Help interpret my soil sample?

I am now where you were at the beginning of this post, I posted the results on my land tour but never have many commenters so I searched soil sample titles and found this. I went with Midwest Labs (I think you recommended them) in another post for a S3C analysis. I am a noob at soil sample analysis so this all seems foreign to me as to what I am lacking and what do I need to add other than almost 5 tons of Lime/acre? Seems excessive but makes sense on why everything I plant seems lethargic growing.
Man, you really went back in time. That was one of my first ever soil tests. Neat to see!

Anyway, tell me more about your soil. Where are you located? Is the site high and dry, or low and wet? What was growing there before you got started? Any idea why the organic matter is so high? Organic material not breaking down due to low pH or lack of oxygen? Their lime rec looks right, but I would want to know a little more about what's going on first. Are you downwind of the rust belt?

1658425362032.png
 
There is a little finger dips south in Central NY (the dash is my house) that is zone 4B. Both samples were from high and dry hilly areas. NY state on a limestone shelf and when I dig holes I pull more rock out than dirt. I do have an area that will stay wet during rainy summers but it’s not pertinent to these samples.

The woods sample is where I’m slowly dropping trees to plant more trees and has been wooded for a very long time.

The food plot sample is a completely open area that only grows goldenrod. I know the previous owner used to brush hog it occasionally. I have 2 (out of 10) of the original non-hybrid Persimmon trees left on the edges of the food plot and I think 4 (out of 10) Chinese Chestnuts survived in the same area. The plan was to have those along the west corner of the future food plot. This spring was the first year I sprayed and planted a 1 acre plot. My spring planting was Buckwheat and SunnHemp. This fall I am planting brassicas, with clover and WR sprinkled in for spring green up.

F6199DEB-0F9F-455D-8FB7-AE32FC08C63C.jpeg
 
I like Farmer Dan's recommendation to start with lime. If you can do it, I'd get down one ton of dolomitic lime/acre. If you can source it and get it applied, I'd also do one ton of calcitic lime to maintain your balance, then wait a rainy season and see how it responds. As you bring up that pH, that organic matter is gonna release a bunch of nutrients.
 
When my hair was brown and my energy level was high - back when I was making soil amendment recommendations for the producers who frequented the coop I managed I'd look at their soil test results, I'd look them in the eye and ask two questions. What do expect from this crop and how fat is your wallet?

Expectations run high and if they are to be accomplished it might take some time to get you soil conditioned to meet those expectations. And, it takes a fat wallet to get there, usually.

Amending soil is an investment. Get you pH right and with a little maintenance it provides wonderful returns. Hint: pH doesn't need to be much out of the upper 5's and into the low 6s for what we do. P & K hold in the soil. Medium levels are adequate. High and Very High levels are for the future and might provide some benefit now in crappy conditions. Two years ago if we knew then what we know now we'd have been putting the P&K down like a carpet.

To you situation, Trees - pay those recommendations no mind. They assume an answer to the questions I asked above.

The sample named "food plots?" What do you expect and how deep is your wallet. Every thing I see in the test result is adequate. If you're on a budget I'd say seed it and stand back. If you want to spend some money to help yourself now and provided some future nutrients some amount of MAP or DAP would be helpful. DAP is diammonium phosphate 18-46-0. You get some nitrogen and phosphorous. No potash. You don't need it. If you did 100lb per acre your basic N would be provided for what you want to plant and you get a good boost in P. Or, since your P level is medium you could just choose a nitrogen fertilizer. See, there are no hard and fast answers. There are multiple plans to do the same thing. Some are quick and expensive other slower and cheaper at least from a per application point of view.

Lime? A ton to the acre. A ton in the spring and a ton in the fall. Or a ton a year apart. You can get all enthusiastic and do two tons, but, frankly, I don't think you get much benefit over one ton per application. We could talk lime all day, but not here. So, again, plenty of choices.

Then if you want to get real fancy add some sulfur and boron. Ammonium sulfate fertilizer will help with S. I hear guys use Borax for the boron part. You can buy elemental boron to mix with your fertilizer.

So, now you're scratching your head about what to do. What do you expect and how much do you want to spend?

The wood sample? I was never much concerned with what the soils were like for tree planting. I'm sure many will beg to differ. I do think the hole you dig and what kind of medium you put in the hole is important - much more important than the fertility level of the soils around it.
Thank you so much for all that Dan, a lot to consider but you simplified it pretty good. I am a single father with custody and a homeowner so I don't have much to work with but I don't drink or have any bad spending habits except my habitat stuff and my daughters needs :)

Really appreciate the detailed response bud, thank you for that!
 
I like Farmer Dan's recommendation to start with lime. If you can do it, I'd get down one ton of dolomitic lime/acre. If you can source it and get it applied, I'd also do one ton of calcitic lime to maintain your balance, then wait a rainy season and see how it responds. As you bring up that pH, that organic matter is gonna release a bunch of nutrients.
I think that is a good direction to go SD so thank you for that!
 
Both samples were from high and dry hilly areas. NY state on a limestone shelf and when I dig holes I pull more rock out than dirt.
This is revealing and will likely be your most limiting factor! It limits your expectations. I'm familiar with the area you reference. High flat plateaus, eastern style, where the soil is about two inches thick - if it's anything like what I'm familiar with in Steuben County.
 
Top