Did I Use TOO MUCH Compost In My Garden?

Last year I tested my soil and found that I was overloaded on some nutrients, this year I tested all the exact same beds and found the culprit....compost. I also tested my raised bed soil for the first time and found out why I have so many grubs!
IN THIS VIDEO
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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
00:18 - How To Collect Samples
DISCLAIMER
Epic Gardening occasionally links to goods or services offered by vendors to help you find the best products to care for plants. Some of these may be affiliate links, meaning we earn a small commission if items are purchased. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. More info on our process: www.epicgardening.com/disclai...

[@QuesoCookies]

As someone who's always lived in places with hard water, I would definitely avoid running high calcium concentrations through any pipes or drip lines. Probably best, if you're using a water-soluble amendment is to do it with a watering can, especially as you don't need to do it often. It's just not worth the risk of gumming up your water infrastructure with mineral deposits.

[@celiaetmyco]

Hi Jacques, I take soil sample for my job, (I work in agriculture) and we always wear gloves to avoid touching the soil when mixing it. It can actually affect the pH, even more so if you are wearing sun screan. That might be what threw of your analysis! I hope it's a useful piece of info for next time 😊

[@risamateo8003]

Thank you for explaining this in detail. I went to a soil workshop where they were discussing adding spent mushroom blocks to the soil.so many benefits. I have yet to test my soil but i definitely see changes. The increased worm activity and less compaction in my beds. Thank you for sharing

[@007Lehua]

Wow! This was by far one of the best soil testing videos I've seen. Very informative, and the comparison from last year till now, just proves, why we need a "Epic gardening analysis kit." I'm very visual, so looking at your charts was so educational in detail. Thanks for sharing your details as well.

[@user-od1fo3lj4q]

Please, Epicgardening is a sellout, let's not ruin this channel with aggressive merchandising.

[@Napoleon-xp3sm]

You are stoked about 60 dollar soil kits...

[@MonsteraGreen]

University extension offices are also great places to find soil test kits. They usually have lots of options.

[@rpdx3]

No it’s not. They have a conflict of interest. They should be urging people to use their local/state agricultural extension services for soil testing. Costs less and likely way more accurate results.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I'm glad it was helpful, I think the breakdown is often the hardest part of understanding the results. This video is universal as to how to take and average a soil sample and then how to interpret and understand what each data point means. As to other comments in this thread, there has been and always will be many options at various price points. One of the downsides with local ag and extension is the long lead time and lack of convenience. The data would be the same if the tests is testing the same thing using the same testing methodology. Please always look for whatever serves your needs best there is no obligation to stick to one option ever.

[@erictownsend4236]

Hi Jacque, I am a retired dairy farmer from mid-state NH. on a 3 generation farm. We also took soil samples often. We used a tubular probe about 12 inches long, which would extract a cylindrical soil sample about 1 in. in diameter, and as long as we were able to push it into the ground. We removed any plant matter (weeds, grass, alfalfa or corn stubble, etc.) we did not remove any top soil!, took a number of samples in the field, combined and mixed together the samples, took a small sample of that and sent it in for analysis. I feel this way gives a much better overall representative soil sample.

[@fnytnqsladcgqlefzcqxlzlcgj9220]

this is the way to go, the sample he sent in was mostly nonsense, i have no idea how he came up with that method, in australia we have to do lots of soil samples because the soil here is rarely good for growing western crops, you can buy a soil probe at bunnings that is exactly what you describe, a metal tube with a handle.

[@Napoleon-xp3sm]

@@fnytnqsladcgqlefzcqxlzlcgj9220 I only use the Epic channel as a comparison as I live within 10 miles of the two neighborhoods (South & North Park neighborhoods of San Diego). They shoot from the hip a lot so I don't take much of what they say as fact. This video being a case of that. It's so easy to grow in SD, when people say I have an amazing garden I always say its 70 the weather, 30% me. You have to be special not to be able to grow in SD.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

This is what I was attempting to replicate without having a probe handy. I was hoping to show a way of doing it with just tools people have handy. The only reason I avoided the top soil is because I apply compost and fertilizer on the surface and so I didn't want them to throw off my results but on a large scale I can see that not mattering.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

@fnytnqsladcgqlefzcqxlzlcgj9220 as to the sample I sent being nonsense this is literally the same thing just not using a fancy tool. How could soil being sent in being nonsense? Genuinely happy to hear your thoughts as to why this sample is pointless to you.

[@SEAZNDragon]

@@Napoleon-xp3sm I feel that's a bit harsh. I live in Texas and courtesy of the Marines spent time in San Diego and southern Cali so when I'm watching I'm more than aware of difference in climate between the two locations with my apartment balcony grow bag garden. As for shooting from the hip, I think that describes your average gardener and both Jacque and Kevin constantly remind to look at you respective growing zone.

