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Old 06-02-2011, 09:04 AM posted to rec.gardens.edible
George[_14_] George[_14_] is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Nov 2009
Posts: 103
Default Soil sample taken .


"Billy" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"David Hare-Scott" wrote:

Billy wrote:
In article ,
"DogDiesel" wrote:

Hi,

I got a Accugrow test kit and a D hoe from Johnnies today. I just
had to go dig a hole. So I went out and dug a hole in the snow and
soil to get a sample. And did a test. This is what I came up with.

PH 7
Nitrogen A
Phosphorus D
Potassium C- D , but its closer to D then C

Last year I mixed up liquid fish fertilizer and poured it on the
plants using a hand waterer. And that's mostly nitrogen. So that
guess worked out. It was 5-1-1, 0r 3-1-1.


What do these letters A, B etc mean in this context?


Other then that, And the fact I just dug a hole in the snow in the
dark. It looks like I'm nitrogen deficient. And the fact that the
kit doesn't show PH above 7. How would you know if your PH is over
7.

Diesel


How weird that they don't cover that. I would expect there to be quite a
few districts in the USA where the typical soil pH would be alkaline.
Consider testing in several places before amending your soil, as sample
of
one is not very representative.

Litmus paper


This isn't going to be very accurate because litmus changes colour over
quite a wide range of pH, you are probably not going to be able to tell
if
the pH is 7, 8 or above 8 using litmus. There are dye indicator systems
that will give you a much better reading. I forget the brand of the one
I
have and as the temperature is about 42C I am not going out to the shed
to
find it right now.

David


42C in New South Wales?


42C not 42F. That damned cyclone that hit Aus. Also blowing hot stickly air
masses across the Tasman to us. Too hot & too wet.

rob