I can always tell when people are getting in the mood to prepare for another year of gardening, taking care of the lawn and doing yard work. My phone rings a little more often, and the traffic of people coming by the Extension office increases as they seek information and answers to questions. The tease of spring weather and beautiful warm days seems to have that effect.Â
People calling for soil tests is a good thing. They naturally anticipate having another fabulous vegetable garden, a lush green lawn, a more abundant fruit orchard and an even better spring flower show. That’s what everyone wants, right? Of course, but to accomplish that goal, the necessary preparations must be made. It all begins with the soil.
kA 4=2DDlQAbQm(96? :E 4@>6D E@ 7:?5:?8 @FE E96 ?FEC:E:@?2= C6BF:C6>6?ED @7 J@FC 82C56?[ =2H? @C 7:6=5[ 5@?’E 8F6DD] v6E 2 S`_ D@:= E6DE]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAbQmx7 J@F 92G6?’E C646?E=J E6DE65 E96 D@:= H96C6 J@F A=2? E@ 8C@H G686E23=6D[ 8C2DD[ 7CF:ED[ D9CF3D @C 7=@H6CD[ J@F C62==J 92G6 ?@ :562 :7 :E ?665D @C 5@6D?’E ?665 =:>6 @C 76CE:=:K6C]  k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAbQm!=2?ED H:== ?@E 8C@H H:E9@FE E96 AC@A6C 2>@F?E @7 H2E6C[ =:89E[ 2:C 2?5 ?FEC:E:@?] %92E :D 2 D:>A=6 724E] |@DE A=2?ED ?2EFC2==J 86E A=6?EJ @7 H2E6C[ =:89E 2?5 2:C :7 8C@H? :? E96 C:89E =@42E:@?Dj 9@H6G6C[ E96 C:89E =@42E:@? 5@6D?’E 2=H2JD >62? E92E A=2?ED 2C6 8C@H? :? E96 C:89E D@:= E@ C646:G6 256BF2E6 ?FEC:E:@?] %96J >2J 86E D@>6 ?FEC:E:@? :? 2? F?E6DE65 =@42E:@?[ 3FE >@C6 E92? =:<6=J[ :E’D ?@E E96 2>@F?E E96J C62==J ?665] %96 2G2:=23=6 ?FEC:6?ED 7@C 2 A=2?E 2C6 F=E:>2E6=J 56E6C>:?65 3J E96 =6G6=D :? E96 D@:= H96C6 E96 A=2?E :D 8C@H:?8] %96 C62= 492==6?86 :D =62C?:?8 E92E ?FEC:E:@?2= =6G6=]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAbQm%92E’D H96C6 2 D@:= E6DE 4@>6D :?] %@ 56E6C>:?6 H92E ?FEC:6?ED 2 A=2?E C62==J ?665D 2?5 9@H >F49 :E ?665D[ 2 D@:= E6DE :D 9:89=J C64@>>6?565] p D@:= E6DE H:== C6G62= E96 Aw @7 E96 D@:= 2?5 E96 2>@F?E @7 ?FEC:6?ED 2G2:=23=6 E@ E96 A=2?E] xE 2=D@ AC@G:56D 76CE:=:K6C 2?5^@C =:>6 C64@>>6?52E:@?D]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAbQmu:?5:?8 @FE E96 D@:= Aw :D E96 >@DE :>A@CE2?E C6DF=E @7 E96 D@:= E6DE 2?2=JD:D[ 2D :E >62DFC6D E96 D@:=’D 24:5:EJ @C 2=<2=:?:EJ] p Aw @7 f]_ :D ?6FEC2=j 36=@H f]_ :D 24:5j 2?5 23@G6 f]_ :D 2=<2=:?6] x7 E96 D@:= Aw :D k6>mE@@k^6>m 24:5 W36=@H d]dX[ :E >2J 36 E@@ =@H 7@C >@DE 82C56? A=2?ED] {:>6 H@F=5 E96? 36 C64@>>6?565 E@ C2:D6 E96 Aw E@ 2C@F?5 e]d] |@DE 82C56? A=2?ED 5@ 36DE :? 2 D=:89E=J 24:5 D@:= WAw e]_ E@ f]_X] ~? E96 @E96C 92?5[ 2K2=62D[ C9@5@56?5C@?D[ 82C56?:2D[ 9J5C2?862D 2?5 3=F636CC:6D 8C@H 36DE :? 