THE RESULTS ARE IN! | Backyard Garden Soil Comparison

The results from all 10 of our backyard garden plots are here! We have a variety of different growing techniques in these 10 plots including no-till, heavy cover crops, chicken grazing, heavy composting, and more.
Hopefully these results will tell us which one of these techniques is the most effective at building a strong nutrient bank in the soils so we don't have to fertilize as much. Join us to see the results from all 10 plots and hear our plans going forward.
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[@jimt6151]

Oh, and my "country boy analysis" indicates that you have a high concentration of north-bound grackles and Canada geese, which I interpret to mean IT'S SPRINGTIME!!! Yaaayyy!!!

[@LazyDogFarm]

That's right!

[@jeannamaynard5037]

This video should be marketable in other venues, like for University teaching.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks Jeanna.

[@loganyoutube4818]

Don’t forget the university soil test only account for the inorganic portion of those nutrients…so that could be why the no till plot isn’t much different than the rest of the plots…other soil tests like the Haney test are able to test for the inorganic and organic forms of nutrients and give you a better picture of your total nutrients…it also measures thing like soil respiration and water soluble organic carbon…now you just need a refractometer to measure the brix/ nutrient density of the different plots

[@Chris-op7yt]

those brix meters are quite cheap. only you have to know exactly when to test a crop and compare it year to year properly. else measuring crop at different maturities can actually be same but different on meter. i guess a roundabout good enough result is just to test at harvest.

[@markware7748]

Most home gardeners will have to rely on the test method that their university lab employs. I've got a quality brix meter to compare relative sweetness in my Asian melon trials, but I've no idea how to interpret those readings to determine nutrient density in soil.

[@loganyoutube4818]

@@markware7748 the Haney test is only $50 and you can send it to any lab that will do a Haney test…I’m a home gardener and that is the test I use…and I may have been slightly confusing but the refractometer tests nutrient density in the food, not in the soil…for example lettuce grown in hydroponics will have a much lower brix than lettuce grown in soil and the lettuce grown in soil will give you much more nutrition versus the hydroponic lettuce

[@Chris-op7yt]

@@markware7748 : you wont be able to trace back to individual soil nutrients. brix testing of fruit and leaves is carried out by farmers in addition to soil testing, to see how their crop is going along. it's one thing to have nutrients in soil and another to be able to tell health of plants/crops in a objective manner. i believe there are brix values published for specific cultivars, to give a good indication. these brix tests are a telltale of what quality the crop is and what it's monetary value will be when sold.

[@markware7748]

@@Chris-op7yt It's nice to hear from fellow soil pointy heads like you and Logan. I can spend many golden hours pondering all the variables. Will need to source out a Haney lab per Logan.

[@madeit7024]

Awesome video!!!! Really enjoyed watching it. Biggest fan in South Africa!!!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks!

[@kencollins7046]

Great job on explaining soil results! Your video here stands alone on the subject. Very difficult to find anyone on youtube talking about soil sample results, so I thank you. Im from Albany and as you probably know, we have clay, clay and more clay around here. My pH and nutrient in my first plot has always been high at 7.2-7.3 and my phosphorus has been off the charts without adding any at all. My choice of fertilizer has been 15-0-15. When I tilled in a second new plot several years ago, I was surprised and relieved to see a pH of 6.2 but phosphorus was very high. And it is just as much clay if not more clay than my other plot. Go figure! To me, pH is a tricky thing and I think you are right about not trying to chase it. One bit of advise I got from the county extension agent was to add lots of compost. Here, I can get compost but its in a "raised bed mix", so I apply that in my rows every year. This year after 3 years of application, I am starting to see my pH drop from 7.2 to 6.8. So, it may be working. But my other plot that was at 6.2 is now at 5.3, so I had to add lime for the first time this year. Its crazy and know one really knows why.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Sounds like your getting the values to the desired range slowly but surely. Thanks for sharing your experiences!

