Is there a kit for testing garden soil for nutrients?
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Question by Tinman12: Is there a kit for testing garden soil for nutrients?
My garden was a complete and total disaster this year. It was getting progressively worst. So is there a kit for testing nutrient levels in the soil. How does one test for nitrogen?
Can you help? Leave your own answer in the comments!
4 Responses to Is there a kit for testing garden soil for nutrients?
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there are many places that carry test kits for the levels of nutrients in your soil. I prefer to use the store online: http://www.wormsway.com
If you dont want to go the online route, they have stores in many locations. just go to the website and request a catalog. you can also learn so much online and from the catalog because it offers all types of information.
You can tell if you have a nitrogen deficiency by leaves turning yellow. Other nutrients have different symptoms such as Magnesium turns spots on leaves a red color.
assylem420
December 18, 2011 at 11:46 am
go to home depot. you take a soil sample from different areas of the garden, from a depth of 4 inches amd mix the soil in a specified amount of water. let it settle then fill vial to the mark, add the capsule and shake. match the color to the chart on the back of the package. Presto. or take the soil sample to your local ag center and for a couple fo dollars they will analyze it for you and send you the results
Ralph
December 18, 2011 at 11:53 am
Take a soil sample to your local gardening center. Many down here in Texas will send it off to Texas A&M for free in the early spring.
Some advice, in the spring and fall try to capture your grass clippings and dump them into your garden. Also go to home depot or similar and buy several 40 pound bags of humus or cow manure or organic fertiizer and till it into the garden, then overseed with something like annual rye over the winter months. Come spring, mow it down and till the surviving grass into the soil and add some more manure/humus/organic fertilizer/grass clippings. My garden is always great
ps. to keep weeds down by 90% or more, put a layer of hardwood mulch down after you plant in the spring. Then in the fall this gets tilled in and helps your soil structure too!
UpAllNight
December 18, 2011 at 12:04 pm
You can take a soil sample to your local nursery and they will usually have the proper test equipment to use to test it, or to send it out to the proper lab. Or to a local farm cooperative if you live in an area that has one.
Also, there are testing kits you can purchase yourslef nowadays as the technology used has come down in price over the years. I found some testing kits and articles about soil testing on the web site below if you are interested in looking into it any further. They have a huge section on Test Kits.
Kenny
December 18, 2011 at 12:50 pm