Soil Testing For Fertilization and Manure By Andrew Stratton At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

If you want the best crops possible, you need to take an active involvement in the quality of the soil in which your crops or gardens grow. The best way to ensure your plants have the best chance at success is to send samples of your growing substrate to a soil testing lab for analysis.

Soil testing measures the amount of vital nutrients that are currently located in the soil in order to determine the types and amounts of fertilizers and other chemicals to make your plants grow as healthy and as productive as possible. This is determined by considering the needed nutrients for the target yields of your desired crops.

In the world of fertilization, adding as much fertilizer as possible is not a good idea. Balance and precision are key. If you invest too much money in unnecessary fertilizers and chemicals, you are simply throwing your money away. Also, important considerations should be given to the environmental impact of your fertilizers and chemicals on the surrounding atmosphere, water and soil from an ecological standpoint.

One of the most nutrient-rich substances a farmer or gardener can use on their plants is manure. Not all manure is created equal, though. Samples vary in their nutrient content, and there are also instances when manure has contaminated samples by introducing microbiological pathogens or heavy metals into the environment. Because different types of manure vary significantly, it is just as important to test the manure you intend to use on your fields or garden as it is to test your soil.

Often, manure samples are submitted and then dried by the lab before testing. Therefore, their results are sometimes reported in a dry-weight measurement as opposed to a wet-weight measurement. Do keep this in mind when you receive the results from your soil testing lab of choice.

You can either sample manure for analysis before or during hauling. If you sample it before hauling, you can use the results to determine this year's proper application rates. However, this is not always an easy process.

If you decide to gather your samples during hauling, it will be more accurate since the substances have had the chance to mix and settle. It will also be faster and easier to obtain the samples. However, you'll only be able to tell what nutrients the plants have already obtained if you gather the samples during the application process. The testing will still let you know what the plants were given in the fertilizer, and it will also provide you with a good gauge for next year.

If you want your farm to be as profitable as possible, you need to send samples of soil and the manure you intend to use for field fertilization to a soil testing lab. Even if you are an amateur gardener, soil testing will greatly improve the health of your plants and even your sod. Be sure to maximize the health of your plants by hiring scientists to take the guesswork out of fertilization.

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