[@markware7748]

One of your best shows yet. Thoroughly enjoyed "nerdin' out" also. Took up my own soil test results and sang right along on the first three verses. My NPK values are about 2-1/2 times the recommended numbers but nowhere near where you are on #3 and #6. Your high pH is exactly where mine was last year but over the year I was able to "farm it down" to 6.1, which is now on the low end. I completely agree with your approach going forward: chicken tractor, scavenging cover crops, and thoughtful tillage. Alfalfa pellets aren't supposed to be "hot" but they're what I'm using in lieu of cover crops in my one and done climate.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Glad you enjoyed it Mark!

[@steveegbert7429]

One thing I think you are seeing is, that over time, adding compost will tend to level out the soil values nutrient and Ph wise, let alone soil life. Not too much and not too little but just what the plants and soil need. It will be interesting to see what the same tests show in another year or two.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I think so! Now we have a baseline to compare.

[@heathershomestead7612]

I thought this was the perfect amount of soil science for moderately experienced gardeners!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks Heather!

[@mikehuffman2587]

I believe taking numerous samples from one plot and mixing them might give you a better "overall" analysis of that plot vs one sample. Might be you hit a fertilized row that still has unused nutrients.

[@markware7748]

Mike, I'd agree with you. Let's talk Travis into re-visiting #3, #6 and #11. Do a 4-5 core sample on each plot, blend and re-test. He may just be borrowing worry on a sampling anomaly.

[@LazyDogFarm]

@Mike Huffman I made sure to take the samples between rows where fertilizer had not been applied. But that's not to say that multiple tests would have given a better average.

[@lokilawson]

Years ago, I could get extension soil tests done for free, up to a certain number. So, I would do multiple tests per plot to fill up my free test quota. There was of course some variability everywhere, but the biggest variability came from test depth. In plots where Intentionally dug, this tended to homogenize the soil of course, but in a no till plot, the differences were enormous. As you might guess, the majority of the nutrients sit just under the surface. Our test also included an organic matter composition, and that too was obviously higher near the surface. It can have big implications because of where the roots of your plants mostly reside.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I tried to get the same depth in all the samples. The soil probe helped with that. But there's always going to be some variability based on human error.

[@lokilawson]

@@LazyDogFarm I would be less concerned with the human variability, and more concerned with the soil variability. Well, concern is maybe the wrong word. It is just that the depth of the soil where the roots reside is going to be much more relevant than what is underneath or above that level. One of the potential benefits of a no-till system may be that you keep total soil nutrition in a more concentrated area, right where the roots are. It might be worth thinking about when taking those samples. Most of our plants probably don't care what the soil composition is beyond about 6 inches in depth (other than for drainage considerations).

[@LazyDogFarm]

@@lokilawson All good points. Maybe a shallower sample would have been better in this case.

[@tommathews3964]

Interesting.......I might even test #3 and #6 again, just for kicks and grins. Try to make sure that the first test was accurate. Things happen in the lab, we know that! I'm with you on the PH 100%! You can chase those numbers for the rest of your days. With the obvious success of the garden as a whole, I wouldn't worry about it either. I think the chicken strategy, utilizing their ammonia slinging ways, is a good long term plan, along with the cover cropping. What we really can't measure in a soil test is microbials (at least not in this type soil test) and I'm betting that's where your no till plot shines. Thanks for sharing!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Good point on the no-till plot Tom!

[@jacobclark1457]

I live in Upstate South Carolina and here, clay does not equal higher ph at all. I added 40 lbs of lime to my garden area last fall. It brought my ph up to 6.3. It is naturally in the 5.5 to 5.8 range

[@susanbell7252]

I liked this video. I have to do container gardening so not able to test soil 100 times. I learned in some of my containers i plant potatoes after my cabbages. Keeps me from having to redo the nutrients between crops. This is great information and i will start cover crops in my containers to feed that to my chickens.

[@TMesser74]

Didn’t you say you were a teacher? If so that explains why you explain things so very well. Thank you for sharing your results and all the knowledge you have with us! I’ve learned so much from you!

[@LazyDogFarm]

I was several years ago. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@bearupfarm1818]

Planting plant in area that will take up of various k pho more. Finding the right plants will help out a lot.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Good point!