[@sharonknorr1106]

All of us science nerds loved this video. I also love rocks and used to have a nice collection as a child. Still enjoy running little garden experiments although it is very hard to control for all the variables.

[@shereeralph3802]

Hey Jacque, One simple way to add calcium to your soil, is to roast (gently) your egg shells, grind them up, and sprinkle them around your plants. Also, if you boil eggs, use the water on your garden after it has cooled. Love your informative videos. Thanks for the time you spend researching stuff to share with us. 🇦🇺🦘

[@MeanOldLady]

And don't forget other nutrients that plants need to break down calcium. Once you apply some eggshells, you will rarely ever have to do it again as they're broken down & sipped up slowly.

[@polingryan]

I appreciate the detailed feedback and breakdown of the data and what each change told you. I can tell your background is as a scientist. Cheers!

[@NateFord]

The idea of soil testing is daunting to me because I have a bunch of different beds with totally different soil mixes/methods. Multiple raised beds all filled differently, one no-dig bed mulched with mushroom compost, one tilled bed, one “lazy bed” and a lazy lasagna bed. I feel like anything other than testing every bed individually would be pointless for me since they’re all so different.

[@ContactsNfilters]

You can tell a lot just by looking at how the plants are doing. I wouldn't worry about it.

[@cameroneverhart6443]

Just see how stuff grows and make everything like the one that flourishes the most

[@nicklombardo8944]

You can always do it a bit at a time. Test a couple this year, test a couple next year. No reason you need to know everything all at once considering the alternative is not knowing anything. Focus on the ones you think could benefit the most.

[@NateFord]

@@nicklombardo8944 That's good advice

[@BluishGnome]

This was awesome! Love the in-depth analysis of the test results. Looking forward to the eventual follow up!

[@gwendolynwebster7722]

Wow! I'm so glad that you have this kit!

[@michellec9657]

I love the analysis, very helpful for how to go about interpreting my own results. I have clay soil with high potassium and phosphorus also. I never thought about how manure based compost could be contributing. Some people might think the higher the numbers the better but like you mentioned - it can throw off the uptake of other nutrients. Thank you for your thoughtful work!

[@jacquesinthegarden]

You can always have too much of a good thing! It becomes so saturated that it blocks other elements with similar charges from being taken up by the plants!

[@nnagle9224]

Thanks for the thorough explanation of the test and spotlighting how some results are not always a problem.

[@parkerlamonica2661]

This is a really informative guide. Thanks always making great content!

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@j.m.b.greengardens968]

Thank you for the clear and concise overview of soil testing and interpretation of the results. It corroborated many of my observations and showed me some new perspectives. You mentioned grubs. Unless I had reason to suspect that the grubs were the larvae of pest insects, such as plant damage potentially attributable to either the larvae or adults, I would be inclined not to worry about grubs. Some of the grubs might be either larvae of beneficial beetles or other insects, or harmless. Also, gypsum can add calcium (and sulphur) without substantially raising soil Ph.

[@ErickGutierrez-kr9dv]

Hi Jacque, loved the video. One thing to keep in mind is since your calcium levels are below the optimal range, make sure to not over apply calcium because it can tie up you phosphorus making it unavailable to you plants. Thanks👍

[@Gabiviolino]

I think he was reffering to Jadam eggshell/vinegar calcium, wich is a foliar spray? I think plants would benefit from this and it wouldn't stop from absorbing other nutrients... What do you think?

[@jacquesinthegarden]

This is a good point, I don't think I will amend the soil and instead do foliar calcium to see if it has any impact!

[@deathroll69]

@@jacquesinthegarden if it ties up the phosphorus as the other commenter said (not sure if it does) that might be a good thing in your bed where the phosphorus is too high.

[@dinacasey7034]

Great video, Jacques. You have encouraged me to do a soil test on my raised beds. I have planned on rotating my crops this year, so this will give me more accurate information. Thanks for all of your informational videos. 😍 from zone 6B in Southeast Missouri.

[@katjoy9921]

Best soil test video I’ve seen. Great. Thanks 😊

[@lizpecone2801]

Are soil tests normally this intricate or are we just getting more richness because Jaques is also a geologist. Like ‘because granite would have more potassium’ is that common knowledge? Lol. Thanks for the very informative vid!

[@williamevans6522]

Granitic based soils can test high ,or low depending on whether the feldspars ( degraded from the original granite) are potassium or sodium based. Also, alkaline soils will have low K availability, but could could contain good amounts of K- just not available.

[@gardengatesopen]

Looks like there's more than 1 geologist in the crowd!!

[@yy-sf1xq]

Granite contains a lot of Feldspar, which can be made in nature with Na, K or Ca, depending on the origin. I bet that as a Geologist, Jacques knows the history of his region pretty well and looking at he soil samples, this makes a lot of sense.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Haha, the analysis is for sure from my own intuition here from doing field work across San Diego as a geology student. For me it is just a fun puzzle to solve where I can look at my results and then try to pull out the information based on everything else I know! Unfortunately the test does not come with a geology insight!

