Timmo
Well-Known Member
Bob, would you be willing to post a copy of one of your soil test reports? I'd love to see what a close-to-perfect one looks like.
Building A Better Soil: Demonstrations & Discussions Of Organic Soil Recipes
- Thread starter SweetSue
- Start date
Bob, would you be willing to post a copy of one of your soil test reports? I'd love to see what a close-to-perfect one looks like.
Timmo
Well-Known Member
It appears that soil testing availability and pricing aren't uniform nationwide. Oregon extension offices don't offer soil testing anymore, and getting a complete-ish soil test without waiting forever is going to set you back more than 50 bucks. I've been using Northwest Agricultural Consultants for the last few years. Results are quick--usually within a day or two after they get your sample--but it ain't cheap.
Man I love this thread!!! So much good information and knowledge sharing. Ain't dirt cool!!!!
TheFertilizer
Well-Known Member
Yeah there was one analytic company here that wanted $240 to test. Toooo much for me.
GROWant
Well-Known Member
Check your local colleges and parks and recreation dept. They sometimes give free soil samples or they are usually cheaper
intuitional
Active Member
While we're talking about resources, I also buy from kelp4less on ebay sometimes. I can get good prices on there for organic products. You might have to shop around but it's a good source to add in when you're comparison shopping.
I wanted to get some input from some more experienced minds than myself on this fertilizer on the kelp4less website. It's called Liquid Gold, it says it's derived from grain solubles. It doesn't list any ingredients besides some humic and fulvic acids and it says that it's a good alternative to fish hydrolysate. It's not something I want to put that much money into but if it's a new option for making our own fertilizer at home then I'm curious.
I wanted to get some input from some more experienced minds than myself on this fertilizer on the kelp4less website. It's called Liquid Gold, it says it's derived from grain solubles. It doesn't list any ingredients besides some humic and fulvic acids and it says that it's a good alternative to fish hydrolysate. It's not something I want to put that much money into but if it's a new option for making our own fertilizer at home then I'm curious.
Cannoisseuras
Well-Known Member
Is promix good for super soil or is there to much peat to effect the ph
Well you're in luck.. in Washington State it looks like your soil test is FREE! In PA were we are its $9. Reason for the low price is because we already paid for it thru federal taxation.
FINALLY something our government does for us that is actually useful.
The County Extension Service has been around likely 100 or so years. Was a result of one of our famines we had in our history. There was a time we lived off the land. Farmers actually fed us, and still do and why soil testing is a thing. Get a large group of people hungry... it won't be long before revolution. So its in the governments best interests to keep us fat and happy. We probably wont even VOTE in the upcoming elections.
Linky to Washington State County Extension soil testing:
Go to
Answer Clinic | Clark County | Washington State University
I sent an email to them ... it's not clear... the farmers know for sure. Most sample kits are available at your local nursery. I'd ask there. The price should be around $10. Again its a federal program funded by you and me. We get to participate!
Usually for most states this program is available thru the State University system - again paid for with tax dollars!
This is a federally funded program paid for by you and me... they can't just not provide a service selectively. That would be against the law. It's a law btw...
I had some trouble finding the local extension service test kits for your area. They are there. Go to your local nursery (not grow store) and ask someone. That's actually were I get my test kits, my local nursery. Also call Oregon State University - county extension service - plug in your county - call em and ask:
Find Us | Oregon State University Extension Service
ph: 541-737-2713
Here's a little read on it - its part of the FDA:
Cooperative Extension History | National Institute of Food and Agriculture
I'll have to take a pic of my soil test for ya and post it. I posted the results in my journal here:
Cottage 420's Organic Perpetual Indoor Garden
This was from my last soil mix in the spring. Been using that same soil for spring, summer, fall/winter runs no-til. There's a few nice pics in that post!!
TheFertilizer
Well-Known Member
I checked out through link and three PDF, it just says to find a soil testing service. The one they reference is A & L in Portland but they want way more than 9 bucks
Feels like this is just a myth lol
Timmo
Well-Known Member
The county extension service website expressly says that soil testing is no longer offered. Oregon State University does have a soil lab, but unless you're a student in a soil science class, the cost is over $50.
TheFertilizer
Well-Known Member
Well, $50 isn't that bad, I mean at least I won't be chasing after that elusive $9 analysis 
Kind of an interesting aside, I'm taking a plant science class at my community college and we brought in soil samples for analysis of bacterial life. I didn't want to disclose that it had been soil for a pot grow, so I said it was outside of my mail box, and now he's decided to use that sample for analysis. Will be interesting to see how this goes haha
We FINALLY just got to the soil part of the semester. But I've learned quite a bit.
kelticBlue
Well-Known Member
That is super cool. I want to be a fly on the wall for that. I am going to look into a something like that, plant science you say, I will be on the look out.
Yeah I had trouble finding it.... sent an email out to the extension service. Sorta against everything the program was made for. Small farmers ..... how are the farmers going to know if the soil is good enough to sustain animals and plants that sustain humans?? Wait until animals get sick and have to pay a Vet bill and the Vet tells the farmer his soil isn't making feed stock good enough to keep animals healthy?? Already too late.... animals get sick and die, humans starve....thats messed up. The whole reason for the Extension service... and WE all pay for it.
If the extension service won't provide the service it was intended for, why should it continue??
