a question about soil
 

I have a perplexing problem, and I'm hoping someone here as some suggestions.

About 8-9 years ago, I had a combination of topsoil and compro (or whatever it
is they make out of ground up leaves) delivered for my vegetable gardens. for
the first several years, my routine veggie crops were spectacular. Lately,
though, I find that seeds won't germinate, even the easiest to grow veggies.
Beans, peas, etc...nothing. When I plan seedlings, though, I still get
respectable plants.

I suspect that my soil needs something. I'm awaiting the soil test results
from my local extension service, but each year, the results look the same, and
are usually not real helpful.

Any suggestions? Does this sound like an acidity problem? When you add lime,
how much?

Thanks,

Lee

a question about soil
 

LG1111 wrote:

I have a perplexing problem, and I'm hoping someone here as some suggestions.

About 8-9 years ago, I had a combination of topsoil and compro (or whatever it
is they make out of ground up leaves) delivered for my vegetable gardens. for
the first several years, my routine veggie crops were spectacular. Lately,
though, I find that seeds won't germinate, even the easiest to grow veggies.
Beans, peas, etc...nothing. When I plan seedlings, though, I still get
respectable plants.

I suspect that my soil needs something. I'm awaiting the soil test results
from my local extension service, but each year, the results look the same, and
are usually not real helpful.

Any suggestions? Does this sound like an acidity problem? When you add lime,
how much?

Thanks,

Lee


First of all, seeds will sprout on nothing. The worst soil in the
world should be able to sprout seeds if the moisture and temperature
are reasonable. (Yeah, I can think of exceptions. I suppose if the
soil was so acid that it dissolved the seeds...)

Soil acidity is about the easiest thing to test for. Many people do
it themselves. Certainly your tests done by the extension service
will include a report on pH. If you need lime, I would think the
report would tell you that and should even tell how much.

Steve

a question about soil
 

"LG1111" wrote in message
...
I have a perplexing problem, and I'm hoping someone here as some
suggestions.

About 8-9 years ago, I had a combination of topsoil and compro (or
whatever it
is they make out of ground up leaves) delivered for my vegetable gardens.
for
the first several years, my routine veggie crops were spectacular.
Lately,
though, I find that seeds won't germinate, even the easiest to grow
veggies.
Beans, peas, etc...nothing. When I plan seedlings, though, I still get
respectable plants.

I suspect that my soil needs something. I'm awaiting the soil test
results
from my local extension service, but each year, the results look the same,
and
are usually not real helpful.

Any suggestions? Does this sound like an acidity problem? When you add
lime,
how much?

Thanks,

Lee

Adding organic matter to your soil is not a "one time and you're done" type
of amending. It's a constant practice, and if you''ve not added any compost
or other organics to your soil lately, but have been harvesting out produce,
you're bankrupting the soil. YOu have to add organics back in to balance
the equation. pH adjusting isn't overnight either, and should be an ongoing
project monitored by soil tests.

a question about soil
 

Sunflower wrote:



Adding organic matter to your soil is not a "one time and you're done" type
of amending. It's a constant practice, and if you''ve not added any compost
or other organics to your soil lately, but have been harvesting out produce,
you're bankrupting the soil. YOu have to add organics back in to balance
the equation. pH adjusting isn't overnight either, and should be an ongoing
project monitored by soil tests.



Yup.

SCR

a question about soil
 

a question about soil
 

If seeds aren't sprouting and your soil supports seedlings then you're
planting bad seeds or you've got moochers. Use bird nets to deter
birds. Look for signs of pests - like slugs. Or start your seeds
indoors and transplant to your garden.

a question about soil
 

If seeds aren't sprouting and your soil supports seedlings then you're
planting bad seeds or you've got moochers. Use bird nets to deter
birds. Look for signs of pests - like slugs. Or start your seeds
indoors and transplant to your garden.




As much as I'd like to agree, my seeds really don't germinate. I mean I can
plant 500 beans and not get even 1 seedling. We have deer and rabbits, but I
get NOTHING. To me, this suggests that my problem is chemical.

Lee

a question about soil
 

LG1111 said:


As much as I'd like to agree, my seeds really don't germinate. I mean I can
plant 500 beans and not get even 1 seedling. We have deer and rabbits, but I
get NOTHING. To me, this suggests that my problem is chemical.

A heavy infestation of seed maggots might be another cause, given that you have
some success with transplants. These can be particularly devestating to beans
and other large seeded crops, but they can also destroy smaller seeds. I've
dug up cucumber seeds that hadn't sprouted in a reasonable time only to find
each one with a maggot inside. (Several years treatment with beneficial nematodes
helped eliminate that problem.) Earwigs and slugs can be murder on tender sprouts
but only come out at night. (The list of pests that can murder sprouting seeds
is not yet exhaustive...)

It's never a bad idea, though, to spring for a soil test (including the major
micronutrients) -- especially if you haven't had one in a while.
--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)

a question about soil
 

LG1111 wrote:

As much as I'd like to agree, my seeds really don't germinate. I mean I can
plant 500 beans and not get even 1 seedling. We have deer and rabbits, but I
get NOTHING. To me, this suggests that my problem is chemical.


To me, this suggests that your garden is haunted. I would sell the
place and move far, far away.

Steve ... Just kidding (sort of).

a question about soil
 

(LG1111) writes:
As much as I'd like to agree, my seeds really don't germinate. I mean I can
plant 500 beans and not get even 1 seedling. We have deer and rabbits, but I
get NOTHING. To me, this suggests that my problem is chemical.

Statistically, I'd say the most likely cause is inadequate or inconsistent
watering. Germinating seeds are very unforgiving. If they dry out for even
a minute that can be the end of some. Seeds that take a long time to emerge
may rot if they are sitting in heavy waterlogged soil from overwatering.

Unless you are tilling a former chemical waste dump :-) I'd doubt that the
cause would be the soil chemistry. Chemistry might affect growth, but most
seeds germinate when supplied with moisture and warmth regardless of soil
fertility. Bean seeds would have to be the easiest and most rewarding to
sprout! Practically fail safe! It is possible to plant some seeds too
deeply, but probably not so with bean seeds, within reason. Some seeds do
have a short use-by date.
--
John Savage (news address invalid; keep news replies in newsgroup)

a question about soil
 

In article , John Savage wrote:
Unless you are tilling a former chemical waste dump :-) I'd doubt that the
cause would be the soil chemistry. Chemistry might affect growth, but most
seeds germinate when supplied with moisture and warmth regardless of soil

Pretty much. They don't complain til they start trying to actually
chew it.

fertility. Bean seeds would have to be the easiest and most rewarding to
sprout! Practically fail safe! It is possible to plant some seeds too

Except lima beans. They don't seem to like this germination thing and
only about 1 in 3 sprouts. (BTW, very young lima beans are *delicious*
raw -- sweet, like young peas.)

deeply, but probably not so with bean seeds, within reason. Some seeds do
have a short use-by date.

Which ones have you found that to be the case for?

Back around 1990, I saved a bunch of seeds from a special roadkill
daisy (er, gazinna... they plant 'em along the roadbeds here, so I've
renamed 'em :) ... didn't have anywhere to plant them until a couple
years ago. In 2002, I planted a few and NONE of them came up. So I
thought they'd aged out and were no good... in 2003, I planted ALL the
ones I had left. And every bloody one of them sprouted. Hmm...

~REZ~