K
Kale
Guest
Thank you Wombat,I will reply as soon as I can
Kale
Kale
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Was waiting for a reply when I was the one that was suppose to reply*lol
My piles are aerobic. you will sink a few (or more) inches if you walk in my beds and most of my soil.
A ladder will never work, just sink as soon as you try to place and stand.
OK nitrogen to lower the pH but I have high pH.
I'm confused once again.
I think I will get a test only I spoke with them at the extension office they didn't have a clue as to what what was going on.
Thought I called to brag about my high pH!*LOL
I guess I have to get one of the lab techs from the back..*LOL
Anyway,the part I find most difficult if at all possible is to get a mini shovel full from such a large veggie area.I have over 13 beds and I plant veggies everywhere. Also read and heard that the pH can be different just 3inches from where you took the soil.(Any clue as to the this being factual)
How do you know where to get the soil from!? Where something grew,where organic matter was placed a few months earlier where nothing grew for a season? And when, before turning or tillin or after? What week or month?What location.sun/shade both? Covered beds uncovered beds.
What is the difference in the reading? There has to be more microbes come warmer temps. I think taking a soil sample should be a little more scientific then just digging up some dirt and letting it dry out for a day or 3 then taking soil out of there and bagging it up. I wish I knew the answers to all these and several more.Shoot me now get it over with *LOL
(Yes, I checked the compost piles using the meter only. Same reading) I also bought (said) well aged manure, which I tested with my meters and it was 7.5pH I flipped and still have it.I bought it to lower my new baby Azaleas pH but didn't use it.)
OK. Nitrogen is what lowers the pH but I have too much of that and high..Im going to shoot myself never mind you wasting the airfare*LOL
My brain hurts...
If you can get anything out of that you are a gem! Any gem you'd like to be, fine with me...
Kale
I don't know which bed or if I should gather from all back raised or just the compost pile .. mix it up or just avoid the whole thing and SCREAM!
I have 2 meters that are Grrrrrrrr and tow testers that are Grrrrrrrrrr. The other one takes hourssssssssssssssss and I get the same unreadable results.
I just have 3 people read it (*LOL) without knowing what others think write their results then I go from there.We usually all come up with the same reading GRRRRRRRRRRR*lol I think I took pics... If I find them I'll post if not... no great loss they don't match up with the color chart well anyway.
Kale
K
Kale
Guest
Humm, Im back*lolHi Kale, sorry it's taken me so long to reply. Lowering your ph is a long drawn out process as lime or dolomite is constantly being dissolved in the soil. Some folk go for a ''quick fix'' using Flowers of Sulphur or Ground Rock Sulphur, but over-use of it tends to destroy micro-organisms in the soil. A friend has used pine needles as a mulch and this appears to work well, albeit slowly. If the beds are unoccupied sulphur may be the way to go, (especially if your growing season is close) as you can add a higher concentration of sulphur than you would if beds were occupied. Well aged manure can also lower the ph....as you can see there's no really quick way of doing this but before you add compost to the bed get a ph reading of it and adjust it accordingly before spreading or digging it into the soil....hope this helps you a bit
Was waiting for a reply when I was the one that was suppose to reply*lol
My piles are aerobic. you will sink a few (or more) inches if you walk in my beds and most of my soil.
A ladder will never work, just sink as soon as you try to place and stand.
OK nitrogen to lower the pH but I have high pH.
I'm confused once again.I think I will get a test only I spoke with them at the extension office they didn't have a clue as to what what was going on.
Thought I called to brag about my high pH!*LOL
I guess I have to get one of the lab techs from the back..*LOL
Anyway,the part I find most difficult if at all possible is to get a mini shovel full from such a large veggie area.I have over 13 beds and I plant veggies everywhere. Also read and heard that the pH can be different just 3inches from where you took the soil.(Any clue as to the this being factual)
How do you know where to get the soil from!? Where something grew,where organic matter was placed a few months earlier where nothing grew for a season? And when, before turning or tillin or after? What week or month?What location.sun/shade both? Covered beds uncovered beds.
What is the difference in the reading? There has to be more microbes come warmer temps. I think taking a soil sample should be a little more scientific then just digging up some dirt and letting it dry out for a day or 3 then taking soil out of there and bagging it up. I wish I knew the answers to all these and several more.
Shoot me now get it over with *LOL (Yes, I checked the compost piles using the meter only. Same reading) I also bought (said) well aged manure, which I tested with my meters and it was 7.5pH I flipped and still have it.I bought it to lower my new baby Azaleas pH but didn't use it.)
OK. Nitrogen is what lowers the pH
but I have too much of that and high..Im going to shoot myself never mind you wasting the airfare*LOLMy brain hurts...
If you can get anything out of that you are a gem! Any gem you'd like to be, fine with me...