[@rpdx3]

@@williamevans6522granite is rock, not soil by any means, nor is it bioavailable. 😂

[@jamesj.williams7702]

My soil pH in San Diego was always slightly high and the same was seen even in things like my vermicomposter. I eventually started to just attribute it to something about the mineral composition of the water being enough to affect pH and those same minerals being common in the soil.

[@trishapomeroy9251]

I'm excited to see your results next year too! I have not done any soil testing yet, but I would sure like to. I know our organic matter is next to nothing. So I'm focusing on that for now. It will be interesting to see what an actual test shows.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

For me it is a very fun thing to sort of work out and try to solve over time! I think organic matter content is for sure the one to follow for general health.

[@lindalisting7338]

Glad you gave a breakdown on how to do the test. I am always intimidated. That said, if you have clay soil and you create a blueberry bed out of sheet mulch and coffee grounds, you can have an organic matter test off the charts. Mine was 35% organic matter. It'll be interesting to see how that changes over time. The blueberries love it.

[@Crashbangable]

Garden like a Viking has a great video on homemade water, soluble calcium. Also, I was wondering, if you’re screening out your organic matter.

[@Elizabeth-uz1mn]

This is so helpful…a fantastic video, so well presented. Thank you.

[@veronicac660]

Not too long at all! I love the detailed explanation of how to apply the results

[@purplethumb7887]

You need to grow (black oil) sunflowers all over your garden. Their big tap roots will leave nice organic matter for your garden when you cut them down, and the roots help to break up and aerate the soil.

[@pilsplease7561]

I have been soil testing all my soils, my raised beds were really hot on nutrients like pegged the graph on everything even after corn and tomatoes and garlic were in the bed, crazy how much it had that 3 heavy feeders in succession didnt manage to deplete it. My native soil is a giant ancient sand dune that holds absolutely no water and is nutrient depleted and requires a lot of fertilizer applications and lime applications to keep it from going super acidic.

[@williamwaters4506]

I have watched many gardening videos on KZbin and no one tests their soil. This is the only one I can remember seeing. I have my soil tested every three years. Two years ago I heavily composted my soil and ruined my nitrogen level. My crops were horrible. I hope that this year things are better.

[@coolnatkat]

What did you compost with?

[@juliehorney995]

$20 at our county's Extension Office. Also available at many ag supply stores. Overall it's good to have options. These videos are important info for gardeners everywhere. Well done!

[@summerysandy5116]

Quite an incredibly helpful video AND promotes sales of soil tests. Double whammy, you nailed it, fantastic job! I’m sure Kevin would be proud…

[@jeremycharbonneau8031]

Thank you I was wondering about those kits on your alls site. For calcium I use ground up egg shells and seafood shells like crab shrimp and lobster. I dry them out un the oven or my treager depending on if I want the house to smell like fish. Oven set to 200° then let them go for 6-12 hours depending on how much you have then into the nutra bullet to turn them into powder.

[@briankubik5041]

No afence? Is cooking it down the right thing to do just like other things fish emotion @ a high temperature kills the nutrients. I have to look that up but I am wondering now cause I just put them out for chickens to eat them. Chicken manure high in Calcium?

[@Neenerella333]

​@briankubik5041 Calcium doesn't change in the cooking process. The bone meal available in garden centers has to be sterilized, to remove pathogens. And that's at a much higher temp than the OP is talking about. Shellfish also contain iodine, which CAN be altered by cooking.

[@robclower9606]

That's not going to be plant available for years, unfortunately.

[@Crashbangable]

Powdered calcium is still not plant available garden like a Viking has a good video. I believe you do your process and then add it to vinegar.

[@abhimanyutyagi9676]

Yaass!! Im looking forward to see actually how cover crops impact the results next year and perhaps how regenerative practices would help as well. Also, question: are there plants which you can grow who absorb more of K or P in conparision to orhwr minerals to balance out the high amounts in the soil? Like bananas have high K, so would that work? If the paknts absorbs more, there is less left in the soil?

[@vickijenkins1266]

This was so neat! Thanks for sharing! New Hampshire

[@terrivance8750]

Fascinating. Thank you, Jacques. 😊

[@angelaphan3346]

I get a ton of pill bugs, so to help with them not eating too many seedlings, I add in compost, worm casting, and I add will toss veggie leaves & veggies/fruit scraps for worms & pills bugs to break down in each bed.

[@ContactsNfilters]

This is my first year dealing with so many as well. Slugs too. And most the ground is really hard from lack of rain/watering. I'm planning on planting extra seeds and just starting some stuff in doors. I love that they're helping to break down all of the compost though. My soil needs it badly.

[@rachelt761]

I nerd out over this kind of information 😂 love the content!

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Glad to hear it!

