From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Nova Scotia

well i picked a 627lbs pumpkin a few weeks ago off this soil O.M. 4.3, P1 50ppm, P2 198ppm, k 283ppm, mg 141ppm ca 3276ppm, ph 8, C.E.C. 18.3 k% 4 mg% 6.4 ca% 89.6 so imput is welcome

2/23/2004 6:04:30 PM

[email protected]

If the %OM were OK, then I would apply a pound of Potash since it's a little low in the percentages. But the Organic Matter is also very low. If you can find some well rotted manure, then apply 4-6 inches & get it thoroughly tilled in. You'll be on the way to raising the stable organic matter (in time) & you'll have also corrected the Potash at the same time.

But that pH of 8 freaks me out. Too high to ignore in my book. Peat Moss would knock it down a bit in the long term. But for this year I'd apply 3 pounds or garden sulfur to get things started.

Steve

2/23/2004 8:54:07 PM

[email protected]

What am I saying? You can't buy Canadian Peat Moss in the Bahamas can you? You need to find an acidifying organic material that won't louse up the other values.

2/23/2004 8:56:18 PM

Nova Scotia

tremor would pine needles work?

2/23/2004 9:24:12 PM

[email protected]

If they've had time to rot in some compost then they should. Can you find some older stuff & have it pH tested through a lab?

As I recall, some Pines wouldn't establish near the tropics (Puerto Rico I think) due to their missing certain mycorrhizae. Spores alone wouldn't get them started then or now. But small amounts of soil with *actively growing* mycorrhizae did the trick & Pines have flourished ever since.

If you can locate a legal source of this sort of "Pine forest duff" in enough quantity, then I think it would push that pH down & raise your OM.

2/23/2004 10:07:39 PM

Nova Scotia

this is the bahamas all things are legal and there are plenty of old pine needles around.

2/23/2004 10:56:31 PM

In the shade - PDX, OR

Mr. T - shred those pine needles first if you go that route. At least run them over with the lawn mower.
The smaller pieces will decompose faster.


Remember that pH adjustment should be the one of the most important tools for patch prep. It plays a *crucial* role in the CEC and availability of Ca, Mg & K.

2/24/2004 12:29:46 PM