[@paulreiche2746]

Excellent study and report, thanks!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@sislertx]

Ok..u won me.over on cover.crops...even for small beds

[@johnnycatledge3242]

Throughly enjoyed that video you right on time for me on what we been talking about you are a big help to me and thank you for all your help your a blessing

[@LazyDogFarm]

You are so welcome

[@takeitslowhomestead5218]

Thank you for teaching us about soil testing, the test results, and options moving forward. You’re a great teacher.

[@LazyDogFarm]

You are very welcome

[@FlavorsandTextures]

Love the nerding !

[@LazyDogFarm]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@diannevaldez8670]

I like your process/plan to go forward with grazing your chickens on your cover crops. I recall one person believing that your girls should get some other food other than greens because "they aren't cows after all" but in the wild, greens are one thing that chickens would be seeking, along with worms and such, being omnivores. There isn't chicken feed in the wild. I believe they are getting what they naturally would get in the wild, dirt, greens, worms and all that fabulous stuff they find in the ground that we can't see that makes them happy and healthy.

[@TMesser74]

I’m sure there were lots of bugs in those cover crops that they were getting their protein from.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I've had many chickens in my lifetime, and those are some of the most healthy looking chickens I've ever had. So I'm sticking with what works.

[@brianczuhai8909]

Thanks for sharing. Measure it again after 5 years and compare prior results. Also too, sample and test a garden in slightly different spots, but close. See if you get variability in the sampling, testing. You are assuming your numbers are GOLD. BUT,... since you tested, you know what you have. - Or is at least close to it. Everyone else is playing around with their NPK numbers on their fertilizers and adding amendments to treat for something they may not need. Fertilizer companies want your MONEY! Moral: Beats looking at it and guessing!

[@stevefromthegarden1135]

These are interesting results and I enjoyed the 2 part series. Now you need a decent microscope so you can look at the microbiology in the soil. Unless you are willing to have someone from the soil food web program come out. 🤔 The microbiology would be a bigger tell than the basic soil test. I have been considering getting a microscope myself and learning to identify the soil life. (Hopefully without a lot fuss about the cost....but we'll see)

[@LazyDogFarm]

I do need to get a microscope.

[@carole4b]

I’ve been using alfalfa pellets for many years in the gardens and around my fruit trees. Hearing about your results has made me feel a lot more confident in my choice of adding them to my garden routine. Great job explaining all the different nuances of chemical and nutrient makeup of the garden soil. it was very interesting to learn about the diversity in each plots most people would only have one garden area so maybe only use one test. Any way super interesting!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Yeah for a one-plot backyard garden, things would be much more simple.

[@nekomancer9157]

what some farms do now is rotate from their main crop to a less valuable crop that has the tendency to sequester minerals that are too high in concentration. eg a cattle feed crop/hay that they fertilise with chicken manure to common grass/weed that pulls out excess unused phosphorous which can be composted and sold

[@LazyDogFarm]

Makes sense.

[@79PoisonBreaker]

The no till appears to have the heavier feeding items on it aswell as maby sustaining larger numbers of micro organisms. Maby why its numbers aren't the highest. Potatoes like lower ph so maby helps explain some of your difficulties with them. Great vid, really enjoyed geeking out with ya on it 🍻🍻🇨🇦

[@LazyDogFarm]

I haven't had any difficulty with potatoes that I'm aware, but I would rather the pH in the potato plot be a little lower.

[@takeitslowhomestead5218]

Haha! I also had flying geese in my next-to-last video “Chicken Run #1- Upgrading”. They surprised me, so I actually took a quick shot of them in the video. I heard yours honking before you mentioned them. (I’m sometimes easily distracted!) But, I learned a lot from this informative video and have already shared it to my Facebook friends. Thank you.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I guess it's time for them to make the move back up north.

[@CattywampusAcres]

Always learning from Dr. Travis!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Preciate it!