[@lionheartfarmandgarden]

Love this! ❤ Having access to a full and complete, comprehensive, easy to read soul test is a game changer! Now, is it something you will do all the time? No. Yet if you have a garden bed, or maybe a bed you've used for years, and all of a sudden the plants look brown, wilted, burned, floppy, or just unhealthy, well since you spent months and sometimes years growing these green little friends, you will surely want to quickly correct the issue before they perish! Thats when the soil tests come in. If you've already cared for your bed, amended the soil, added compost, done alk the normal things, and you ate still havinfmg trouble, a soil tests is forbsure the way to go! Grab your soil like Jaques showed everyone, send in that bag, and in a short time you have access to see if you have too much of one nutrient, too little of another, high mineral, low mineral, hydroohobic soil, you name it! Boom! Now you can fix it as save your littke green friends! I love this, it will come in handy fir many a gardener. ❤

[@juliepoolie5494]

I have a bazillion pill bugs in my raised bed. It worries me because they can feed on young seedlings. I sprinkled with Sluggo plus but it doesn’t seem to be making a difference. I know they help decompose but the number of them is abundant. And creepy.

[@bethb8276]

I noticed I started getting a lot after I put down natural leaf mulch. I plan to try beneficial nematodes to take care of the problem.

[@herrerad3]

Try slicing oranges and put them around the bed at night. In the morning they will be covered in pill bugs. Discard the oranges with bugs. Do this until there are no more bugs. Good luck. 🤜 🤛

[@BritInvLvr]

Same here. They ate my strawberries! Boogers!

[@jacquesinthegarden]

They can really be a problem when it comes to mowing down young seedlings. In my mind there are 2 paths, removal or accepting. You can scrap out the top layer of soil with a wide shovel and probably get like 80% of them and then move them somewhere else in your yard. You can also just accept that they are there and apply fresh mulch to give them something to eat. In that regard you are probably best off transplanting seedlings rather than direct seeding. If you transplant larger seedlings with 4+ true leaves they shouldn't be able to kill them.

[@juliepoolie5494]

@@herrerad3 I’ll try this! Thank you!

[@k9spot1]

That hummingbird wants to eat that orange flower that’s in the greenhouse DESPERATELY. lol.

[@LJ-uq7eh]

Love your informative videos! I’m particularly interested in growing sweet potatoes in grow bags and I saw one where you harvested the potatoes. However, I’d like to know if the fertilizer is the same for beds vs grow bags & what kind of soil is used for grow bags. I think i read where nitrogen isn’t good for tubers as they will have lush leaves but very little productive sweet potatoes?

[@bfgoalie99]

I'm sure you've already thought of this, but you can use a grass cover crop like oats or wheat to scavenge excess phosphorus from your soil and increase organic matter. its great to have that confirmation though before taking the next step so you know what the best options are!

[@NikosPiano]

Thanks for the great video! My potassium and phosphorous levels in my beds are similarly quite high, and I was curious if you’d recommend avoiding fertilizer that has any at all? Last year I used balanced organic granular fertilizers and plant based compost mainly, but now I’m wondering if I should only use supplemental nitrogen throughout the growing season. What do you think?

[@lizdietrich6801]

Epic is doing soil testing, ahhh so exciting! 🎉

[@bbqribz570]

A big bag of Diamond K gypsum would do go really far in your garden. I've been pushing calcium hard this year due to all the rain and everything in my garden is loving it. Phosphorus availability to the plant mostly relies on microbes to break down OM and rock phosphate to release it in a plant available form. When i see flower development on anything i usually give them a tea of gypsum and Fish hydrolysate or a sprinkle of Fish bone meal and gypsum. It's a great way to launch things into production.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I remember apply that when I first started my garden as I had super clay rich soils and has hoping to ease that. It has been a while since I've used any though.

[@tfosss8775]

I am just getting started gardening this year, looking to fill a dozen raised beds. In order to get the best soil (test), Do you guys recommend: Cocco Coir / Compost / 50/50 blend Perlite/Vermiculite Top Soil / Compost / Sand or wood chip Blend What amendments / additives / fertilizers ? Thank you.

[@gregbluefinstudios4658]

Great episode. I am using my local extension at UMass for some soil testing, but I strongly encourage EVERYONE to do some testing. I admit, I have a lot more control, since I am using mostly grow bags (a little over 100 between 5, 7, 10 and 25 gallon) for my gardens. BTW, had a week in the Pacific Northwest for some work recently, and some time off. Saw the Columbia River Gorge, the great flood plains (Missoula floods) Lots of Central Washington, and a ton of the areas where there were some impressive Volcanic flows. (well, a "while ago") Curious, if in your prior life, you ever got to do some study of those volcanic flows? I live in New England and we really don't have that kind of geology. A lot more of our geology (Cape Cod for me) is much more influenced by Glacial and ice movement. In fact, my whole area is an entire moraine from 15,000 YA) in fact, I am not far from that "east coast" place called WHOI.

