My Garden

Full soil testing kits

Last post 20-01-2009 6:13 PM by Digger. 36 replies.

• 06/12/2008 06:17 PM	In reply to
  Susiq Location: Northumberland Joined on: 16 Feb 2008 Posts: 1,104	Reply | Contact Hmmm - your'e starting to convince me Digger!

• 06/12/2008 07:51 PM

  In reply to

  Phot's-Moll Location: The sunny South coast. Joined on: 06 Jan 2007 Posts: 3,347

  Reply | Contact  I can see it probably is worth it for your new veg plot, Digger. You need really good soil for your show veg and you'll be buying in feed/fertiliser so it makes sense to work out exactly what you need to add. It would probably also be wortwhile for anyone who had unexplained poor growth so the could correct any deficiencies. Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you cannot, you are right.

• 06/12/2008 07:53 PM

  In reply to

  Digger Location: Northern UK Joined on: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 4,743

  Reply | Contact As I was starting from a grazing field i thought it would be good to get soil testing done so I can work from the roots up, I spoke to David Thornton and John Smiles about the idea and indeed Medwyn reccomended that it was a good idea, then David Thornton said get a proper kit, from an agricultural suppliers and test it first yourself, then send a sample off to landcrop sciences it's only £15, and compare the results. It does make perfect sense to me to get the nutrient levels at least tested. I know some people will poo poo the idea of self testing, and they will say oooh digger you are not a scientist etc... but if we all thought like that nothing would ever get done, and to understand the results of a nutrient test is not difficult at all, when I want the nitrogen in spring (like it takes a brainiac to know that) I will chuck some sulphate of ammonia into the mix, but now the bogweevil has got me interested and I am looking forward to compare the results from all three tests, once you've got the basic nutrient testing done reliably, you can begin your plan of action for the intended crop, it's probably not worth getting 3 tests done in most circumstances, and the major nutrients will probably not alter too much (according to boggy's advice) but it all depends on what you intend to grow, and for me the few quid it costs for a test will be worth it, big time, of course the compostthat I use will not need any testing because I make it myself to a particular formula for each crop but some things will be grown in the ground, no doubt that someone will be along to tell us that you need a degree in nuclear physics to be able to make your own growing media up, but you don't need anything other than the ability to read english, just like you don't need to be an engineer to sharpen your secateurs, you might make a really good job of them, if you are an engineer but anyone with a suitable oilstone can do a serviceable job  digger

• 06/12/2008 08:00 PM	In reply to
  Digger Location: Northern UK Joined on: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 4,743	Reply | Contact Posts crossed Phot's.. I agree entirely it's not really essential for an ornamental garden unless something is amiss or you're planning a big change, the RHS offer the test cheaper to members so I'll take up the offer just for curiosity. digger

• 06/12/2008 09:19 PM

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  bogweevil Location: Joined on: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 2,043

  Reply | Contact That's the spirit:  be aware that to help you interpret the results of your test you can download the official guidelines on fertiliser recommendationsfor free.  Labs do their best to interpret results but fine be tuning can be needed for individual gardens. Also free is the fertiliser management programme for crops - bit of a faff for five square metres of any individul crop but you might find it useful - PLANET. I use it to plan fertiliser for potatoes, carrots and brussels sprouts and extrapolate to similar crops.   Boggy Beware the bat-eared bogweevil

• 06/12/2008 09:47 PM

  In reply to

  Digger Location: Northern UK Joined on: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 4,743

  Reply | Contact Excellent link Boggy thnx. I am in receipt of some advice for my large onions this time, the advice is to grow them in large pots 30litre size, with extra holes in the base and low down on the side, the idea being that the roots will seek out through the holes into the fertile plunder below them, I shall of course make this clear when my sample goes to the RHS, so that the fertiliser recommendations can be tailored for the specific crop, however, the onions will be started 25 December under son ti agro and a full spectrum, the advice so far is to put them under these lights and then give them a soluble high nitrogen from Viresco, apparently the nitrogen in liquid form will be immediately available once a couple of roots are through and the theory is that the more green growth the seedling makes, the bigger the eventual bulb will be, of course there are different classes ie.. not exceeding 2kg etc...I've calculated that it will be April early when the onions go to their final place for growing, in the polytunnel, and I've put the new poly cover opaque white that doesn't allow scorching of the goods. so the sample going to the RHS will be from inside the tunnel for a specific job, so in a sort of conclusion I would say tentatively that is is nigh on essential to get your soil tested by the pros, at the very least once in the first growing season followed by your own tests, but if the results and recommendations come back from the RHS and provide a winning formula, then the tiny amount invested in the test will be repaid a hundred fold. digger

• 06/12/2008 09:51 PM	In reply to
  Digger Location: Northern UK Joined on: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 4,743	Reply | Contact OMG there's over a hundred Megabites of download from PLANET!! digger

• 06/12/2008 10:05 PM

  In reply to

  Digger Location: Northern UK Joined on: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 4,743

  Reply | Contact 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? digger

• 06/12/2008 10:35 PM	In reply to
  Phot's-Moll Location: The sunny South coast. Joined on: 06 Jan 2007 Posts: 3,347	Reply | Contact " I'll take up the offer just for curiosity. " I'm sure it will be interesting.  Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you cannot, you are right.

• 06/12/2008 10:41 PM	In reply to
  Digger Location: Northern UK Joined on: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 4,743	Reply | Contact Yes it will be worthwhile just check out the defra link Phot's, some good bedtime reading for insomniacs digger

• 09/12/2008 03:35 PM

  In reply to

  JamesA Location: Peterborough Joined on: 24 Aug 2006 Posts: 160

  Reply | Contact 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.

• 21/12/2008 09:07 PM

  In reply to

  Digger Location: Northern UK Joined on: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 4,743

  Reply | Contact 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! digger

• 22/12/2008 09:54 AM	In reply to
  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 5,200	Reply | Contact  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. sue1002

• 22/12/2008 07:54 PM	In reply to
  Phot's-Moll Location: The sunny South coast. Joined on: 06 Jan 2007 Posts: 3,347	Reply | Contact  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. Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you cannot, you are right.

• 22/12/2008 08:03 PM

  In reply to

  Digger Location: Northern UK Joined on: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 4,743

  Reply | Contact 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. digger