[@robertantolik2146]

Awesome video. You addressed a lot of my questions about soil ammendments and my sandy soil. I guess I should do a soil test as well. The ph has me wondering about my soil. Not sure exactly how important it is but you mentioned your worst ph plots may require digging up to 8 inches to hit clay as where I could dig 8 feet and still be in sand. My soil is as barren as the desert or beach. Pine trees, scrub oaks huckleberries and horse nettle is about all that grows here naturally. It's taken a lot of compost and garden soil to produce anything else. But the cost of that and fertilizer is making it tough to keep it up. Now I do enjoy it and I don't want to feed my family all gmo junk from the grocery store but it's so expensive to grow my own. Hoping there's an endgame where I can ease up on the costs of soil ammendments.

[@LazyDogFarm]

If you have really bad soil, you may just consider adding compost on top and planting directly into the compost.

[@pilsplease7561]

Sounds similar to my property, sandy and barren except for oak trees and pine trees and etc. It also tends to be deficient in like all the other nutrients

[@pilsplease7561]

I have sandy loam thats basically like beach sand with a average P.H of like 5.5-6.2 range, its acidic, has a good bit of salt and sulfur in it and tends to be deficient in next to everything else except for potassium.

[@bobbun9630]

The alfalfa pellet/phosphorus connection crossed my mind early on. I know it's a heavy phosphorus feeder, and I have read that it's sometimes used to reduce soil phosphorus levels in fields that have been used for grains for a long time. Phosphorus never really disappears like nitrogen, so it's likely present in significant quantities in the alfalfa pellets. On the price of soil testing... Here in Arkansas the extension office offers to do the analysis for Arkansas homeowners or landowners for free. I have never gotten testing done, but perhaps I should some time. Of course, if it's like you say and you get what you pay for...

[@mousiebrown1747]

Travis, very best wishes for the incoming weather. In Louisiana, zone 8b gonna be in high 20’s Saturday night. Stormy Fri nite & Saturday. Batten down the hatches, good buddy. Lousy break. ☹️. Windy too

[@LazyDogFarm]

That wind was rough!

[@bennywalsh2038]

Love this stuff.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks Benny!

[@suepatterson2702]

Yup. like nerdin' out on the chemical stuff. I like your plan to stay with your original system of tilling, grazing, and cover cropping. You get good results, so you already know what to do. That puts you ahead of the majority of the population.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks Sue!

[@eanderson1801]

That was a great episode. Like learning your strategy to adjust the soil.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks for joining us!

[@bennywalsh2038]

With regards the no till plots and results, my understanding of regenerative growing/no till is that it doesn't really matter so much about what elements are present rather more about is the soil making them available for the plants? No disease pressure.... what's the quality and reduced production cost of the end results?

[@LazyDogFarm]

To measure quality, I think we'd have to have the same veggie planted in two different plots to compare. The no-till plots are definitely more costly initially, but that does seem to decrease as you get further into it.

[@lisabaughman887]

How is you back doing these days? Just checking. I live in a Oak Savanah and still get high ph. levels in certain areas so, soil testing is good thing every now and then. Blueberries grow like no ones business on the rest of my grounds.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Back is doing great. Blueberries love acidic soil.

[@SH-gd9uq]

It sounds like you're on your way to having 18 more chickens. I don't think it's a bad thing you say you're not feeding them much right now. I think those boys will sure enjoy them in the vegetable stand. Their customers sure will enjoy them as well. Eggs do store for a really long time unrefrigerated which is a real Plus. You should get your SECERET SAUCE in the mail soon. LoL you almost guessed the other half of the recipe. It's chicken soup but not regular chicken soup chicken soup by Dr. Jimz. I think with this combination or even part of this combination you ought to win that big mater contest. Great Content. Happy Gardening and God Bless.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I think 6 chickens will do us for now. lol. Although I have plenty for them to graze in the winter, these plots will soon fill with veggies and I won't have as many plots to rotate them on.

[@DonnaLorenzen2009]

Thank you for sharing the results and your thoughts. As a new-ish gardener and an engineer, nerding out is a good thing.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@kjrchannel1480]

Clay is naturally alkaline in my area. Sometimes close to 8. Even the acidic properties of rain don't affect it.