[@williamevans6522]

Calcium sulfate/ gypsum will not raise Ca levels in the soil. It works as a plant feeder. Calcium carbonate, 200 mesh will boost levels in the soil. A more coarse mesh chalk will have a slower availability, last longer in the soil and be less dusty to spread.

[@legueux3144]

Oui c'est important une granulométrie pas trop fine sinon ça devient du béton et ça bloque le sol.

[@williamevans6522]

@@legueux3144 Je ne peux pas traduire cela

[@jacquesinthegarden]

That makes sense since Calcium carbonate will break down slowly over time where as gypsum is probably way too water soluble. Thanks for the info!

[@williamevans6522]

@@jacquesinthegarden If memory serves the calcium sulfate disassociates into calcium oxide and sulfate. The free sulfate then gloms onto Na. With sufficient irrigation it the leaches into the subsoil where it's less damaging. Calcium carbonate OTOH is LOVED by microorganisms, which are LOVED by worms. Carbonate is a building block for life. You can get 10 mesh lime , and up to 200 mesh lime. VICAL is a product that comes to mind- 200 mesh- dusty to spread. Grangettos has it. Never buy dolomite lime unless your soil is devoid of Mg.

[@MarthaMajority]

Testing the soil is very important - who knew?! Interesting presentation, thanks. I have a question regarding garlic. I planted it at the right time and it is growing very well. My problem now is protecting the green tops. I live in northern Arizona and the wind is endless. Can I trim the tops off like with onions or will I impair their growth? Thanks, you Epic boys are so interesting and fun to watch.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

You can trim plants but it can impair their growth to some extent. With onions it might dry them out quicker especially if they are already mature. Planting wind blocking shrubs or taller plants on the edges of your garden can help slow the wind as well.

[@MarthaMajority]

@@jacquesinthegardenThanks for your reply!

[@wildkev1010]

Another great video Jacque. Quick question, you mentioned sing fertilizer through your drip system and I've been looking for a good cheap way to fertigate my garden. My Question is which system do you use and are you happy with it. TIA!

[@jacquesinthegarden]

There are a lot of cheap options but I have found that the Ez-Flow is the most reliable one that just works. I think the cheapest is like 60-70 dollars but it works across a wide range of water pressures which is nice.

[@wildkev1010]

@@jacquesinthegarden Okay awesome I'll give that a go. Thanks again !

[@kikks461]

Been thinking about this for a bit now - last year’s soil test for my raised veg beds said “too much organic matter.” How do I balance that out? Dig up clay from elsewhere and sprinkle it around? Ok, prob not. But still, for veg how much of a “problem” is this? And how to correct/balance for more minerals or whatever clay would bring?

[@PetalsonthePavingSlabs]

this was very interesting, thank you.

[@kikks461]

Would love a follow up video or info on how you address the calcium deficiency- from what I’ve read it’s not a straight-forward issue.

[@ingekaivola4685]

Interesting about the grubs. I have used a lot of wood chips in my raised beds and I have found a lot of grubs in them.

[@priyaspreciousplants190]

Fantastic comprehensive review of soil testing. I’ll surely benefit from this. I have raised beds & containers, grow mostly veggies. My husband recently bought Aerobin 400, composting system. It is Australian made. 400 L capacity. I’m so excited to see the results next year. It also gives me compost tea, which I have already started using. I have three tumbler composters which I was not very happy about. So I am hoping this Aerobin will really help increase my composting.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I keep seeing those and I might have to just try it at some point, it makes sense in general!

[@mtnlindama8146]

Hi Jacques, you said if your organic materials are too high it can cause problems. I have raised beds that are filled almost completely with organic matter. What should I look for as problems that would cause? I have basically no native soil because my property is predominantly decomposed granite (Pikes Peak batholith). What can I put in my beds to correct this problem?

[@highplains7777]

Watch Gary's Best Gardening videos on soil. www.youtube.com/@GarysBestGardening I would look into buying some sandy loam topsoil from a landscaping business.

[@pilsplease7561]

Fun fact 6.5 is the best Ph overall as a lot of soil nutrients cannot be taken up efficiently or at all if it is below or above that. At 6.5 you get the highest degree of availability of nutrients.

[@doveheart92]

Does yhe Epic soil test look for heavy metals? I want to check for lead in my soil and i couldn't find anything that says its tested for.

[@seespotrun12100]

Hi Jacques, I really enjoyed your video, you are an amazing teacher. I enjoy watching your videos. When are you going to write your garden book 😁?

[@tygeryoshi7559]

if your veges are already growing amazingly (like those gigantic cabbages), is there really a need to take the time to change the soil? is the amount of effort and time to put into the soil balance worth the extra growth?

