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If you have any questions about soil nutrients contact Dr. Clain Jones. If you think plant growth issues may be related to pesticide (e.g., herbicide residual in compost), please contact Noelle Orloff (994-6297) or Dr. Tim Seipel (994-4783) for assistance.
- The Soil Scoop Feeding the Garden Soil
- The Soil Scoop Soil Testing: Getting a Good Sample
- The Soil Scoop Soil Testing: Once You Have the Sample
- Home Garden Soil Testing & Fertilizer Guidelines MSU MontGuide
- Home Composting MSU MontGuide
-
Oregon State University Plant available N calculator - estimates N from cover crops and other soil amendments w/in a growing season
- Minimizing Pesticide Contaminated Soil Around the Home and Garden MSU MontGuide.
- Presentations on home gardening
- Interpreting Compost Analyses 2018 Oregon State University Extension
- Comparing soil test kits with standard lab-based soil tests Crops & Soils Magazine, March 2019
- Soil Test Kits vs Laboratory Tests (pdf) MSU Press release
- List of regional soil testing labs
- MSU Extension Yard and Garden
- Gardening video series (6) by MSU Extension Agent Patrick Mangan
- Washington State University Organic Farming Systems and Nutrient Management - includes information for east of the Cascades
- Midwest Vegetable Production Guide provides information that might be useful for high tunnel or greenhouse production in our climate
Soil testing
- Visit our Soil Sampling website for more information.
- Best done in early spring.
- Remove mulch or thatch before taking the sample (0-6 inches deep). Use soil sampling auger (borrow from local Extension office) or bulb planter. Be sure tools used to sample aren't contaminated by storage near fertilizers.
- Collect and mix 10 samples for each 1000 sq. feet of area of interest (e.g., lawn separate from vegetable garden).
- Take a pint sized subsample of the mixed samples.
- Keep below 40°F and overnight ship, or immediately dry at 110-120°F, or freeze for drying at 110-120°F later.
- Send to a soil testing lab from this list and request pH, organic matter, electrical conductivity (EC = salts), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (specify Olsen P method), and potassium (K). You can add texture (or test texture at home using the jar test), and micronutrients if you suspect iron, or other deficiency or excess. Sulfur (S) soil tests are not a good indication of sulfur availability for plants, i.e. don't do soil test for sulfur.
|
Material
|
N
|
P2O5
|
K2O
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Manure compost1
|
40
|
15
|
40
|
|
Yard compost2
|
58
|
8
|
12
|
|
Green/food compost3
|
15
|
9
|
30
|
|
Dead leaves4
|
40
|
9
|
18
|
|
Dead pine needles
|
18
|
4.8
|
1.2
|
|
Alfalfa pellets
|
120
|
40
|
80
|
|
Annual vegetable harvest lb/1000 sq. ft5
|
2.3
|
0.5
|
2.7
|
|
Sources: 1. MSU, 2. Maryland Urban compost LeafGro and SmartLeaf, 3. Waste Resources Action Programme of Wales 4. Heckman and Kluchinski 1996, 5. Univ. Mass., Michigan State, Oregon State, Morris et al. 2007 |
|||
|
Material
|
N
|
P2O5
|
K2O
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Manure compost
|
0.01
|
0.0037
|
0.01
|
|
Yard compost
|
0.0145
|
0.002
|
0.003
|
|
Green/food compost
|
0.0037
|
0.002
|
0.0075
|
|
Dead leaves
|
0.01
|
0.0023
|
0.0046
|
|
Dead pine needles
|
0.0045
|
0.0012
|
0.0003
|
|
Alfalfa pellets
|
3
|
1
|
2
|
|
Bone meal
|
3.5
|
17
|
0
|
|
Blood meal
|
12
|
0
|
0
|
|
Brewery grain (wet)
|
0.9
|
0.5
|
0.05
|
|
Canola meal
|
6
|
1
|
1
|
|
Wood ash (unleached)
|
0
|
1.25
|
2
|
|
Coffee grounds (dry)
|
2
|
0.36
|
0.67
|
|
Urea (chemical fertilizer)
|
46
|
0
|
0
|
|
Worm castings
|
highly variable and its not about NPK
|
||