[@dl8619]

You ain't lying ,stuck one of those burpee pH testers in my clay soil and it didn't even move in some areas stayed at 9

[@Yotaciv]

Brassicas tend to exude acids from their roots that break down minerals like phosphorus.

[@oscarherrera9049]

I love this kind of videos, thank you Travis

[@LazyDogFarm]

Glad you like them!

[@nicholasdemarest4254]

You can still grow and graze cover crops in no till plots and just terminate the cover crop and plant into it. The residue just acts a mulch.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I haven't had very good luck with crimping. It always comes back. In the no-till plots, we have to terminate with a tarp. There's also this theory about the cover crop providing a "bridge" for insect pressure to jump from the cover crop to the newly planted vegetable crop. I want do more cover crop and vegetable intercropping, but I'll probably plant the vegetable first, let it get established, then seed the cover crop.

[@nicholasdemarest4254]

@@LazyDogFarm I really believe no till is the way to go. Watch no till growers on you tube. Also his book is really good with excellent info on growing and terminating cover crops. My beds right now are filled with winter rye and will be terminated next month in preparation for summer crops.

[@LazyDogFarm]

@@nicholasdemarest4254 I think no-till is great. But I don't think it's the only way to grow good food. If you can get that winter rye to terminate just by crimping, that's awesome. I can't get it to die that way. It always comes back. That's why I don't grow it anymore unless it's a component of a cool-season cover crop mix I buy. The commercial guys around here use roundup to kill it of course. I can till it 3-4 times and it will still grow back. The only way I can kill it is to tarp for an extended period of time.

[@tgood9344]

Wow! You are very impressive with your knowledge. Thank you for helping us all learn about our garden soil. I plan right now to do a soil test with my local extension office. I so enjoy your channel and the informative content you provide us.😃👍

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks so much!

[@jerrygeorgopolis8015]

Travis, Excellent overview of your results, thank you.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Glad you enjoyed it Jerry!

[@debmattosky3021]

What were the cover crops that you said you used? I couldn’t understand for the birds! Thank you very much

[@LazyDogFarm]

Can't remember which ones we had used before this video since it's several years old. We use a wide diversity of cover crops.

[@jimt6151]

Interesting! Seems to speak well for cover crops and grazing. I've been listening to a lot of soil regeneration audio books lately, and these are common themes. Most of them are talking about deep-rooted perennial prairie grasses, livestock grazing, and "automatically applied" manure on larger pastures, but the concepts are similar.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Wonderful!

[@ellendavis9940]

Love learning results. Helped this newbie. Thanks

[@LazyDogFarm]

Glad it was helpful!

[@diannemiller4754]

Thank you! I have throughly enjoy your research on the soil testing. Keep sharing your gardening ideas and results.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thank you! Will do!

[@michaelkpease]

You might try adding some pine bark and pine needles to those plots to lower the ph. It not only helps but adds organic material

[@LazyDogFarm]

We have pine needles on our garlic, but I'm not a huge mulch fan because we're always replanting and changing our row spacing in every plot.

[@michaelkpease]

@@LazyDogFarm i till my mulch in every year with all the old plants to help build my soil since i started with loads of top soil due to living in rocky area

[@Christian-jx3nx]

Rain is a factor

[@JolleanSmith]

This was excellent and I know you must have put some serious thought into this video. I have wanted to do a video on my soil results and my brain was hurting trying to figure out how to show it, without a numbers dump. You did that beautifully. I have a no till and a field tilled garden. 3 years of soil tests complete. No till has results like your dream garden (each year going up) but I have never done cover crops until this year and those soil test results are not in yet. I have a specific test for before a cover crop and after that I think will be interesting. I put my money on the organic matter we add as that’s the only commonality. But I am no expert. Also, the extension office can test Nitrogen and OM (Organic Matter) for $2 more. For some reason they love to discourage it, they tell everyone nitrogen is always changing. But get it next time, if nothing else for the OM measurement. This has a lot to do with soil health. There is a lot to be learned here but I am like you, if it’s growing well don’t change much. Really great job on this.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I would have liked to see an OM component on my tests. Might find one that offers that next time.