[@kkeenan536]

Really interesting! I’m surprised with such low calcium levels, you haven’t had more blossom end rot

[@jacquesinthegarden]

The calcium isn't too low but just lower than optimal. Blossom end rot is usually only a calcium issue if you are very deficient otherwise it is usually a watering issue. The plant doesn't have enough water and then can't mobilize the calcium when it needs it leading to end rot.

[@kkeenan536]

@@jacquesinthegarden 👍

[@justineheinrichs2798]

I think you’ve done splendidly. Your cabbages are humongous! Fantastic. Are you going to make sauerkraut 😋? Thank you for sharing your experience and wisdom. Much appreciated. ♥️🇨🇦

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I have made some sauerkraut and it is delicious!

[@DaveSmith-pm2yq]

I have sandy soil, like 903%. What ratio of county compost should I mix into it. I'm using the blend for raised beds. 50 50? I'm growing primarily tomatoes & squash.

[@doomguy584]

You can just build a bed directly on top of the ground add clay if you want it to hold more water and nutrients

[@pintsizestories196]

Tree roots take all kinds of nutrients and water out of the soil and they will travel quite a distance. I even had tree roots grow up through the drain holes of a container that had been sitting in the same place for two years. Couldn't understand why nothing would grow in it until I tried to move it and discovered the tree roots. Raised beds are definitely the way to go if you have any trees nearby. Your zinc and copper were high. Is that a problem?

[@ellenkuang8853]

Increasing the organic matter will probably also help drop the pH as well. Some of those dissolved organic matter/carbon trends slightly acidic.

[@MyFocusVaries]

I wonder if alfalfa meal would be a good general amendment for you. It's great for nitrogen, organic matter, plus calcium, magnesium, sulphur that you may also need. A good organic non GMO product is ideal. I'm trying a cover crop of field peas this year for the first time, which I'll terminate and leave in place as a mulch.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I haven't looked into alfalfa meal much but this actually does make sense, I will look into it.

[@williamevans6522]

Areas that have heavily manured( or lots of compost added) will test high for K. Calcium carbonate can buffer this, but a good 14 element soiltest- including base amounts of K, Na, Ca, Mg- is needed so another imbalance isn't created.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Interesting! Fortunately calcium is one thing I can easily supplement without harm since I am "low"

[@williamevans6522]

@@jacquesinthegarden You can " fertigate" w/ gypsum made for that purpose, but it is only a plant feeder. Gyp won't build Ca levels to the 70% base saturation level needed to drive Sodium in to the subsoil where it's less damaging. Calcium lime is needed for that. It's a much better bang for the buck. You can do both.

[@skeletalbassman1028]

Easy organic matter check is soil color -> blacker is better. Light brown soil -> low organic. Organic = carbon = black. Happy Growing!

[@cynthiabartz2157]

Can you do a video on tumble composting? I know that I am doing something wrong to get the ideal result. But I have no idea how to fix it...

[@gnargnar1992]

WCA is a fun KNF solution! A dripline WCA application and a top dress of pulverized egg shell powder would certainly fix your CA issue.

[@yungmansa4989]

Knf is underrated 🤙 I’m getting ready to cook up my first wca here in the next few days I’ve been saving my brown eggshells for weeks!

[@jacquesinthegarden]

KNF is something I keep saying I will get into but I haven't really dived into it yet.

[@yungmansa4989]

@@jacquesinthegarden it’ll be a TON of information to digest so it’s definitely something of a learning course. WCA is a good place to start. Look into “Dr. Cho’s Natural Farming” book, has everything KNF directly from the master himself.

[@gnargnar1992]

@@jacquesinthegarden Get into it!!! Highly advise learning KNF WCA (adds calcium) & LABS (unlocks P). Good luck!

[@pedramghanbarzadegan787]

Do coir and peat count as Organic Matter?

[@eklectiktoni]

Yes! A good way to know if something counts as soil organic matter is to ask two questions: Was it ever alive? Or did it come from something that was alive? If yes, 9 out of 10 times it counts as organic matter. Some examples - spent plants, leaves, straw, peat, coir, manure, bones, sticks, hair, even cardboard and lumber counts. The exceptions to this are products from living things that break down extremely quickly (think blood meal or urine/urea). Even though it's organic it breaks down too quickly to affect the organic content of soil and is simply used as a fertilizer. Biochar is another exception because it has been carbonized and thus breaks down too slowly to count (biochar can remain in soil for hundreds, even thousands, of years).

[@BigggRoss]

check with your local recycling center/ waste removal. Usually they will make compost from green waste. Just make sure that they aren't using sludge from the wastewater treatment plants.

[@ugosmith7529]

Just got my soil test results today. The good thing is everything is off the charts high. The bad thing is everything is off the charts high, including ph at 7.4, organic matter at 29% and sodium at 125ppm (447ppm for my new soil). I see a large amount of gypsum powder and sulphur in my near future 😂

[@ChristopherHorton90]

Great video Jacques! One thing that really helped me understand soil testing is reading The Intelligent Gardener by Steve Solomon. Great read ,check it out!

