5 Consecutive Years

[Meadowlark]

of "No N-P-K required" soil test recommendation for my spring garden.

This year's soil test results(ppm):

Nutrient​	Your Results​
pH	6.11​
Total Nitrogen (N)	32.41​
Nitrate (NO3-N)	10.19​
Ammonium (NH4-N)	22.22​
Phosphorus (P)	68.16​
Potassium (K)	50.23​
Sulfur (S)	8.22​
Calcium (Ca)	488.32​
Magnesium (Mg)	57.09​
Sodium (Na)	8.74​
Iron (Fe)	46.84​
Manganese (Mn)	30.11​
Zinc (Zn)	0.74​
Copper (Cu)	0.1​
Boron (B)	0.06​

Nutrient Density Score: 94%

Lab Recommendation: No N-P-K required.

Zero artificial synthetic fertilizers applied to the soil. Composted cow manure, chop and drop legumes, and green manure cover crop disced into the soil were the only soil amendments over the entire 5 years.

Its a new personal record...and I'm celebrating!

celebration time - Search Videos

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[YumYum]

Can you post the following years tests as a comparison?

 

[redback]

of "No N-P-K required" soil test recommendation for my spring garden.

This year's soil test results(ppm):

Nutrient​	Your Results​
pH	6.11​
Total Nitrogen (N)	32.41​
Nitrate (NO3-N)	10.19​
Ammonium (NH4-N)	22.22​
Phosphorus (P)	68.16​
Potassium (K)	50.23​
Sulfur (S)	8.22​
Calcium (Ca)	488.32​
Magnesium (Mg)	57.09​
Sodium (Na)	8.74​
Iron (Fe)	46.84​
Manganese (Mn)	30.11​
Zinc (Zn)	0.74​
Copper (Cu)	0.1​
Boron (B)	0.06​

Nutrient Density Score: 94%

Lab Recommendation: No N-P-K required.

Zero artificial synthetic fertilizers applied to the soil. Composted cow manure, chop and drop legumes, and green manure cover crop disced into the soil were the only soil amendments over the entire 5 years.

Its a new personal record...and I'm celebrating!

celebration time - Search Videos

Watch videos instantly on Bing—enjoy direct playback, discover related clips, and dive into trending content all in one place.

www.bing.com

Good work. Would you say this year past has seen the best produce so far. It certainly looks nutritious, good color, disease and pest free.

 

[Meadowlark]

Can you post the following years tests as a comparison?

If you mean the years following 2024, I doubt that I will be doing an annual test going forward because I feel I have it pegged on how to achieve near perfect soil (that is No N-P-K required) ...but if I do, I'll post it for you.

If you mean years prior to 2024, tell me which specific nutrient and what years and I will try to get you that data.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I doubt that I will be doing an annual test going forward because I feel I have it pegged

I was going to ask at what point you might feel you were wasting money.

 

[Meadowlark]

Good work. Would you say this year past has seen the best produce so far. It certainly looks nutritious, good color, disease and pest free.

Thanks @redback . Yes, things do seem to get better every year.

Rather than guess, I tried the Brix tool to get a little more precise data on my progress towards more nutrient dense produce and superior tasting food. Alas, I find that tool is inconsistent in results and basically a pain to use on a regular basis.

Subjective measures are certainly ok but being a scientist, I like a little more precision. The best indicator I have found of nutrient dense produce and superior tasting produce is the nutrient density score that my lab that I use for soil tests provides. If I can achieve a nutrient density score above 90% (definitely takes some effort to do so), then it virtually assures that the resulting produce will be outstanding taste and pest free interestingly.

 

[Meadowlark]

I was going to ask at what point you might feel you were wasting money.

Funny...but I have never considered obtaining scientific data a waste of money.

Synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, the latest garden fads, etc. etc. those I consider a waste of money

Starbucks coffee and many many other items I consider a waste of money...but never consider obtaining and using scientific data in my garden a waste of time or money.

 

[YumYum]

If you mean the years following 2024, I doubt that I will be doing an annual test going forward because I feel I have it pegged on how to achieve near perfect soil (that is No N-P-K required) ...but if I do, I'll post it for you.

If you mean years prior to 2024, tell me which specific nutrient and what years and I will try to get you that data.

I meant the previous years so it tells the story of how you got to this point. Every nutrient, every year.

How many yearly tests do you have? I know the past couple years data is floating around this forum somewhere but if it was all in one post, it would be better.

 

[redback]

Subjective measures are certainly ok but being a scientist, I like a little more precision.

I wonder if getting the produce, say a carrot, tested for nutrient content by a laboratory would give more clues as to how much nutrient is getting into the plants.
I have a carrot that I will pull and juice and will show you photos of. It's like a diamond - fully embedded in the soil - and has been growing unseen for months. I have drunk the juice of others near it. The juice goes straight to my brain - giving a feeling of well-being. I'm not sure our science is capable of quantifying the beta- carotene effects even though it measures all that is there to find.

 

[Meadowlark]

I wonder if getting the produce, say a carrot, tested for nutrient content by a laboratory would give more clues as to how much nutrient is getting into the plants.
...

If there is a way and an opportunity to have a lab test it ...sign me up. The only thing I have found available to the public here is my soil test lab which offers a nutrient density score with each soil test sample. I have established a direct correlation between that score and superior quality in the resulting veggie...but I would love to be able to get a measure of the nutrient density of the actual veggies produced. Higher the score, the higher the quality of the veggie produced.

By getting that measurement, I'm confident I can figure out how to maximize that parameter.

 

[redback]

This is the carrot I was talking about, and I've picked and juiced it.
My first mouthful soothed the throat and sweetened the mouth. The next stopped my eyes aching and then it lifted something in my brain. It's going to be hard to assess this solely from a scientific viewpoint.

 

[Mystic Moon Tree]

What have you chosen to use as your legume & green maneur cover crop?

 

[Meadowlark]

What have you chosen to use as your legume & green maneur cover crop?

Several different varieties depending on season and need:

1) Cow peas aka field peas: spring, summer, fall: . Plant them once, grow shred, and they regrow from seed. I sometimes get 4 generations for the price of a handful of seeds. Excellent weed control, excellent soil builder as long as you do not harvest too much.

2) Sunn Hemp: Summer: Sunn Hemp. Rapid growing, tremendous nitrogen fixing (arguably the highest), incredible weed control, out of this World generator of organic matter, outstanding soil builder.

3) Alfalfa: Fall,Winter, early Spring. Thick green manure crop, weed control, mow multiple times, nitrogen fixing, arguably a magic plant for garden soil conditioning.

4) Turnips, Daikon radish: Fall, winter. Excellent root systems make this a great cover crop to draw nutrients to the surface for garden veggies to use.

5) Elbon Rye: Fall, winter. The absolute "go to" for root knot nematode control. Also, very effective at weed control and green manure production.

6) Vetch: Winter, spring. Excellent soil building

7) White and Red clovers: Fall and winter. Excellent source of nitrogen.

8) Austrian peas: Winter. Very cold hardy legume.

9) Sunflowers: Summer. Weed control , stink bug trapper extraordinaire.

10) Various other small grains and others used in deer plots.