Kale
Wombat
Active Member
Hi Kale, I can only get on here about once a week and there's sooo much to read, I inadvertently overlooked your post Okkkkkk, hmmm this is quite a conundrum you have regarding nitrogen raising and lowering the PH. According to many experienced gardeners I've talked to ''fresh'' compost and manure immediately raise PH levels, aged compost and manure eventually lower it. The ''aged'' manure you bought, could only be a month old, from the books I've read aged manure is regarded as a minimum of 6 months old with 12 months being the optimum. You have to remember it does take a long time.
I'd definitely get a soil test as it'll clearly indicate what elements/minerals etc. are missing from your soil. As for the PH differing from area to area,,,definitely possible as each load of compost etc, will be different due to it's content. One thing that may help you is to use only 10 of your 13 beds and try and rectify the problem in those three empty ones only. It'll be a little less daunting that way, plus a lot of organic commercial growers do it as well. I only have 6 beds but I usually let one lie fallow for at least 6 months on a rotating basis and then check the PH level and adjust it according to what I wish to plant.
It's a really tough and frustrating problem and you may have to be patient but if you have one area that has a consistently high PH, perhaps consider growing plants that love that growing environment. I've always taken my soil readings before planting time (winter) as anything growing in the bed will affect your reading. I'd just decide where your beds were performing the worst and take it from there. Whew I feel really tired now, but I hope this has helped you clarify a few issues...if not, you know where I am
Okkkkkk, hmmm this is quite a conundrum you have regarding nitrogen raising and lowering the PH. According to many experienced gardeners I've talked to ''fresh'' compost and manure immediately raise PH levels, aged compost and manure eventually lower it. The ''aged'' manure you bought, could only be a month old, from the books I've read aged manure is regarded as a minimum of 6 months old with 12 months being the optimum. You have to remember it does take a long time. I'd definitely get a soil test as it'll clearly indicate what elements/minerals etc. are missing from your soil. As for the PH differing from area to area,,,definitely possible as each load of compost etc, will be different due to it's content. One thing that may help you is to use only 10 of your 13 beds and try and rectify the problem in those three empty ones only. It'll be a little less daunting that way, plus a lot of organic commercial growers do it as well. I only have 6 beds but I usually let one lie fallow for at least 6 months on a rotating basis and then check the PH level and adjust it according to what I wish to plant.
It's a really tough and frustrating problem
and you may have to be patient but if you have one area that has a consistently high PH, perhaps consider growing plants that love that growing environment. I've always taken my soil readings before planting time (winter) as anything growing in the bed will affect your reading. I'd just decide where your beds were performing the worst and take it from there. Whew I feel really tired now, but I hope this has helped you clarify a few issues...if not, you know where I am
K
Kale
Guest
I thank you for your reply!
OH,I read that the compost that sits for over a year is basically topsoil.Now...of course I flipped,because I was watching one of my bins for a good 2years and thinking all that turning and reminder alarms were a waste of time and hard effort.Did you find that to be a true statement ?I also read that Hay was a Green not a brown did you ever hear/read that?
I can say that the (so called) aged Manure /Compost mix didn't feel right sorta gooy *lol)
it stained and stuck to my hands and my pant legs.It was horrible. with that 7.5 PH.I should go test it ..if it is defrosted that is *lol
Anyway,
The compost I have now (no more of anything added since October'08) going that I will use about the 1st week of June has been sitting there and will have gone through several complete turns. Should I just test that! I planned on using it for plant holes and back up for amending just in case.
OK. I am so confused.I have about 1/4 acre I need tested,I grow veggies everywhere.
In late August,I planted lots of peas and beans (didn't do much of anything *LOL) and radish everywhere (mostly) as a companion plant which I turned under and left. I did leave a bed last year.That bed never does much of any thing!
Ok I'll just dig 4'' down...
Ok I got it I'll have my daughter gather the soil from where ever she wants in whatever beds that way I wont see and feel I left someone out *LOL
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRr.
My brain is hurting ... (I wont know which to amend
Ill go find out when Extension Office they take soil, I'm sure they have a certain day and time to send it in.Hopefully they wont get my beds confused with someone elses... Ouch my brain hurts...
I want to thank you so very much and hope I didn't tire you out too much my friend!
I have to go wrestle with myself..
Thank you and yes you have helped me and thank you
Kale
OH,I read that the compost that sits for over a year is basically topsoil.Now...of course I flipped,because I was watching one of my bins for a good 2years and thinking all that turning and reminder alarms were a waste of time and hard effort.Did you find that to be a true statement ?I also read that Hay was a Green not a brown did you ever hear/read that?
