenton, MI

I test in the fall and again in the spring after I add my compost in. If I have a good one growing I test again in July to make sure I am still where I need to be.

1/9/2014 10:53:44 AM

Muddy Waters

If you add compost in Spring how long would you wait to pound a sample.Or is there any need to wait at all?

1/9/2014 12:18:37 PM

Connecticut

I recommend soil testing in the fall, then test the compost (*before adding) as these two pieces of information will tell you how much to add. Once this is determined you add the calculated amount which then should be followed by a follow-up test that could be in the spring to see if the observed values correlate with the expected.

Compost is also very broad definition, so my question would be what is the compost made out of? (Manure, if so what type or plant material, and if so what type?)

When to re-sample is partially dependent on what you are looking for and how much material was added. In general if the material is mixed with the soil about one month after application would be my starting point.

But if you are adding high nitrogen contain material you could get a false reading if is has not stabilized in the soil.

Note: I do not work for a soil lab;-) But I will typically preform 3-5 soil samples a year.

Hope this helps and does not add more confusion.

1/9/2014 6:40:23 PM

Muddy Waters

No just what I needed to hear Matt.I want to add about 50 yards to about 5000 sg feet. My om has been real low like 3%.Those Ohio Valley boys been kicking my butt & Paul Faulk to.lol Time to get er right.My compost is coming from a farm.I will have it tested prior to purchasing.I think its mostly leafs grass & some manure.I let it get low thinking the high organic matter was causing disease issues.I live in a terrible area for diseases.2 years in a row now looking good so I think I will chance it and add.I didnt add in fall due to I like to plow & turn it all over,so I ran out of time to till and spread compost.I will hit it early May.some.Thanks for the input.Any more suggestions? please tell.

1/9/2014 8:34:05 PM

Connecticut

My personal opinion is that 10 yards per 1,000sq.ft. is to much. The 3% organic matter that is quoted do you know what method was used? Loss on Ignition is the most common in my area. Also, what is your goal organic matter level?

My concern pushing the organic matter to high can lead to issues, and hearing of disease in the past leads me to favor you having your organic matter on the lower side. You will also be bringing in salts that may be to great at the rates you are considering.

Just my opinion.

1/9/2014 9:54:54 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

I found very high levels of K and P with high Ph in my compost test...which came from aged horse muck....levels that would drive my goals on my soil test in the wrong way...Cover Crop and itZ innoculation is my direction this year...

1/10/2014 9:40:12 AM

Waterville, Ohio

Wiz, what did the pH come out to in your results? I should have tested before I added, started with 6.8...now at 7.7. Beware of landscape suppliers, municipalities etc.. They sure like to over apply lime.

1/10/2014 3:57:44 PM

Whitehall Montana

Beware of compost from your local dump too,I went by ours the other day,and the compost pile had been stacked full of tumble weeds.Not something I want to use.

1/12/2014 11:03:34 AM

Polson, Montana

Why not slim doesn't the wind just blow them away? HA!

1/12/2014 11:50:03 AM

Whitehall Montana

Hi Griz,yes sir the wind doesn't seem to stop blowing over here,its worse then Kansas.I think the tumble weeds are coming in from the Polson area,I hear theres a lot of wind over there.LOL

1/12/2014 12:36:44 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

Ph was at 7.8 K at 5056 PPM... just not the direction I wanted to go....

1/13/2014 9:43:27 AM