[@rp6264]

You may want to send in plant samples in the high ph plots just to see if they are deficient in any nutrients. Tissue test results are interesting to look at and really make you scratch your head. I’ve had soil test show me off the chart high in calcium but be deficient on a tissue test because my boron was low.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Might do that. Many of the big produce farmers around here use tissue samples to fine tune their fertilization programs.

[@dmartin4295]

Very interesting results! Thanks for taking time to test and share your findings.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Our pleasure!

[@sarahmcqueen2319]

Really loved this Trav! Thank you for all the info!

[@LazyDogFarm]

My pleasure!

[@marycain7424]

I had my soil test done at Logan Labs. The desired values were significantly different from those you showed. Calcium 4967, magnesium 535, potassium 569. Boron, zinc, copper and iron were also tested.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I wish our tests actually gave a number for the desired value. Instead, it just had a line that you had to guesstimate the value for.

[@marycain7424]

@@LazyDogFarm I understand. And I only had one garden plot tested, not a zillion like you!

[@saltlifess6226]

I have half of my yard with a ph of 5.5. Not my vegetable garden though. Have big pine trees there. I used lime and have now decided to just grow plants that like that acidic soil then working on changing it and chasing it.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Good plan! Grow what works well in acidic soil until you can get it adjusted better.

[@justinbukoski1]

This has been one of your most interesting videos. As far as your no till plot and no off the chart results, that's what I'm always striving for. There is an optimal range for all of those nutrient values and more is not better in most cases (unless I'm mistaken). I test my soil every season and I'm always trying to get my values into the optimal range so I sort of feel like the results you are getting in your oldest no till plot is what I'd be after. My other take away is you could probably cut down on the cost of soil amendments considerably if all your plots were composted (I don't know your cost of amendment vs. compost though). Anyway, just my take away. Would love to see you do at least one plot with the more comprehensive test. I'm always checking for too much nitrogen to make sure I get a good tomato crop. If my tomato bed has too much, I always co-plant it with heavy N feeders.

[@LazyDogFarm]

In the first year of the no-till plot, we added no fertilizer just to see what would happen. And the results were less than stellar. While the compost does provide nutrients, we still have to supplement somewhat. The compost is the big expense -- several tons per plot adds up!

[@joeyl.rowland4153]

Sulfur pellets do a really good job of lowering Ph. It won't cause a major change and it is slow. You can also use aluminum sulfate but that is really potent you have to be super super careful, it will push your Ph to 3 and that is a no no. Here I use compost, manure, and sulfur. If you do use sulfur use pellets and turn them in powder is ineffective for Ph it takes to much.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks for the tip on the sulfur Joey!

[@Ct9405]

Very I interesting video! I sent my first soil sample off this week to Texas A&M (alumni here so I’m partial the them) so hopefully I can revisit your video and be able to decipher my results. Thanks for putting the ideal levels on each nutrient. I went for the gusto and spent $46 to test my one garden.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I probably need to get more advanced tests next year, at least on a few of the plots.

[@ivanlangley4529]

You the man brother! Appreciate the knowledge!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks Ivan!

[@nancytharp8213]

Thanks for sharing 🙏 😎 🏖 🏝

[@LazyDogFarm]

No problem 👍

[@joewilson1457]

I have a 1/2 acre garden plot and a 1/8 acre garden plot the big one I thought would need the most but it doesn't need anything but nitrogen but the small one needs lime nitrogen and about 6 other chemicals Another good show

[@LazyDogFarm]

Good thing you got a test so now you know!

[@KrazyKajun602]

A interesting test would be on plot#3 , plant just tomatoes straight without adding any nutrients throughout the plant's life and see if the tomatoes do well. I would be curious to see since it has a high calcium value, you wouldn't have any blossom end rot.

[@LazyDogFarm]

That's actually where we'll be putting some of our tomatoes this year, so we'll see what happens.

[@mousiebrown1747]

Terrific terrific soil info! Now you know where to next grow your big feeder plants. Most importantly, ya got all good soil! Chicken tractor results will likely show up in time.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Yes indeed!

