New Year's "sort-of-resolutions"

I've made a list of things I'd like to do better, or differently, in my garden this year. Not necessarily "resolutions", but things to try to do. And not too many things. Three seems like a good number.

Label plants better: I think this has been on my New Year's to-do list for several years now. One problem is that I like to use compostable wood labels, but they, hmm, compost, in garden soil during the season. I'm going to use plastic this year. I'd really like to know what's in my garden.

Save more seeds: This "resolution" is an incremental one. I don't want to save ALL my seeds, just a few more. Saving seeds is easy for many plants, saves money, and in the long run can produce strains that are better adapted to my garden. It also gives that sense of satisfaction and connectedness to food and garden. Vegetables to save seed from should be OP (open pollinated) varieties - meaning that they breed true if they are not cross pollinated. They should also be varieties that I love to grow every year. I save a number of flower seeds, but not many vegetables. Here's my list to try for: (* means one's I already save)

     Basil: Superbo
     Beans: Maxibel, Jumbo, Shung Wang*, Wax pole*
     Corn: Baby Golden Popcorn
     Peppers: Thai Hot*, Joe Parker Numex  
     Soy Beans: R Swain Green
     Tomato: Opalka, Polish Linguisa, Mortgage Lifter

This list has 12 varieties. Three that I already save: two pole beans and a pepper. Ten additional varieties. Beans, peppers, soy beans, and tomatoes are easy to save since cross pollination is rare. Corn bees will be easy for me - even though they cross pollinate I'll only grow one variety of each.

Prepare my soil better: Good soil is the most important thing for a vegetable garden. Mostly this requires soil tests (every 4-5 years is good), addition of appropriate amendments, and usually lot's of compost. But it's easy to skimp on compost if time is short. I'll make it a priority in the spring to test and appropriately amend my soil.

soil test results

My soil test results took just under two weeks to come back. I sent them the University of Massachusetts Soil Lab. Here's a previous post with more information.

I sent in three samples: 1-a new bed adjacent to my house, 2-my established home raised beds, and 3-my new community plot.

1-new bed adjacent to my house:
soil pH 6.4, buffer pH 6.6
nitrogen 13 ppm (add), phosphorus 22 ppm (sufficient), potassium 281 ppm (sufficient)
Micronutrient levels : all normal
Organic matter 16.6% (very high)
Lead: elevated

Recommendation: Adjust pH by adding 12 lbs lime per 100 sq ft. Add 1/4 lb nitrogen per 100 sq ft either as a complete fertilizer (e.g. 2-3 lbs 10-10-10 per 100 sq ft) or an alternate nitrogen source (e.g. 3-4 lbs dried blood 12-0-0 per 100 sq ft). For elevated lead, recommendations include grow only fruiting crops, grow ornamentals, remove a layer of soil and replenish with clean topsoil, use containers, create raised beds of at least 6 inches depth.

2-my established home raised beds:
soil pH 6.7, buffer pH 6.8
nitrogen 11 ppm (add), phosphorus 28 ppm (sufficient), potassium 116 ppm (sufficient)
Micronutrient levels : all normal
Organic matter 11.2% (very high)
Lead: low

Recommendation: Add 1/4 lb nitrogen per 100 sq ft either as a complete fertilizer (e.g. 2-3 lbs 10-10-10 per 100 sq ft) or an alternate nitrogen source (e.g. 3-4 lbs dried blood 12-0-0 per 100 sq ft).

3-my new community plot
soil pH 5.8, buffer pH 6.0
nitrogen 13 ppm (add), phosphorus 12 ppm (sufficient), potassium 157 ppm (sufficient)
Micronutrient levels : all normal
Organic matter 13% (very high)
Lead: low

Recommendation: Adjust pH by adding 20 lbs lime per 100 sq ft immediately, add an additional 13 lbs lime per 100 sq ft in small applications over successive tillings in the spring and fall. Add 1/4 lb nitrogen and 1/4 phosphorus per 100 sq ft either as a complete fertilizer (e.g. 3-4 lbs 5-10-5 per 100 sq ft) or alternate nitrogen and phosphorus sources.

topic: soil

soil samples sent

I just mailed out my soil samples. Just so I remember: sample 1 is from the new plot adjacent to my house, sample 2 is from my old raised beds, sample 3 is from my new community garden plot. I think its likely the soil adjacent to my house will be contaminated with lead and I will need to abandon this plot. We'll see. The results should be back in 1-2 weeks.

topic: soil

soil test

Today I'll try to get some soil collected and start preparing it to send out for a soil test. I've never tested the bed adjacent to the house. Its important to check it for lead, as well as nutrients I may need to adjust.

I'll collect a small sample from 10 or 12 locations in the bed. They all get mixed together in a bowl and I'll leave the bowl uncovered for a few days to dry out, stirring it now and then. Then one cup of the soil goes into a labeled zip-lock baggie and is sent out.

I was going to wait until I got my community plot assignment and do both at the same time. But since that's not until April 12, I think I'll go ahead with this bed now.

Here's a link to my last soil test results for my raised bed area (two years ago). Here's a link showing my baggie full of dirt from the last sample. I sent my sample to Dept of Plant and Soil Sciences at the University of Mass. Here's the brochure with collection instructions, prices and the mailing address. It was just over a week for the results to come back, if I remember right.

Like last time, I will have them do the Standard Soil Test w/ Organic Matter (option C) for $13.00 per sample.

topic: soil