soil tester results. Increasing the fertility. How?

I have bought an electronic soil tester. Measures PH level and Nutrient level (fertility).

The PH it generally shows OK around 7. But fertility is low.

1.What should I do now with plants potted in containers? Is adding standard 15-15-15 fertilizer enough for that?

  1. When next time I prepair soil for containers. I usually mix half a soil from the ground and half the compost I got from the dump. Should I mix 2 parts compost to 1 part soil?, So I do not have to add fertilizer right away after planting?

Thanks

Reply to
Mark
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Use as much compost as you can afford. 100% is ideal.

Organic fertilizers will give you much better results. Bat guano or rabbit droppings are about the best, but they are expensive. Cow manure will do a fine job.

Additionally (or instead of if you have a thing about manure), dry molasses and horticultural corn meal are good. As a bonus, the corn meal will keep away fungus infections.

I always spray everyth> I have bought an electronic soil tester. Measures PH level and Nutrient

Reply to
BillHew

This will not be very accurate as it depends on moisture content to get a reading. Dye based indicators are much better and probably cheaper.

I believe that you have been deceived. It is simply not possible for an electronic meter to determine fertility as a single reading. I am assuming this is portable device with a single probe, in a laboratory it is feasible to have one machine that would test for many substances. Even then the amounts of each major nutrient (at least) need to be reported separately. The matter is far too complex involving about ten major and minor nutrients, plus issues of porosity to air and water, and the possibility of the device being confused by substances which are either not nutrients or downright poisons, for one figure to tell you what is going on. I would love to know the make and model of this gear and what evidence they have for it working.

This is OK for many plants but not all. There is a signifiant proportion that do better at more acid levels.

Depends on the real fertility of the mix and the type of plant, different plants have different needs.

It depends on the nature of your natural soil and what you get from the dump. If the latter is just rotted munched up vegetation trimmings it will improve your soil's texture but may not add much in the way of nutrients.

David

Reply to
David Hare-Scott

Since David has already disabused you of the notion that the tester is accurate, I will answer this. Probably 1/2 compost gives you enough micronutrients that you can barely get away with it for one season. So add 15-15-15, but then that soil will be depleted at the end of the season. Usually, I take out one inch of soil, add one inch of compost, one tablespoon of wood ash and one of fertilizer rich in N and P to my houseplants, when I put them out for the summer (some years, if I am using manure, I just give them 1 inch manure, no fertilizer). The ash supplies most micronutrients in quantity but is also alkaline.

Reply to
simy1

There are a lot of variables to picking the right fertilizer - the type of soil, average temperature, amount of rain, how many years you have been fertilizing the same garden, etc. I have started using the slow release type, adding about 1/2 cup to each hole before putting in the plants. The slow release type prevents burning the plant and feeds over a longer period of time.

The primary purpose of adding compost is to keep the soil loose so that air & moisture can reach the roots. If the soil is already loose, adding more compost does not provide much benefit.

Bob

Reply to
Bob

Just my two cents worth. Go for fish emulsion or seaweed extract. Just follow the directions on the bottle. They are nearly fool proof, which I personally find a great advantage. Make the teensiest little mistake with chemicals, and it's "ciao baby" for your plants (they're toast). The next time you pot, or re-pot, you might try dog or cat fur. Put in some potting soil, place the fur on it, put your plant on top of the fur, fill in the edges with potting soil, and your good to go. It's solid protein (nitrogen compound) that breaks down slowly, for long, slow, continous feeding.

Reply to
William L. Rose

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