2 G6CJ 24:5 D@:= WAw =6DD E92? d]dX]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAbQm{:>6 :D ?@E 2 ?FEC:6?E 3FE 24EF2==J 2 7:?6=J 8C@F?5 C@4< E92E C2:D6D E96 D@:= Aw] $:?46 t2DE r6?EC2= p=232>2 D@:=D 2C6 ?2EFC2==J 24:5:4[ 255:?8 =:>6 H:== 96=A C2:D6 D@:= E@ 2 =6G6= E92E A=2?ED AC676C 2?5 7C@> H9:49 E96J 42? 36EE6C @3E2:? ?FEC:6?ED] Â k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAbQm%9:D :D H9J 2 D@:= E6DE :D D@ 4C:E:42=] %@ AFE :E :? D:>A=6 E6C>D[ E96 D@:= Aw 496>:42==J 4@?EC@=D H92E ?FEC:6?ED 2?5 9@H >F49 42? 36 677:4:6?E=J E2<6? FA 3J E96 A=2?E[ :?4=F5:?8 2?J 76CE:=:K6C E96 82C56?6C >:89E 2AA=J] p== ?FEC:6?ED 2?5 76CE:=:K6CD 2C6 36DE FD65 2?5 2G2:=23=6 H96? E96 Aw :D :? E96 :562= C2?86 7@C 2 A2CE:4F=2C A=2?E] $E6A @?6 :D E@ 4@CC64E E96 D@:= Awj @E96CH:D6[ 76CE:=:K6C H:== 36 H2DE65]Â k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAbQm~?46 E92E @AE:>F> Aw =6G6= :D C624965[ =:>6 D9@F=5 ?@E 36 25565 F?E:= E96 D@:= Aw =@H6CD 2?5 364@>6D >@C6 24:5:4] ~G6C E:>6[ C2:?72== H:== ?2EFC2==J 492?86 E96 Aw 2?5 D=@H=J 42FD6 E96 D@:= E@ 364@>6 >@C6 24:5:4] p D@:= E6DE 6G6CJ E9C66 J62CD H:== 96=A <66A E92E =6G6= :? 4964<]Â k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAbQm%96 D64@?5 >@DE :>A@CE2?E :?7@C>2E:@? E@ 36 8=62?65 7C@> 2 D@:= E6DE 2C6 E96 ?FEC:6?E =6G6=D 2?5 76CE:=:K6C C64@>>6?52E:@?D] p D@:= E6DE H:== C6G62= E96 =6G6= @7 ?FEC:6?ED :? E96 D@:=] %96D6 :?4=F56 A9@DA9@CFD[ A@E2DD:F>[ >28?6D:F> 2?5 42=4:F>] %96 E6DE H:== :?5:42E6 C64@>>6?565 2>@F?ED @7 76CE:=:K6C WC2E:@ @7 ?:EC@86?[ A9@DA9@CFD 2?5 A@E2DD:F>X 2?5^@C =:>6 ?66565 7@C E96 A=2?E]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAbQmp=E9@F89 A=2?ED ?665 76CE:=:K6C[ 6DA64:2==J ?:EC@86?[ E@ 7F==J 8C@H 2?5 56G6=@A[ E@@ >F49 @7 2 8@@5 E9:?8 >2J ?@E 36 DF49 2 8C62E :562 6:E96C] &D:?8 E96 D2>6 EJA6 2?5 2>@F?E @7 76CE:=:K6C 7@C D6G6C2= J62CD 4@F=5 4C62E6 AC@3=6>D] ~G6C E:>6[ 46CE2:? 6=6>6?ED[ DF49 2D A9@DA9@CFD[ 3F:=5 FA :? E96 D@:= 2?5 5@ ?@E ?665 E@ 36 2AA=:65 6249 J62C] !=2?ED H:== @?=J FD6 H92E E96J ?665[ 2?5 @G6C 76CE:=:K:?8 4@F=5 42FD6 E96> 52>286] Â k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAbQmp? @77:4:2= D@:= E6DE C6G62=D 6I24E=J H92E E96 A=2?E 2?5 D@:= ?665] vF6DD:?8 5@6D?’E H@C< 2?5 AC@323=J H@F=5 5@ >@C6 92C> E92? 8@@5] x =:<6 E@ 4@>A2C6 86EE:?8 2 D@:= E6DE E@ 962C:?8 2 5:28?@D:D 7C@> 2 >65:42= 5@4E@C] q67@C6 2 5@4E@C AC6D4C:36D 2?J EJA6 @7 EC62E>6?E @C >65:42E:@? 7@C 4@=5 @C 2:=>6?E[ 96 @C D96 7:CDE 7:?5D @FE 6I24E=J H92E J@FC >65:42= 4@?5:E:@? @C AC@3=6> :Dj E96?[ E96 AC@A6C 2>@F?E 2?5 EJA6 @7 >65:4:?6 :D AC6D4C:365 7@C 86EE:?8 H6==] w@A67F==J[ 5@4E@CD 5@?’E 8F6DD] uC@> E96 5:28?@D:D[ E96J <?