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Thanks for the recommendation! I am always looking for new books and this one sounds great, just placed an order

[@tjcihlar1]

There was someone discussing the soil food web, and how looking at the bacterial, fungus, and nemotode level in your soil is key for plant growth. They discuss using compost (or compost tea for large scale farms) to improve this. Her opinion is that the mineral testing isn't really important. There are plenty of minerals in all soil to sustain growth for 100s of years, it is just a matter of having the microrhizal fugus and bacteria to free them up.

[@armoredpriapism]

It makes sense that there would be little organic matter in the soil if you omitted the top two inches (where the organic matter is)

[@robertreznik9330]

Your P and Zn are very high in your native soil. In fact no need to add in anytime in a life time for a garden. You could be adding 1" of soil to your raised bed. If your area is 4356 square ft that is 1/10 acre that weighs 300,000 lbs per 9" of soil. SOM of 5% is great, no need for more to screw up fertility with compost. Just add ammonium sulfate for the N and to lower the pH some. 25 lbs through the year for 4,000 square feet.

[@johnsog337]

Do you think screening the soil impacted the OM value?

[@frankbarnwell____]

Well. The product of the grubs, worms, other organisms in compost IS a manure. When I find some in one of my outdoor planters, I've succeeded in making "soil". And the plants are usually very pleased.

[@tinad6812]

What about testing for heavy metals?

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Heavy metals tests are available but we haven't listed any yet. They are quite pricey!

[@crithappened]

Hey Jacques whenever ph is above 7 ph the phosphorus gets deionized and doesn't get absorbed very well.

[@earthisflat]

Yeah, here in Arizona we've had a lot more rain than usual and it looks like all that rain really did some damage to one of my blueberry plants. So I'm guessing now is a perfect time to test my soil lol

[@Neenerella333]

That Bio tone acidifier brought one of my blueberry bushes back from the dead.

[@MyFocusVaries]

Interesting. Here in Vancouver BC Canada, we get a lot of rain (temperate rain forest), which contributes to our acidic soil. Lots of rain washes away the components that result in alkaline soil, I'm told. Blueberries love moisture, so that shouldn't be the issue, so perhaps the rain combined with another issue. Clay soil that holds water, and poor drainage? Some pine bark would would probably help as a top dressing in the short and long run

[@Neenerella333]

@@MyFocusVaries southern AZ is very alkaline.

[@earthisflat]

Not sure, it's in a container with an organic acidic soil (or at least it's supposed to be lol) I have 2 varieties of blue berries and the one with smaller leaves seems to be looking alot better than the one with bigger leaves I think we've gonna have a break from the rain for awhile so I'll be able to see if it was actually all the rain we've got ​@@MyFocusVaries

[@earthisflat]

​@@Neenerella333the soil I got is supposed to be an organic acidic soil so I think I might do a soil test before I add anything cuz I don't want it too acidic

[@KF_Jaymon]

Jacques in the lab! We love the science, spreadsheets, and experiments!

[@PlantObsessed]

One question is what is the repercussions of high numbers on some of the nutrients?

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Specifically I can't break down each one but for example having too much phosphorous can limit the plants ability to take in other nutrients like zinc or iron. It can get pretty specific but generally speaking too much of a good thing can always be bad.

[@bobmcallister8028]

Great video. Looks like you have a mango tree behind you. Do you have mango trees planted in your yard AND have you checked the soil where you have tropical trees planted?

[@jacquesinthegarden]

It is a mango tree! I don't actually have an true tropical planted in ground in my garden yet.

[@bobmcallister8028]

very cool. great content as usual.

[@aimeetorres323]

Would you recommend heavy metal testing too?

[@gardengatesopen]

I know that my soil PH tests on the high-ish side, and already has LOTS of calcium floating around IN it, yet it's not always available to my plants. I live in a place where limestone is quarried all around us. We also have lots of rocks & large limestone in our soil. And our water passes through limestone caves, always carrying calcium with it. So even the water is higher in PH. However, the trick is to figure out how to make the calcium more available to root systems. The only answer I know is what NOT to do - which is to NOT add more calcium! I'll be interested to find out what calcium answers you come up with Jaques!

[@jacquesinthegarden]

My general goal at this moment is to apply liquid calcium as a foliar spray. There are a lot of options out there for water soluble calcium which you can then mix into water and apply with a pump sprayer. The downside is that you have to do this on a regular basis to keep calcium high. I am not going to get too obsessed with it but I will try to spray some calcium once a month.

[@littlebrookreader949]

Thanks!

[@gg-gn3re]

calcium nitrate is pretty good to run through water pipes for plants

[@heidiprice5199]

I saw you sift the soil before you put it in the bag. Could this be why the organic matter was low?

