Soil Analysis Help

dankemhunter · May 12, 2015

Just got my soil sample tested here at Michigan State Soil Test Labs. I am not experienced enough to tell what exactly I'm dealing with. I am putting up a green house and this is the soil at the sight where I plan on growing. It looked very black and organic so I had it tested to see if it was worthy of using. Attached is the soil report. I was curious If I could grow right into it, or mix half and half with sunshine #4 with some perlite added, or anything else that someone might suggest. I plan on feeding the whole way thru with Mills Nutrients and multiple additives. Any feedback would be great!
Thanks
DH

ShroomKing · May 12, 2015

Growing right into it is not a great option. Long term your going to build up a lot of salts because your using chemical fertilizer, and short term it doesn't have enough in it to get you through harvest. I would consider amending the soil with organic fertilizers at the recommended rates then use organic teas to feed. Start a worm composter, and use this opportunity to build a sustainable organic greenhouse that will save you big money in the long run and improve your karma.
Best of luck.
Peace

Bulldog11 · May 13, 2015

Well, your tests suck. Try Logan Labs next time.

From what I can tell from your results, you have 66% organic matter!!!! Well that's a good start. You put this greenhouse on top of an old chicken bin or something?

Your N-P-K are all very low and in need of amending.

Your MG is off the charts excessive, and will take years to correct.

I don't understand how, but your CEC is zero........... All bad. This must be incorrect, or I am reading it wrong. With all that organic material you should have a decent CEC.

Soil ph of 7.3 is very high, and your exchangeable hydrogen wont be raised until you get that below 7.0. Your shooting for 6.4. I would recommend sulfur to bring down your ph, but your tests don't show your levels of sulfur.

How did you determine your soil is organic?

I believe the most important part of a grow is the soil. I might just call a soil yard and have them make me new soil. However, if I were to use this soil I would:

First add the recommended amounts of fertilizer they suggested. Get an all purpose feed, something like 5-5-5, and add that to the soil.
I would also add perlite/pumice/lava/rice hulls for aeration. I like to add about 30% aeration to my entire soil volume. If your growing in the ground, rice hulls are cheap and work great.
Then I would wait 3 weeks or so, test the soil again at logan labs. Find out what your levels of sulfur are, and if they are low then add sulfur to correct ph issues.
Calcium seems high also, but can't tell with your lab results.

Bulldog11 · May 13, 2015

Your tests show zero macro levels also, which are very important.

Blaze · May 15, 2015

The soil test at 66% organic matter but 0 CEC? Absolutely no way that can be right, I think they fucked up the test. Do they specific if this is testing for soluble organic matter (SOM)? If it is indeed SOM, 66% is very high, and organic matter increases CEC, so I don't see how the organic matter would be off the charts like that but the CEC is non-existent. Heck, I didn't think it's even possible for a soil to test at 0 CEC, that means it is totally devoid of any ability to retain positively charge ionic nutrients, such as Mg, which again, is off the charts. This test makes absolutely no sense, it is contradictory.

The results in PPM also seems odd to me, I am used to seeing it in lbs per acre or lbs per 1000 square feet, that makes it much easier to calculate your amounts. I would get another test done from a reliable lab like Fruit Growers Laboratory Inc (FGL Inc.), that is who I use.

dankemhunter · May 20, 2015

Yeah I agree with everyone here.. Results do seem a little odd. They are from University of Michigan State which is one of the best schools in the world for crop and soil sciences. Either way I ended up not using the soil I had tested. I am using Sunshine #4 in 100 gallon smart pots. 50 of em :) Go green
DH

sixstring · May 21, 2015

shoulda sent the samples to U of M ,go blue :)

im just messin,but i do bleed maze n blue :cool:

dankemhunter · May 26, 2015

Well in case anybody was interested in seeing what was going on, here is an update. 100 gallon tan smarties, 48 total. 1/3 plushberry, 1/3 pineapple trainwreck, 1/3 ace of spades.

sixstring · May 26, 2015

Pretty awesome sight dankem:)

Prime C · May 26, 2015

yeah im jealous! What size and how much were the materials? Im planning on one next year. @dankemhunter

dankemhunter · May 27, 2015

Prime C said:
yeah im jealous! What size and how much were the materials? Im planning on one next year. @dankemhunter

72 x 30 x 17 tall. GH w tarp was about 55. Fence was 35. Smarties were 15. Soil was 3. Lol 150 bails, only ended up using 110 tho. Greenhouse is right off of private 40' deep huge pond so I'm sucking from there into a 700 gallon res. I'll keep an update. First time growing in GH. Pretty exciting!
DH

dankemhunter · May 27, 2015

These babies still have about 4 more months of veg. They were super rooted out before transplant. I'm almost scared 100 gallons won't be enough but we shall see.

Prime C · May 27, 2015

I have a feeling those isles are going to disappear!

dankemhunter · May 28, 2015

Prime C said:
I have a feeling those isles are going to disappear!

Lol they are probably going to finish around 10-12' tall, all isles full.. Probably won't be able to see my canopy. I have had worse issues tho.. Grow big or go home! Took me 2 hours 15 minutes to water em all lol. 720 gallons.
DH

bIlToNG · May 29, 2015

720 gallons! exciting stuff

dankemhunter · Jun 12, 2015

Starting to fill out nicely. 2.5 more months of veg lol these things are going to be monsters..
Mills pays the bills

DH

dankemhunter · Jul 7, 2015

Things are blowing up. Had to move plants outside the greenhouse and spread out the ones left inside. They have only been outside for 48 days. They are all reaching over 7 feet now. Wrapping all of em individually with plastic trellis later this week. Pictures are from yesterday. Drinking every 4-5 days now.

Roots busting out of pots. Hate to rip em out like this but had to be done, all of the plants were starting to grow into each other.

The sauce:
Gorilla Glue 4. Only put one in here, did not know how she would do outside since it is such a stretcher. Seems to be enjoying itself.

Pineapple Trainwreck

Plushberry. Few ace of spades in here too that I have not taken pictures of.

Some stalks getting fat.

Gorilla tape = Best plant break repairer

Bulldog11 · Jul 8, 2015

I use that gorilla tape for fixing my black out tarp also. Good stuff. Garden looks great.

However, not sure why you think 2.5 more months of veg in your post on June 12th. Where are you? In Nor cal, flower start Aug 1st in my experience.

Kronikcowboy · Jul 8, 2015

How will you support the branches ?
Looking on point !!!

dankemhunter · Jul 11, 2015

@Bulldog11 youre right Flower should start early August here too. I hope they don't get much bigger otherwise they will need to be watered every day.

@Kronikcowboy I actually just wrapped them all in plastic trellis and wove lower branches to higher points so they won't be hanging. Then ran strips on the top down the rows for the tops. I will trellis again come stretch. Trellis actually worked really well.

DH

Soil Analysis Help

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