I followed their instructions on taking the soil samples, packaged it up, and dropped off my box at the post office on a Tuesday. I shipped it flat rate priority so I had a tracking number, Spectrum Analytic received my package on Thursday. I was shocked the next day on Friday when I checked my email and they had already gotten the results back to me. Once again very impressed! I would recommend Spectrum Analytic to anyone who wants to get their soil tested.
Below is part of my three reports that I got back from them. They also gave fertilizer recommendations for the next three years crops that I plant to grow in that area.
LEFT FRONT #1
RIGHT FRONT #2
LEFT BACK #3
I am so glad I got these tests done! I have learned so much from them. Now I want to get another 10 or 12 tests done so that I know what is going on with the rest of my farm.
At first when I saw the results, I thought this can not be right, every area is completely different. But then when I looked at them closer and started to think about it everything kind of makes sense.
Similarities between the different samples:
In all three areas the level of Boron is low, and Iron is sky high.
LEFT FRONT #1
This is an area that I really have not added much to the soil, the past couple of years. I have been having trouble with a horrible grass taking over anything that I plant there. I believe that grass likes soil that is low in nutrients, which makes sense now. Also I grew corn there last year which is a nutrient demanding crop. Soil pH is also a little low 6.1, so I will be adding some lime to this area soon.
I have a cover crop of rye currently growing in this area, and it will more than likely be a work in progress throughout the spring and early summer, I will probably plant some later plantings of beans in this area.
RIGHT FRONT #2
I found the results from this area very interesting. This is an area that I have been having troubles growing things in for the last few years. No matter what I seemed to do in this area things just did not grow very well. Last year I even added a lot of manure to this area and still no luck. The only thing that grew well here last year for me was broom corn. So at first glance when I saw the results I was really shocked that everything was so high. Then I looked closer at the report and realized that my pH was too high. A normal pH should be about 6.5, mine is 7.5 in the area. I did some further research and found out that one of the few vegetables crops that can tolerate a pH of 7.5 is corn, which explains why my broom corn is the only thing that did good in that area. Also I had most of that area that I did not plant in had Wild Carrot growing there which is a weed that likes a higher pH. When your pH is too high it can tie up the nutrients in the soil, which explains why the nutrients in the soil are so high, plants have not been able to absorb them. So big thing with that area for next year is to lower the pH.
I will more than likely be planting my tomatoes here this year, once I make some adjustments of coarse.
LEFT BACK #3
This is where I had most of my tomatoes planted last year. I also added a lot of manure to this area last year. All the levels here seem to be pretty good. A little boost of Phosphorus, Potassium, of coarse Boron, and maybe a little Sulfur, and I should be pretty good. I may have to add some Nitrogen also, but we will see. Everything else seems to be in a good range, including the pH which is right where it should be.
This area will probably be used for a mix of things, I am thinking summer squash, winter squash, and maybe some sweet peppers.
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