Yeah… can you open it and screenshot your address out? Lol
I’ve deleted link for now… else I could come to your house lol
4 Likes
OH shit! Didn’t even think about that! Thanks!
4 Likes
Part 2 Recommendations… Do I just call them and tell them the sq footage and they mix all of this stuff for me to add?
Lewis, Michelle_2019_02_21 .pdf (83.1 KB)
This is so exciting! Designated living soil MJ beds coming to fruition
5 Likes
Looks pretty good @Meesh cal and Mag just need bumbed a bit ( dolomite lime) I believe is what ya need , Nitrogen and ammonia is expected as it doesn’t hold in the soil profile to great extent … continue with those cover crops start working on the fungi in soil and your ammonia will come up your soil is probably more bacteria dominate , others here will also give good recommendations as well.
3 Likes
Yeah, this was only dirt I dug out of the flower bed, not any of the veggie patch, but I’m assuming I’ll need some cal mag in my veggie patch too for the comfort of my tomatoes and melons…
2 Likes
Anyone know what it means by salts? Is no salts a bad thing? Do they mean sea salt or salt build-up from chemical nutes? Gramps never used anything but compost out there. Nothing chemical says Dad.
4 Likes
What stands out to me is the ERGS (soil energy) is low while the ORP (chemical reactions) are on par … just need more micro life. Humus is added from plant decomp directly in the soil so nothing to buy there. though the rest can get pricey for the tiny amounts needed like
Per 10 gallons (~1 cubic foot)
0.28gr Copper
1.13gr manganese
22gr Calcium Carbonate (limestone chalk)
1.6 oz Soft rock Phosphate (Calphos)
0.28gr borax
Most of these run ~18.00 per lb though have plenty that I can send to you if you choose to mix it yourself.
I’d have to spend more time going over the amounts needed for everything else…
Ammonium sulphate = soil acidifier
Potassium sulphate = sulfate of potash
Sea solids = Sea-90
Transplant formula = microbes and trace minerals…best used at planting/transplant
TMB = rock powder though I forget which one
Geo-Cal = Calcium alginate reduces crusting and promotes ammonium uptake
Having them mix the needed amounts is easier and they give a printout of what they used as well as amounts. Its a $50.00 mixing fee plus pennies on the dollar of what they used…this is the better deal unless your like me and frequently remix soil indoors for outdoor trenches
IIRC, they charged 20.00 for Calmag plus for a quart which I was happy with though the $15.00 for a quart of Inferno is not as all it is, is liquid fish…can get a gallon of it for the same price or just make my own after fishing season
When they say salts its all the nutrients that aren’t liquid… their main focus is minerals and their breakdown which affects soil salinity and the symbiotic relationship with microbes…nutrient water is added -> water carries salts to the root zone -> water evaporates and leaves the salts behind.
In pots, we flush excess nutrients out whereas in the ground, we saturate the soil to carry the salts past the plants root zone
4 Likes
Don’t you find it interesting @Tinytuttle that we were just discussing weeds and their purpose and my yellow clover meant Calcium deficiencies and my test came back with major Calcium shortage? Hmm… Looks like we are on to something!
Thanks for that explanation @MomOnTheRun I’m gonna figure out how much dirt it is exactly and call them up for a quote.
I’m assuming it’s cheaper than the new soil is gonna be (I estimate that at like 1200 bucks)… Nothing has grown in that dirt for at least a decade which explains a lot and makes a whole lot of sense soil test wise. I read the salt article, so high salt bad, no or low salt like mine is good… Correct?
What do all you organic gardeners think based on my test? Is it really bad? Should I stick to my plan of amending half of it and buying half new soil from build a soil or should I just amend it all and forget the new soil? I really want the absolute best for those particular mj beds and so does Dad. lol
3 Likes
I’d say save your money just keep doing what your planned to do the most important thing you can do is keep it covered! Mother Nature doesn’t like to be naked! Cover crops, compost application every year ( remember how soft the soil was underneath the perennial weeds was) , add wood chips let them decompose get working out on increases the fungal biomass , you can probably add a calcium form , try and find some rock dusts that contain some of the things your low on I haven’t look at many soil test but I don’t think your lookin bad at all.
