What would you do for this soil sample?

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This soil sample is about 2/3rd my food plot. I expanded the foodplot this past year. So that is likely much like my apple orchard test. Caclcium is real high, but pH is 5.5. Likely rototilling the whole plot next year.

Not sure what kinds of lime I can get. Higher in magnesium the better. Might be pelletized lime is the best.



Here is what is right next to it. I took a soil sample of the yard before I put apple trees in. So this is before my 5 or 6 years of monkeying with the soil more or less.



When I sent the samples in, the soil lab gave me advice for rye cover crops and for apple crops. But, I notcied they swapped the samples. so the food plot had apple planting advice and the apple spot had rye cover crop advice.


My plan before noticing this was to put 1/2 ton/acre on my existing foodplot. Put 1 ton/acre on my apple tree site and the foodplot expansion. I can resend a soil sample in this winter. I wanted some basic buffered pH samples for various plots at camp anyways.

 

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Found this guideline with cornell.

http://nmsp.cals.cornell.edu/publications/factsheets/factsheet48.pdf

The gypsum thread got me interested into possibly using this. Got to source it somehow though. MY foodplot has had fertilizer a few times over the year. Probably about 300 lbs/acre of 6-24-24 two or three times. I thought the soil test came with nitrogen, but thats an additional fee. Likely get that redone.

My soil definitely has compaction issues. Pretty tough to do no-till in my spot. Between the birds and the dense soil.

 

[FarmerDan]

There are a couple schools of thought about this. In the presence of low soil Ph and the desire to NOT increase the CA level just pour more P & K into the soil. How that works depends a lot on the cation exchange capacity of your soil. That's an unknown here, right?

The other thought is to amend the soil with a hi mag lime. It will improve the pH and narrow a high Ca:Mg ratio, now about 8 or 9 : 1. Half that would be better and half of the half ideal.

 

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Interesting with the results between the two. Calcium at 1800lbs is really high for apples, but 2300lbs is right in the middle for the foodplot 70 yards away.

Going to see if the fertilizer stores has some straight phosphorus. I do have a bag or two of 6-24-24 and some triple 15 around. I am getting low. Usually buy fertilizer every other year. might see what they got for lime up there. Got to drive it back about 90 minutes from the house.

Soil labs got tons of different tests, but 3 years ago they did have the CEC on there, but don't anymore. Maybe I needed to check a box.

I notcied the soil and buffer pH didn't move at all, both 5.8 Might be maxed out a CEC on the foodplot. I have a bunch of pelletized lime I have to move to repair a shed plywood wall before putting siding on this winter/spring. Might be better to retest and wait for the 2nd results. I do want to collect some soil samples at camp and check just pH in most places and maybe a good npk and micronitrient test on my better foodplot. Not so good land has been looking better every year I do rye n clover.

I think penn state does a better job for food plotters than cornell does. Maybe try them out.

 

[SD51555]

Could probably start with a couple tons of dolomitic lime and give it a year and see what happens.

 

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Think I screwed up reading it, not writing it. I called the samples apples and field. Form A test is for fields, form F test is for gardens/fruits. Thought the F was field and the A was apple.

So, top test is my orchard. That one looks easy, dolomite lime. It's basically lawn where I put my apples. I did no tillage besides like a 6-8ft daimeter circle for the planting site. Spaced 25x25. Probably needs 3 tons. May do a ton and a half this winter. I put close to that already after the soil test was taken. (8) or so 40lb bags. 5 were powdered dolomite and 3 were pelletized lime. Area has 22 trees, roughly .1 acre for my main tree planting. Got 3 trees by the pool, early season ones. The foodplot next to the 22 trees has a single row infront of it Pretty late season guys glalarina enterprise, AWHO.

They food plot looks like it has decent nutrients, just need to get that pH a touch better.

My backyard oftne has some spring flooding. Debating whether to spread lime now, or wait after the spring flood to rototill the spot up. I got compaction issues, the expansion section never got tilled up initally. Also, need to move some soil to drain out a little pond area in the plot. Also got stump holes that could be leveld out some too.