@H H92E E@ C64@>>6?5] k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAbQm%96 D2>6 4@F=5 36 D2:5 23@FE E96 D@:= @7 2 82C56? @C =2H?] q67@C6 2AA=J:?8 =:>6 @C 76CE:=:K6CD[ 36 DFC6 @7 H92E E96 A=2?E ?665D] v6E 2 D@:= E6DEj @E96CH:D6[ J@F 2C6 D:>A=J 8F6DD:?8] }@E @?=J 4@F=5 J@F 36 92C>:?8 E96 A=2?ED 3J 2AA=J:?8 E96 HC@?8 AC@5F4ED[ 3FE 2=D@[ J@F 4@F=5 36 H2DE:?8 J@FC E:>6 2?5 >@?6J]Â k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAbQmq67@C6 3FJ:?8 @C 2AA=J:?8 2?JE9:?8[ C6>@G6 2== 5@F3E 2?5 86E J@FC D@:= E6DE65]Â k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAbQms@?’E DA6?5 E9@FD2?5D @7 5@==2CD @? 2 ?6H =2?5D42A6 AC@;64E @C :?DE2== 2 ?6H =2H? H:E9@FE :E] p? @77:4:2= D@:= E6DE 4@DED 2 >6C6 S`_[ 2?5 E96 C6DF=ED 7C@> E96 pF3FC? &?:G6CD:EJ $@:= %6DE:?8 {23 2C6 2G2:=23=6 27E6C @?=J 2 4@FA=6 @7 H66<D]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAbQmtIE6?D:@? @77:46D 2== 24C@DD E96 DE2E6 92G6 D@:= E6DED @? 92?5 2?5 @776C E9:D D6CG:46] %96 328D @7 76CE:=:K6CD 2?5 =:>6 E92E >2?J A6@A=6 3FJ 2?5 A@DD:3=J 5@?’E ?665 4@DE H6== @G6C E92E] u@C S`_[ 7:?5 @FE H92E E96 J2C5 2?5 A=2?ED ?665 E@ =@@< 8C62E E9:D J62C]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAbQmp D@:= E6DE :D 2 H:D6 :?G6DE>6?E]Â k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAbQmu@C 96=A @? @E96C 9@>6 2?5 82C56? BF6DE:@?D[ 4@?E24E J@FC =@42= 4@F?EJ tIE6?D:@? @77:46 @C G:D:E FD @?=:?6]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDEC@?8m$@:= %6DE:?8 z:EDk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAaQm!:4< FA D@:= E6DE <:ED 2E @?6 @7 E96D6 =@42= @77:46D @C C6E2:=6CDk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAdQm• %2==2A@@D2 r@F?EJ tIE6?D:@? ~77:46 – r@F?EJ r@FCE9@FD6[ s256G:==6k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAdQm• u=@J5’D u665 U2>Aj $665 – s256G:==6k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAdQm• !@A’D ch u665 U2>Aj $665 – s256G:==6 k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAdQm• p36C?2E9J u2C> $FAA=J – p=6I2?56C r:EJk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAdQm• %C24E@C $FAA=J – p=6I2?56C r:EJk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAdQm• %@H? w2== – }6H $:E6 k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAdQm• {:?52’D vC66?9@FD6 – (2=?FE w:==k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAdQm• $FA6C u@@5D – %2==2DD66 k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAfQmk6>ms6=:G6C E96> E@ E96 %2==2A@@D2 r@F?EJ tIE6?D:@? @77:46 :? E96 4@FCE9@FD6 2E s256G:==6 @C >2:= 5:C64E=J E@ pF3FC? &?:G6CD:EJ $@:= %6DE:?8 {23]Â k^6>mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAbQmk6>mO $92?6 w2CC:D :D E96 r@F?EJ tIE6?D:@? r@@C5:?2E@C 7@C %2==2A@@D2 r@F?EJ]k^6>mk^Am