Do me a fav take a small piece of soil the crappiest piece of soil at your place probably a 2x2 area and just add compost and keep it watered. I want you to take a fork to it and push it in and scratch it and take note of it how it is now , if compost disappears add more , now in 4-6 months tell me how much better it is , you’ll be amazed!
On a side note some of those cover crops can get there roots down to 20-30 feet ( alfalfa) as an example.
5 Likes
Work in small sections don’t go to big " baby steps " next year thIs time you’ll be rocking it!
May try a small hugelkultur bed or a raised bed with native soil and amended.
4 Likes
I don’t want you to dig it in or anything just on top is fine you’ll notice worms will be coming in after awhile and they’ll become your major soil movers for ya!
4 Likes
Yup!
Its not bad at all just some deficiencies that are noted with how to balance it getting a picture atm of what the soil is doing. At the minimum do the recommended broadcast, cover crop and experiment with ferments for foliars
No she doesn’t…loam soil in nature is from yrs of decomposed leaves not raked up 
Imho, wood chips is a next season thing - 1st get the soil more microbe friendly otherwise they will just rob nutrients and not give anything back until they decompose and that takes micro life
OOOhhh! Please do this! I love comparisons…adds to my endless learning 
Absolutely…slow and steady wins the race
4 Likes
That’s a shitload of minerals they’re calling for in an already pretty well ‘minerally’ soil, imo…and I wouldn’t do it. My first guess (lol) was these folks are selling “nutes” 
.
I’d do more like the carpet cleaner treatment & “apply to small test area” before fucking up your yard & wasting money. (harumph?)
but it’s pretty fun to read & see what they found. not a bunch of tires & batteries! hehe
3 Likes
It seems so looking at whats listed though all are used in a one time (yearly) broadcast in very small amounts to get whats needed into the soil and balance whats already there…they are not Build a Soil and guessing
Test area’s are best especially when unsure and/or want to try something new to see what is better for an individuals gardening style and environment 
OMG, that reminds me…every summer I am finding something different that kids have buried over the years - necklaces, matchbox cars, a letter to future self, swiss army knife, go kart tire etc…no batteries yet though I wouldn’t be surprised
3 Likes
I’m gonna say this right now… whether ag labs sells nutes or not, and even if they are over selling, they are more knowledgeable than I am about soil and what is needed. At this point, I am not soil or mineral savvy, so I’ll go with it.
4 Likes
So Dad was just literally yelling at me on the phone because in the soil test they are talking about sq ft and we have a dirt pile with 20 cubic yards of dirt. I simply called to ask him how much dirt is there to be amended. Now does this mean that for their broadcast mix it only goes on the first one foot of soil? What about the volume? Totally confused now. Fuck! Kill me now!
2 Likes
If they can’t tell you over the phone (remember those? ) then I’d pretend the sq. ft’ is good down to 3’+, so 9 sq ft on the top of a cubic yd., x20 yds. = 180 sq. ft. (or 10’ x 18’…OVERGROW! ). Then only buy fertilizer for 200sq. ft. at the rate they recommend. Then rent your boyfriend and a cement mixer for a day & stir it all in. 20yds. is a shitload for one dude btw…so maybe rent some foreign help too. 
(assuming you want to amend the whole pile…i’d guess NOT 
).
Here’s a thought. Or two. Or half of one.
Try a test run: Make 2 small batches of amended dirt to put in some pots & get some nursery starts…preferrably clones, shit, wee’d legal now! hahaha buy a couple of clones & keep them & their STDs away from the rest of your stuff…
One pot as per their specs(or as close as you can do) and one as per your noisy friends here… I think theres a picture of said-dirt somewhere up there in the thread.
My vote is to amend with ewc 10-20%, peat or compost 20%, perlite 30%, oyster shell as per the bag, lower #. “Loosen it, fluff it, & germify it.” 
I find marbles every year & remind my dad that he lost his marbles 
and my mom had bats living in her attic so she had bats in the belfry! 
2 Likes