General Gardening

Re: Full soil testing kits

Digger — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:13:27 GMT

Sue1002's link will take you there roytavistock, are you an RHS member? if you are you don't have to pay as much for the service as a non member, and you get a full very posh report on your soil, well worth the few pounds it costs.

Re: Full soil testing kits

sue1002 — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:44:57 GMT

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/soil_analysis.asp

Re: Full soil testing kits

roytavistock — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:12:47 GMT

I would like to avail of this RHS soil testing facility, I have just clicked my way around the site here and I can't find any links to find out more, or apply or pay for etc the soil testing.

We just moved into a new house in tavistock and I want to do some vegetable gardening, but I have no idea what the soil is like

Re: Full soil testing kits

Digger — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:26:29 GMT

Well finally I have managed to get my soil sample sent off to the Wisley experts, I shall compare the results with the ones I did myself some weeks ago, an added bonus is that the RHS will tell you specific soil requirements tailored to the crops that you wish to grow, of course you have to tell them the crop you intend to grow, I am really looking forward to get the professional results back, this will of course enable me to produce far superior crop than anyone else in the vicinity, and in turn that means that I will annihilate them on the show bench and collect a tidy purse of winnings. Once tha analysis is done I will keep a very close eye on the soil from then on, and if needs be i can submit further samples for analysis in future years, the soil in it's special scientific envelope only cost me 78pence to post, which is cheap for 7 ounces of soil, and the RHS only charge £20 for members!! and if needs be after the analysis results are sent back I can ring Wisly up on the phone and make a nuisance of myself but seriousley i think the information sent back is easy enough to understand.

Re: Full soil testing kits

Digger — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 11:23:35 GMT

Yes, I think it will be beneficial to get the full test done it will give me an advantage over the local competition.

Re: Full soil testing kits

bogweevil — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 09:40:06 GMT

There is a school of thought that says once you have checked the pH and applied lime, there is no need to bother with other elements; just apply growmore to give the recommended dose of nitrogen and the other nutrients will look after themselves.

However, it is still wise to do a potassium, magnesium and phosphorus check at the outset.

Boggy

Re: Full soil testing kits

Phot's-Moll — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 20:27:27 GMT

Cheeky Git. I'd have been tempted to do the test and tell him he was deficient in Kryptonite.

Re: Full soil testing kits

Digger — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 20:03:10 GMT

I am looking forward to comparing the results, the rhs don't test for nitrogen though, although it's easy to do the test in springtime and act on the results there and then. By far and away the vast majority of things grown at the plot will be for exhibition apart from the fruit, The rhs ask you to tell them what your intended crop is and then they can tailor the advice, apparently they send back a very posh file with a detailed breakdown of everything, I am looking forward to getting the results, I don't know of anyone else at local level who is having the rhs soil test or the nvs one come to that, but someone did ask me to use my soil testing kit on their soil and give them the results!! what a cheeky so and so, he didn't exchange so much as a hello for months and then he saw me with the soil kit, and suddenly became my best mate.

Re: Full soil testing kits

Phot's-Moll — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 19:54:04 GMT

I'll be interested to hear the results - and how you act on them - and what results you get.

£20 sounds good value. If it helps you sort out a problem with the soil and gives higher yields then it'd pay for itself.

Re: Full soil testing kits

sue1002 — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 09:54:24 GMT

It will be interesting to find out if you get the same results as you did with the kit you bought digger, although I do suspect the RHS will probably give you more info, you'll have to let us know.

Re: Full soil testing kits

Digger — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 21:07:42 GMT

Well just thought i would mention that my soil test sample instructions arrived a couple of days ago from the RHS at Wisley, and they have given me very thorough guidelines about obtaining my soil sample for analysis, more info than the other chaps at landcrop, as it's Christmas and our postal service is awful during "normal" times of the year I'm going to wait until January the second to send my soil sample in, if anyone is wanting to get soil analysed do use the RHS they send proper sample bags and proper instructions and, they ask you to tell them what crops you intend to grow, so they can give you proper advice that is suited for your soil and the intended crop, it's not expensive, i think it's just £20 for members, I know I am on a new piece of ground, but maybe the soil should be tested every couple of years, this test combined with my own experimental testing is going to give me an advantage for the 2009 season, I shall be collecting a few red cards next year. If the soil test and advice works for me I will get the test done every couple of seasons. The sample bags they sent are very posh and look very professional, I shall make sure that my trowel is sterile before getting the samples and I'll wear some rubber gloves like scientists do, that way nothing will infiltrate the sample and give a dodgy reading, I'm expecting the soil to be quite poor and devoid of many nutrients, I don't think it had any fertiliser on it for a few years when it was a grazing paddock, with the right test results and soil advice my vegetables will be the "Dogs dangly bits" on the showbench!

Re: Full soil testing kits

JamesA — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:35:15 GMT

I have 4 areas that I'd ideally like to test, but I don't think I'll stretch to 4 payments:

Veg patch
Border that gets rust/mildew problems
Border thats disease free
Front garden border

I like the idea of calibrating the kit you buy against the lab tests.
I think I'll take the lab results from my veg patch and compare it to a home kit

It's the third year of growing veggies and I want to ensure I've not exhausted the soil.
I sort of attempt crop rotation, but it's probably ineffective with the two veg beds being only a few feet apart.

Re: Full soil testing kits

Digger — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 22:41:55 GMT

Yes it will be worthwhile just check out the defra link Phot's, some good bedtime reading for insomniacs

Re: Full soil testing kits

Phot's-Moll — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 22:35:54 GMT

" I'll take up the offer just for curiosity. "

I'm sure it will be interesting.

Re: Full soil testing kits

Digger — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 22:05:11 GMT

Ah good old defra, sometimes in an attempt to try and make themselves feel important they offer up loads of technical information, and try to bamboozle people with lots of abbreviations and the like, I shalll of course have the opportunity of having a proper scientist analysing my soil for me, and offering a set of clear and concise guidlines about appropriate action for each crop, defra on the other hand are not know for their people friendly approach, i don't keep cattle and I never have done so, but defra do like writing to me every few weeks asking me to list my house cows and store cattle numbers?