[@jonlewis6630]

I have not done a soil test. I have very sandy soil, but my plants have been productive. I may have to get one this fall. I mainly use organic fertilizer, but I will certainly add a quick feed if I need to.... yes, the blue stuff. I don't think I used a pound of the blue stuff last year. Thanks for the information.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Solid plan! Save the blue stuff just for emergencies.

[@singncarpenter6270]

Great video. Thanks for sharing.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks for watching!

[@dansobien8196]

Very good video. My only input would be to do a plot by plot comparison of ph and nutrients. For instance the no till plot may be doing fine because the balance of ph vs nutrients is maximized for plant uptake, even though nutrients may be a little lower. Whereas plot 3 might have very high nutrients but the ph is so alkaline the plants are having trouble absorbing them. Another interesting idea would be to plant high ph loving plants in plot 3 to see if they really thrive. Again, great video it has given me much to think about.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Those are all great ideas for future experiments!

[@timfetner8029]

Really interesting stuff in this vid Travis. Based on these results, do you think this will change how you manage the other plots? Making more of them no-till, adding more compost, using your cover crop strategy, etc?

[@LazyDogFarm]

We have two (maybe three) no-till plots currently. I don't we'll add any more no-till plots at this point. But we will do more cover crop grazing for sure.

[@dabeav1317]

When's the last time a heavy feeder crop like corn was on plot 3 or 6. Might want to plant corn in a plot after nutrient scavenger crops to see if yield is a lot better.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Corn was grown in plot #3 last year -- popcorn and glass gem corn.

[@michaelnemeth689]

Great job! Thank you for sharing your plot info.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks for watching!

[@hardstylzz5024]

Good info on the samples, you could lower the PH on one of those plots and add blueberries. BTW Cold temps coming tonight Sat the 12th & 13th here in SouthGa i had to cover potatoes plants, blueberries, lemon trees and put some in my greenhouse, i'll have to plant my watermelon and cantaloupe seeds later in the week.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Cold here last night!

[@684jewel]

Wow. So impressed with the cover crop advantages. You do such a good job with cover crops. Thanks for all this information.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jeannamaynard5037]

AWESOME VIDEO! 👌 So full of some great comparative information. Teaching us all how to focus in on exactly what our gardens need and how to adjust; proving the usefulness of cover cropping. However, if "No Till," is less work, for similar results, plus disease resistance, and I would bet continued improvement....?

[@LazyDogFarm]

No-till is not less work in the beginning. But it does seem to require less effort over the long run. Like I said, we'll continue the no-till plots so we can compare them to the others.

[@rickthelian2215]

Thanks Travis for explaining those soil tests. I was expecting more from the no till plots, as you say disease resistance etc is a good for the no till plots. From memory think the no-till plots had more humus in the upper layer. the Alpha Pellets May be a good addition to the plots, even at a lower rate prior to planting..

[@LazyDogFarm]

The no-till plots definitely have more organic matter in them.

[@Lee-dz9ll]

Thanks for all your work sharing your garden ninja skills. We are new to regular year round gardening. We have about 1K SF of raised beds following organic no till methods. We are in our 3 year, we learned that worm castings are about the best soil treatment. Last year we spread about 2k red wigglers in our 14 beds. The bed soils are improving, and it looks like we’ll have our best onion and garlic crop this year. We have over 100 onions and many are growing great greens. What do you think about having colonies of worms in the beds? We’re planning on starting a few large continuous flow thru beds to harvest castings as a primary source of soil treatment when they become productive. We use organics now but hope to become more self sufficient since prices instability are on the rise. Keep up the good work!

[@LazyDogFarm]

I think having worms in the beds is a great thing!

[@infiniteadam7352]

Loved the video! I can't wait to do a test myself!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Hopefully your results are insightful!

[@marksexton1340]

Curious, after seeing the results, what is your go to for cover crops, and do you ever do a cover crop in a large raised bed...?

[@bobfrye8879]

good timing as I just got my soil test back and man, do I have a lot of work to do! 5.0 pH and very low on P and K. Lots of clay out here in Arkansas even though they called it sandy loam. First year garden, so we shall see!

