Tuesday, July 2, 2019

For Soil Testing California Is Worth Visiting

By Helen King


Soil tests provide the most reliable information for many applications such as fertilizer recommendations. The best way to maximize productivity and maintain proper plant health is by having soils tested. Land that is used for vegetable gardens, fruit crops, lawns, and even landscaping needs to be tested. The tests provide one with the information they need in order to be able to pinpoint plant nutrient requirements and apply the right amount of fertilizer. When one needs Soil Testing California offers the perfect location to visit.

When one is aware of the structure and nutrient characteristics of the soils in various parts of their land, they are able to select the plants appropriately. The information helps one to plant the right crop in the right place based on nutrient availability. Also, in cases where plants that were initially good go bad, it is possible to diagnose what happened by using these tests.

There are many laboratories in the US where one can take samples of soils from their land to have analyzed. It takes a few days for the analysis to be completed. When the results come back, they contain the kind of information that one needs to be able to undertake corrective measures that the land needs. For example, one is provided with recommendation on what fertilizers and additives they need to buy to achieve more crop productivity and lawn performance.

There are several pieces of information that are contained in a standard test. These include cation exchange capacity, base saturation, lime requirement index, and soil pH among others. The status of the most important minerals to the growth of plants will also be provided. These minerals are magnesium, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus. If one pays an additional fee, the test can also provide information on copper, zinc, manganese, iron, nitrates, texture, organic matter, and soluble salts.

Testing the soil is very important for many reasons. First of all, it is possible to maintain the fertility of the soil when it is tested first. The quantity of plant nutrients available in soils during the growing season affects the fertility and nutrients. Adding fertilizers, sulfur, manure, lime, mulch, and compost adds nutrients. Nutrients from are also lost to the ground through leaching.

The test should be used as a planning tool for taking appropriate measures towards achieving higher crop or lawn performance. One can decide to do the process any time of the year they want. However, testing before planting crops is advisable. When the assessment is done early enough, one gets plenty of time to undertake corrective measures.

Some corrective measures work best when they are conducted at a given time of the year. For example, application of lime to raise pH value works best when done in fall. Reducing pH value by applying sulfur on the other hand works best n spring.

One is advised to have the soil tested at intervals of two years. If one needs to achieve more control over the fertility level of their land, then more frequent sampling and testing can be done. Using a reputable laboratory that uses professional equipment and approval testing methods is highly advisable.




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