Worms, baby! Soil life is the thing. I run no till gardens. I load up a lot of wood ashes from burning hardwoods for winter heating. Got several worm bins going all season, one in the kitchen in winter. Save coffee grounds, grind up dehydrated bones for bonemeal and local chicken eggshells for shell meal. I believe in cultivating tap rooted weeds like the Docks. The pulled plant, once dead, go in the bins and are a feast for the Red Wigglers. I try to get that stuff on the gardens before snow comes. The snow and ice locks up all those goodies until the spring thaw. My soils are chock full of worms as soon as the soil temp gets to be 50 degrees F at night. Haven`t added fertilizers or lime to my gardens in years. I grow Red core Chantenay carrots that weigh a pound apiece and they are sweeter than a nut!
I am seriously looking into Azomite to spread around in my small apple orchard, if I can get it by the truckload. I may do pretty well in the market gardens, if I can find one that doesn't require liability insurance. I have been in lawn care and consulting for about 50 years. Where I live now, there is no money, except if you own a bar, or a stone quarry. I subbed your channel. Looking forward to learning more. Thanks. Joe
I love Waypoint Analytical. Its like $18 and very detailed....or at least detailed enough to listen to "Dirt Jesus" (like the other dude called him) and make sense of it LOL
Learned a lot reading lots of books soil is a lot harder and complex than we think, you're a natural at this, up by roots I think author James urban is a great book about soils
Now you’ve demystified CEC’s for me! I’m looking forward to doing the soil testing with the lab you recommended. I grew up in the SF Bay Area, the South Bay, before it became Silicon Valley. It was mostly Ag, orchards everywhere. It was called the Valley of the Hearts Delight for all the stone fruits grown here. When I was in college I learned this area had the third richest soil content in the world. I didn’t know enough to ask “richest in what?” I do know the clay content is high, but we seem to have good drainage. I’m looking forward to seeing what the test results are because of the history of this area, as well as what it needs today to restore it. I’m looking forward to seeing what the N-Ext products will do. Stone fruits - apricots, cherries, plums, etc, fruit with a pit.
Thank you John for taking about what matters! I've been getting into food plots for deer and also my grass hobby, so many things not talked about on both sides.
this and your Understanding Nitrogen video are your best video's John. I hope you continue on this.......expanding upon the weakness and strengths of sandy soils in particular is interesting and applies to me. I am a user of your products, and some other liquids....and I have had best results to date with your products (humics) and some other minerals I am adding to my sandy soil. I had moderate success with 1/2 lb N drops with granular this year, and poor results with a 1 lb drop of N just a few weeks ago. Keep this going.....thanks.
Thanks John. Learning more everyday! The Waypoint Analytical soil test provides Organic Matter, CEC, & % Saturation or breakdown of K, Ca, Mg, H, & Na.
I don't know what its like in the US but the soil test price more than quadrupples in the UK if you want all that detailed CEC info perhaps next year ! great video as ever you have a gift in making complex information accessible who knew I would be mesmerized by soil videos many thanks for all the time you take to make these
techassyst - the lab John recommends is quite modest compared to fees other soil testing labs charge that I researched. Other labs were charging over 50 USD; the lab John recommends charges 25 USD. They take credit card payment online. Ship it over here!
John, I had a soil test preformed by my local county extension office in KY...my ph came back at 7.0 and a side note about the CECs said "the ph was too high to calculate the CECs, calcium carbonate at high ph causes errors in calculations."....have you heard of this??...the test was performed by University of Kentucky.
I'm just outside of Louisville and sent in three samples to UK last fall for different areas. They came back with pH's of 7.4, 6.9, and 7.5. The only one they reported CEC on was the 6.9 with same description you received for the others. The one they we able to process came back like this: CEC: 25 %Base sat: 87 %K: 2 %Ca: 73 %Mg: 12 %H: 13 I put down 3.5#/1000 of 90% Sulfur on everything around Thanksgiving, and I'll be on an acidifying program this year for the two areas that were >7.
@@DougKremer For some reason they won't give you a CEC reading if the ph is 7 or above...I don't know if this is the norm with other soil tests or not.
Honestly, this is good stuff ... it’s cutting through the hype as to what matters when requesting a test. On a side note, is pH pretty well correlated with what you would expect to see under the various CEC %’s? If so, application of the 3 forms of Ca can help to modify the %’s, correct. Thanks for these wonderful tidbits of info!
Milan Jurich yes, pH correlates to saturation of minerals. And those three forms all do different things. Calcitic is highest calcium with next to zero magnesium. Raises pH. Dolomitic lime, contains mag so it’s good to raise ph when both those elements are low and ph is low. It raises ph as well.gypsum will lower ph and supply and supply sulfur
good general soil health/nutrition info; not just for lawns. my soil has been 7.0 forever. didnt matter if i added (and i did) bags and bags of hydrated lime. always 7.0. i thought my meters were not working. then i bought some ph down and finally saw the needle move. my tapwater is also 7.0. trying to bring it down a tad, so that calcium and everything else, starts being move available
John, I subscribe to the theory that the CEC x 10 tells me the maximum holding capacity of N ie CEC 8.5 means the total at any given time the soil can hold is 85 pounds of N per acre. I would be interested to get your opinion.
Lawncology So you’re saying a CEC of 32.1 (my test last July) means my soil can hold 321 lbs. of N per acre or 7.4 lbs per 1000 sq. ft.? So, it can easily accommodate the “Throw er down” apps?
Bird Dog likely not. Where did your pH start and where are you located? Significant changes in pH in a season are very difficult. The entire structure has to be changed and that takes time.
Well, you're very helpful and knowledgeable. Helping a lot of people grow things! When my results from UMass extension office get back to me, it would be great to get your input. Your bio stim pack really help me get my soil improved. Huge! Grass looks better than it ever has, along with some apple trees and bushes I sprayed with micro green. Thanks for your help Doc!
I can't seem to find where you talked about what types of Gypsum work for higher ph (7.6) soils? You reference it in the video but I can't find where that took place?
Indeed it did. Elemental sulfar found at my local co-op in Michigan is my answer. Sounds like gypsum (and my super high cal are a bad partnership). Thanks again for all the info
what it I have clay high in ph high, calcium sodium, and sulfur soil? add gypsum? lol gross secondary canal water his high in sulfur and sodium calcium and ph.
Will the Next Biostim products raise soil PH? My lawn is at 7.9 -8.1 right now and I just ordered the bio stim starter kit so wanted to make sure it wouldn’t make anything worse
Steve Story you will not have a pH raise at all. In fact, you will be able to free up some calcium in your soil. I did get your email today and you really need to be mindful of the potassium. You will need to start adding that as soon as possible. 1/2lb K per 1000 every 6-8 weeks
Lawncology I will add some K this weekend I have some 15-5-15 LESCO Fertilizer I was going to put down. Should I get a fertilizer that is just K or is it ok to put down the 15-5-15 every 6-8 weeks? Any ideas on bringing down the ph or will you answer that through email? Thanks again for all your help!!
Steve Story consider getting sulfur on it. About 5lbs per K. The 15-5-15 is okay to start but a higher K or K only is better. See if you can find 0-0-50
Lawncology thanks! Is there a difference in brands on the K only fertilizer (any brand you recommend) Is there any particular brand of elemental sulfur you recommend? How often should I apply the sulfur?
