Soil Analysis

Here's an excerpt from an email Eric and Nicole (UpGarden design team) received from Urban Farm regarding our soil analysis:

Its an interesting lab analysis. I know that Cedar Grove reformulated their potting soil this spring. In the past, we have had great success growing in their potting soils, and I would expect the same here, but I am a little surprised how low the phosphorus level is (a low level of available nitrogen should be expected in just about any soil mix, it is a very "mobile" nutrient and once it is available, it doesn't hang out in soil very long. Manure, blood meal and/or liquid fertilizers help supply nitrogen).

Given how high the potassium level is, it might be a good idea to give gardeners a suggestion for fertilization that contains little to no potassium for their first planting.

If we were fertilizing this soil for an initial planting, we would add:
Blood Meal (for Nitrogen) or Soybean Meal (for those who want a vegan alternative)
Bone Meal (for Phosphorus)

It also has a low level of Boron (which can potentially be a problem for Brassicas), but it is very easy to over dose your soil with boron, so it might be best to not worry about this and assume that additions compost and fertilizer over time will bring the boron level into a normal range. If anybody is really concerned about it, Glacial Rock Dust is a slow release source of micronutrients.

Or just adding a pre-mixed fertilizer with a low potassium ratio, something like a 7-5-1 would probably be adequate for most gardeners needs (most organic fertilizers contain a supply of micronutrients).

Maybe Walt's or some other local fertilizer company would be able to make a batch of fertilizer to match the requirements of the analysis...?