"The moderator" wrote in message
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"brooklyn1" wrote in message
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"The moderator" wrote in message
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I am building my first vegetable garden. I took some soil to be tested
and it was recommended that I put 8 pounds of 13-13-13 per 1000 sq ft.

My garden is only 160 square feet so I don't need very much. The Coop
suggested a small bag of 6-7-7 and using twice as much (2.5 pounds).
This makes sense, but thought I would check here for confirming advice.

A legitimate soil tester would have been concerned with PH values...
there's no point in adding fertilizer before knowing your soil PH. I
wouldn't add any fertilizer to a vegetable garden its first season
anyway. It sounds like wherever you went they were just trying to sell
you a supply of fertilizer, probably something you really don't need.
You'd do better to buy your own little soil test kit so you can check the
PH, a basic kit costs under $10. You can add some granular lime to lower
acidity, add peat moss to raise acidity... don't add too much or you will
find yourself seesawing. For fertilizing your size garden till/spade in
like a half dozen 40lb bags of composted cow manure, after the first
growing season. Think about composting... you'll never need to buy any
additives.

I had the testing performed by the County extension office.

The PH level is 6.4.

Nutrient
P 16 (ppm) below optimum
K 26 below optimum
Ca 689
Mg 56
SO4-S 12
Zn 3.9 below optimum
Fe 144
Mn 214
Cu 1.0

Estimated Base Saturation

Total 62.4
Ca 51.8
Mg 7.0
K 1.0
Na 2.6

I took the soil sample made right after I turned the sod. It took three
weeks to get the results and since then I have added 2.2 cubic feet of
compressed peat moss and two bags of manure humus mix. I am a little
concerned with the PH being more acidic since I added the peat moss, but
there was a lot of dirt compared to the thin layer of peat moss.

That's a very small bag of peat moss, I'd not concern myself. I think you
should plant your first crops without adding any fertilizer, that way you'll
know the results, it may well be that you don't need to ever add
fertilizer... if it ain't broke don't fix it.