[@grisespino5342]

Can you do a video on different ways to change the numbers over the year, like calcium and organic matter etc… Thanks

[@bpbrown85]

Have you tried doing worm composting and/or sending a worm you dug up with the soil test and seeing the change in organic matter lol

[@williamevans6522]

Why no test for Na? That's the primary" pollutant" in San Diego's water, as well as manures. It has always tested high in my soil reports.

[@Neenerella333]

Phoenix too. Organic matter always helped with that.

[@williamevans6522]

@@Neenerella333 Discrete application of potassium sulfate, too, will help to bring up K levels. Compost, while high in K is also loaded with Na. Never apply K chloride! Also called Muriate potash. Na will sub for K if K is unavailable( high ph water and/or soil). But get hit with hot weather and your plants will wilt- even if very well watered. The high Na / low K causes the plant cells to burst.

[@williamevans6522]

@@Neenerella333 They don't call it the Salt River for nothing...

[@jacquesinthegarden]

This is a good question, I haven't tested for Na and in the past I have seen soil crusting with white mineral deposits. After noticing it I added a garden water filter and have noticed the crusting is gone. I will look into a Na test and see how feasible it is.

[@williamevans6522]

@@jacquesinthegarden Unless it's an RO filter, salt is passing right through. I have a carbon filter on my drip systems and to water the orchard. It helps to filter out chlorine / amine that is detrimental to soil organisms/ mycorhizae.

[@amandasanders2931]

Great video!!

[@vindictivetiger3958]

All of my beds are either raised, in containers or in a no-till spot, so I'd be interested in what the tests would say about mine. I'm doing half and half flowers with veg and fruit. Should be interesting... the beds are just a year old.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Love to hear that setup, the first test is fun because it sets a baseline and then every year after is a fun game of what happened and how did it happen.

[@mumstheword8]

Hi! Where have you and Kevin been? Missing your faces! Lol thx for the soil update. Very cool stuff.

[@MyFocusVaries]

Do you have 'all' notifications turned on?

[@mumstheword8]

@@MyFocusVaries I don't believe I did. Thx! I'm also missing them on Instagram. They don't seem to be posting there as much either.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I should post more on IG and I will be!

[@mjn042679]

Jacque, Im just curious, not trying to be a pest or rude or anything cause we're all trying to learn how to be epic gardeners and you never stop learning. I was watching you take soil samples and then preparing each location for the bag. It occurred to me that when you go from one locations tray to another without washing your hands or washing the sifter it may mix the samples and skew the results. What do you think about that? Just wondering. Id be curious to see if you prepare each sample again and clean in between each sample location...scooper, sifter, & hands....if the tests would come out different. Not saying you have to do that obviously (your garden, your life) but im just curious. However, you said your definitely having an issue in one and maybe it could make a difference? 🤷‍♀️ I love your videos. Your very helpful! Im so thankful for all of you at epic garden because i am 45 this month and have never been taught how to do this stuff even though my mother and grandmother were brought up farming. When i was born as the eldest of my mothers children all that stopped and my mother became blue collar. My grandmother became disabled. So neither of them thought to teach me what they know. Not even family recipes or anything. I have none of that to hand down. So....I am determined to learn and hand down myself. Also ti become more self sufficient and healthier. i thank you for being willing to help us learn. 🫂🥰 Ive seen several critical people making rude comments....you may not follow all the rules and you may make mistakes....who cares! We are all human for one and what works for you may not work for everyone but at least it gives us ignorant people a starting point to trial and error. I appreciate you all very much! Dont stop or get discouraged because of the rude critics...GOD BLESS YOU ALL. Im here, watching and loving to learn from you all

[@mjn042679]

Case and point! The mushroom spawn thing you pointed out. I would never have known. I dug up some soil to plant some flowers and found some soil that looked like that and wondered what caused it and if it would bother my plants. However, I was thining my swamp sunflowers which were planted in that spot and I was replanting there as well after I added amendments and more soil for the large bathtub planter I had them in. These flowers thrived in the bathtub with it in there so I just figured it was fine since they had been fine up to now. But still....now I know. Thanks again! 🫂

[@nickanderson8305]

I assume you could also use this for lawns

[@sonyahogan5673]

Should you test before and after a growing season to see what your crops are doing to the soil?

[@jacquesinthegarden]

You could in theory but it would be a costly practices. Every test is mostly just a snapshot general picture anyway so trying to get the exact perfect timing probably isn't going to be as insightful unless you are a production farm.

[@Chris-op7yt]

soil organic matter and also tests for carbon are meant to measure levels of these in a soil that is not amended routinely with dead organic matter added to soil. SOM is meant to measure the living and dead microbes in soil. fine particles of cellulose and the boom and bust of adding dead organic matter are skewing the results, which should show numbers for stable populations of microbes associated with crops grown. it's like getting a high (good) reading of carbon for soil that has had coal fines added in.

[@georgegutierrez1194]

When Jacques says “4x8 bed” he means that the beds are in the shape of a 4 and an 8.