I can say that the (so called) aged Manure /Compost mix didn't feel right sorta gooy *lol)
it stained and stuck to my hands and my pant legs.It was horrible. with that 7.5 PH.I should go test it ..if it is defrosted that is *lol
Anyway,
The compost I have now (no more of anything added since October'08) going that I will use about the 1st week of June has been sitting there and will have gone through several complete turns. Should I just test that! I planned on using it for plant holes and back up for amending just in case.
OK. I am so confused.I have about 1/4 acre I need tested,I grow veggies everywhere.
In late August,I planted lots of peas and beans (didn't do much of anything *LOL) and radish everywhere (mostly) as a companion plant which I turned under and left. I did leave a bed last year.That bed never does much of any thing!
Ok I'll just dig 4'' down...
Ok I got it I'll have my daughter gather the soil from where ever she wants in whatever beds that way I wont see and feel I left someone out *LOL
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRr.
My brain is hurting ... (I wont know which to amend
Ill go find out when Extension Office they take soil, I'm sure they have a certain day and time to send it in.Hopefully they wont get my beds confused with someone elses... Ouch my brain hurts...
I want to thank you so very much
and hope I didn't tire you out too much my friend!I have to go wrestle with myself..
Thank you and yes you have helped me and thank you
Kale
Wombat
Active Member
Well young lady you're certainly having dramas with you gardens, congratulations on being so persistent. A lot of people would have given up and just used containers Regarding compost that's compared to topsoil well I beg to differ there. Compost contains far more nutrients than what is commonly known as ''topsoil'' as you know it differs greatly from area to area. Hay can be regarded as green as it's still relatively fresh and when composted creates a lot of heat, not as much as fresh grass clippings but still very warm nonetheless. Any compost type mix that's gooey needs to mixed with the other piles you have as there's no heat to decompose the pile. Ok the compost you have now, as long as it smells ''sweet'' should be fine as long as you're satisfied the pile is completely broken down properly. I suppose you could err on the side of caution and PH it just in case
I did manage to find a link (you have to register but it's no big deal and no cost) that I had in my bookmarks that I've found useful in the past it may help you out too, good luck and keep me informed on your progress
http://www.mastercomposters.com/
Regarding compost that's compared to topsoil well I beg to differ there. Compost contains far more nutrients than what is commonly known as ''topsoil'' as you know it differs greatly from area to area. Hay can be regarded as green as it's still relatively fresh and when composted creates a lot of heat, not as much as fresh grass clippings but still very warm nonetheless. Any compost type mix that's gooey needs to mixed with the other piles you have as there's no heat to decompose the pile. Ok the compost you have now, as long as it smells ''sweet'' should be fine as long as you're satisfied the pile is completely broken down properly. I suppose you could err on the side of caution and PH it just in case I did manage to find a link (you have to register but it's no big deal and no cost) that I had in my bookmarks that I've found useful in the past it may help you out too, good luck and keep me informed on your progress
http://www.mastercomposters.com/
K
Kale
Guest
Wombat, thank you and thank you for the link. I peeked interesting enough!
I will get back to it hopefully soon! As far as compost I knew there was no way it was like topsoil but...how can I actually prove it wrong without a lab*LOL Yes, my pile smells sweet I just sit there and inhale it and ask everyone else to sniff !
It is such a wonderful time sitting there sniffing..knowing I worked very hard to get it to that point, applying it is shear pleasure
I will research this issue until I am scientifically satisfied.
Thank s again. I'll let you know if any info is found.
Kale
I will get back to it hopefully soon! As far as compost I knew there was no way it was like topsoil but...how can I actually prove it wrong without a lab*LOL Yes, my pile smells sweet I just sit there and inhale it and ask everyone else to sniff !
It is such a wonderful time sitting there sniffing..knowing I worked very hard to get it to that point, applying it is shear pleasure
I will research this issue until I am scientifically satisfied.
Thank s again. I'll let you know if any info is found.
Kale
K
Kale
Guest
Dale, are you the one that mentioned those dollies at Harbor Freight? We were in Salem on Friday and I went to their store their. I boughtv four of the small dollies and I have all three half-barrels (planters) on them now on the back porch. The fourth dolly is for a half-barrel that I have not bought yet. I want to plant a rosemary bush in that one.
K
Kale
Guest
Didn't send one in
I don't know which bed or if I should gather from all back raised or just the compost pile .. mix it up or just avoid the whole thing and SCREAM!I have 2 meters that are Grrrrrrrr and tow testers that are Grrrrrrrrrr. The other one takes hourssssssssssssssss and I get the same unreadable results.
I just have 3 people read it (*LOL) without knowing what others think write their results then I go from there.We usually all come up with the same reading GRRRRRRRRRRR*lol I think I took pics... If I find them I'll post if not... no great loss they don't match up with the color chart well anyway.
Kale
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