Soil Ammendment Chart
It's ideal to have your soil tested by a lab once every 5 years or so and base your amendments on the results. If you want to skip analysis then this chart provides a good rough guide for amending your soil.
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A Rough Guide for Amending Soils in the Klamath-Trinity Region |
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Add every 2-5 years: |
Rate |
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Nutrient |
Source |
LB/ 100 ft2 |
LB/ acre |
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Calcium |
Mined limestone or oyster shell flour |
2-5 LB |
1,000 - 2,000 LB |
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Phosphorous |
soft rock colloidal phosphate |
2-3 LB |
500 - 1,000 LB |
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Add every year (choose one, or combine): |
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Nitrogen, choose one: |
bloodmeal |
4 LB |
500-1,000 LB |
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fishmeal |
6 LB |
750 - 1,000 LB |
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cottonseed meal |
8 LB |
1,000 - 2000 LB |
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alfalfa meal |
5 LB |
500 - 1,000 LB |
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composted chicken manure |
25 LB |
10 yards/ acre |
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Organic Matter |
compost, cover cropping, mulching |
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Soil Links & References
- Composting - Here's a simple how-to pamphlet by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and a more detailed one by Leslie Cooperband of University of Wisconsin-Madison.
- Cover Cropping is one of the best and cheapest ways to build your soil. Preston Sullivan of ATTRA put together this good overview. See our Soils page for more specific, regional info.
- A Soil Analysis is a worthwhile investment if you plan to garden a site for more than a season. We recommend A & L Western Soil Lab, the Complete Analysis soil test package (SC3) gives the most detailed report. Just print and fill out their submittal form and follow the directions for pulling and sending a sample. It's well worth the extra buck for the graphical analysis report.
- When it's time to interpret the results, the best reference is this booklet from Peaceful Valley Farm Supply - Understanding Your Soil Analysis Report, a thorough and informative publication- highly recommended!