Something ain't right.
I sent a message to "ask and expert" on the OSU county extension website. You would think since agriculture is and integral part of Oregon's economic structure this service would be available. Specially since the Extension service provided funding for OSU to build a lab for soil testing??
I think it's available just have to weed thru the BS and ask someone! Let hope so....
Hope you find it Bob, I am very interested in using that service!!
I sent a msg to OSU (Oregon State extension service.
Here's the link:
Soil Tesing Thru Extension Service? - Ask an Expert
Here's the link:
Soil Tesing Thru Extension Service? - Ask an Expert
TheFertilizer
Well-Known Member
Thanks, Bob! Looks like the privacy settings won't allow us to view it with that link, but I'm sure you'll share the answer you get back. *crosses fingers*
I thought you guys were being lazy about the soil testing service - It's been there my whle life, but now they don't make it freely available. Total BS.
OK still working on the minions from the Extension service in Oregon. I'm starting to feel like I'm talking with ummmm shall we say "back woods" types. Not that there's anything wrong with that but they don't answer the question I ask but give me another answer to a totally different question.
Kinda thought I'd do better being it's tied to a state university.
OK so quick google and I found a better solution.
Virginia Tech will do testing thru their extension service and offer it to folks from out of state. Its pretty awesome you will get your results like 2 days after they receive it and it will be a comprehensive test result very similar to what we get from Penn State Ag department.
They even spell it out why they offer the testing and how it's funded and offer it up to anyone in the USA! Pretty darn cool. The weird thing is that they get the same funding as OSU does and have the same equipment everything but OSU is playing dumb like no one knows whats going on in Oregon. Very strange given that agriculture and forestry is a very large industry for Oregon State.
Anyway, here's the links to where and how you can get soil tested.
Forms and fees - it's $16 for out of state - you fill out the form and send in some soil.... use the home gardener form. I just mix my soil up and wet it and let it cook for a few weeks. Then take a few cups and lay it out on a paper to dry overnight and into a bag (plastic baggy should be fine for this) fill out the form and send it in with the soil sample.
Link to the information about the County Extension Service - this is a Federal Program and the same in EVERY STATE... Oregon and Washington State are getting the same funding.... why are they not making the resources available to the public?
Fees and forms:
Fees and Forms | Virginia Tech Soil Testing Lab | Virginia Tech
Link to the form:
Soil Sample Information Sheet for Home Lawns, Gardens, Fruits, and Ornamentals | VCE Publications | Virginia Tech
the form to print and fill out download the PDF form and print it - use #250 for "type of plant" (potted house plant):
Can add $6 (out of state) and get even more comprehensive testing done with the added SOM (soil organic matter) testing. Worth it for me and Penn State also offers something similar in addition to the soil sample. The info is all there on the form, for where to send and how to pay etc.
This is a comprehensive soil test and evaluation. It will tell you what is and what is not needed.
That soil test from Logan Labs in Oregon for $50 is a complete waste of money. Don't bother....
Take advantage of the soil testing... it's dirt cheap... hahaha <--- see what I did there?
Most all of the cost is covered by our tax dollars, as a test like this costs a lot more than $10 for sure. May as well take advantage.
It's been a game changer for me. Knowing whats in my soil and compost is HUGE. They even tell you what your soil needs or has too much of. You folks that use chemical fertilizers can even get a "salts" test done to evaluate what your doing right or wrong.
TheFertilizer
Well-Known Member
Sounds pretty worth it to me even if it is out of state. I wonder how much shipping would be doing it with one of those flat-rate boxes versus just normal ground rate, probably worth the extra $5 just to get it there faster. At the end it still sounds like it costs half as much as the ones I've been able to find but with way more information. The guy I talked to said they would only give me results, not "recommendations".
I have to agree that it seems like the both of Washington and Oregon are playing dumb on this one. I even talked to my plant science teacher and he didn't really know much about it, just told me to call the County Extension service, but that ended up being the WSU one. I get the feeling there are some companies that want people to be unaware on this one, given that the most popular and recommended company wanted a whopping $240 for a test.
Thanks for digging through the dirt on this one Bob... Ha, puns are the best.
So in other news, I have to participate in a debate about "Conventional vs Organic" agriculture in the plant science class. Supposed to do my reparation research over this weekend. Should be a ton of fun, I was assigned to argue for organic. Who wants to help me? haha
I'm already kind of interested in the verbage of "conventional" here... I mean, we've been using organic methods for a lot longer than we've been using synthetic fertilizers, so you'd think organic would be "conventional". I mean it's like motor oil got it right, conventional vs synthetic, why is this reversed.
Anyway, I already know the cons of "synthetic" agriculture to point out (mostly having to do with public safety and environmental friendliness ) but I'm not really sure what pros to point out with organic methods because it would seem to be most of them are pros in the sense that they don't carry the cons of synthetic agriculture. I mean I can't say, "The fact that organic fertilizers don't pollute water tables with nitrates," isn't actually a pro, because that's a con of synthetics.
The only angle I can think of is increased pest resistance ( which I'd have to find proof of to argue with ) and less costly in terms of resources spent on fertilizers. However the latter point about saving money might not be that advantageous if your overall crop value isn't worth much because of reduced yields, and everything I've been able to find does seem to suggest organic can't match synthetic crop yields :/