Yesterday I fill a soil sample from our new garden area and sent it off toLogan Labsfor a stark analytic thinking . That will give us an complete understanding of the ground ’s pH , mineral content and amount of organic matter . I ’ve never done this before but Steve Solomon has been pushing me to do one so I in the end gave in .
Who can argue with Solomon ?
After taking the sample , my friend Greg came by with a lime nuts and limed the garden and back lawn ( which is now the kids ’ baseball game diamond ) and I till the field again , twice , and as deep as the tiller could grapple . It ’s not idealistic , as I ’d say it ’s only hitting about 6″ cryptic , but it ’s dear enough for a first garden . I do n’t know that we necessarily should have limed before the grease analysis make out back , but hey – Greg desire to do it , it cost me nothing , and I know our arena of Alabama is acerbic .
Once my soil sample comes back I ’ll eff what I need to add up in micro and macronutrients . The “ Standard ” soil trial Logan Labs perform include :
“ … pH , organic affair , base impregnation , full central electrical capacity , Mehlich III extractable sulfur , phosphorous , atomic number 20 , magnesium , atomic number 19 , sodium , B , smoothing iron , manganese , fuzz , zinc , aluminium , ”
and the “ Standard with Extras ” test also includes“Cobalt , Molybdenum , Selenium , Silicon , Conductivity , ENR ( Estimated Nitrogen Release ) . ”
You canread about all their tests here . I sprung for the “ Standard with Extras ” so I can really get fussy with the details and get it on if I ’m miss any micro - micro nutrients . in reality , I ’m just going to call Steve and let him deal with that , because I do n’t wish calculating numbers or fiddling . My idea of balancing a garden is to hurl seaweed , ashes , compost and whatever else I have lay around on top of the ground , trusting that I ’ve given it what it require .
Today we ’ll assail the garden early and make bed . Some of the field I plan to do in individual rows , 3′ apart , whereas other parts will be in mounded beds . Yet other areas will have cover crops and perhaps unhinged mixes of come . We have plenty of space to play with this year and it ’ll be fun to see what happens .
apropos , yesterday I wrote about how much I enjoy using a tractor . Out of curiosity , I looked up a John Deere tractor alike to the one I am borrowing and found out what it cost .
Ouch .
I have now decide that , like boat ownership , it ’s better to have a booster who owns one , rather than buying one yourself .
Have a big day . I ’ll be out in the garden .