[@stevefromthegarden1135]

A ph of 5 would be great for blueberries 🙂

[@markware7748]

Bob, it's actually fairly easy to raise pH as opposed to lowering it. Your County Extension agent should be able to give you some liming rates.

[@bobfrye8879]

@@stevefromthegarden1135 I have a bunch of them on back part of the property! 2nd year and starting to bud-looking ok

[@bobfrye8879]

@@markware7748 Thanks man---I got the recommendations with the test-70 POUNDS of lime per 1000 sqft ! plus a lot of phosphate and potash

[@stevefromthegarden1135]

@@bobfrye8879 That's awesome. Blueberries are great for the home garden. I have to grow them in containers or raised beds where I can get the right PH for them.

[@fnancy630]

Took youtube 30 minutes to tell me you POSTED!!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Shame on them!

[@scottmooty5908]

Very educational video! Travis, you have a great talent for this sort of thing. The ability to compare with your 11 plots is very helpful and the systematic approach you took is commendable. Your explanations make sense. Questions: I know you said you would not be reactionary to this, but do the results affect where you will be planting some of your heavy feeder crops? Does it change your strategy of what you might be planting in the anomaly plots top take advantage of the high nutrient levels?

[@LazyDogFarm]

The results are not going to change our planting locations as that's already been determined. It will just change maybe how we feed the plants in those plots.

[@terrimackley9571]

Oh my I loved this video you have given lots to think about. Thank you.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Michael-Simpson]

Great analysis. The chickens will definitely help. I would add, with a ph that high and phosphorous that high, don't try to grow tomatoes in plot 3. Even though you have plenty of calcium, the high phosphorous and ph will inhibit calcium uptake. So you are likely to have higher incidence of blossom end rot. Phosphorous binds the calcium and makes it unavailable. I have a plot like this. The Extension suggested not adding anything but nitrogen/potassium and growing lots of brassica over time since they use more phosphorous.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Unfortunately, we've already planned the location of all our veggies -- and tomatoes are going in plot 3. I guess we'll see how big of an impact that makes. We're also planting some tomatoes in another plot, so that should provide a good comparison.

[@terry_679]

Travis, do you just lay the alfalfa pellets on top of the soil ? I have found that in my hot, humid climate along with sandy soil, compost doesn't last very long so it's a constant feed. You have a lot of knowledge, thanks for sharing it.

[@LazyDogFarm]

For my traditional plots, I'll till them into the soil. For the no-till plots, I'll lightly scratch them into the soil with the wheel hoe.

[@harrytustin5260]

really interesting vid ty

[@LazyDogFarm]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@francostacy7675]

Travis I have several questions and comments 1. What are the nutrient pulling scavenging cover crops 2. Do cover crops have to be tilled in or can it be mowed and left on the surface for a no till? 3. All plants require nutrients that they get from soil. Why do some plants deplete the soil where as your cover crops actually make soil more nutrient rich even though cover crops used nutrients from the soil too and produced or attempted to produce seeds in their life cycle the same as your vegetable garden. To me then those cover crops could then create an overload of P and K if they grew there year after year they would just keep loading up. 4. Good test but the objective is not to have rich soil but to produce a soil/environment that maximizes fruit production and plants that are resistive to negative influences. I realize you are growing food but the ultimate test would be to NOT adjust those souls and PH and then plant the same plants in each of those plots and the same varieties and see how those numbers in the soil test actually influenced the harvest which is the real objective. What if the production did not follow those soil test numbers? What if that didn’t go as expected because we don’t have gardens for the soil, we have them for production. I ask this because the guy across the pond compares not soil test but production of till verses no till 5. Could the tarping influenced the nutrients since the other soils were bare or at least more exposed and that may have coursed a loss of nutrients or more fungal and earthworms. 5. Do you have a beginning baseline tests? Meaning do you know these numbers before you started? 6. Did any of those lower plots have had heavy feeders growing in them before?

[@LazyDogFarm]

1) Tillage radish is the big one, but any cover crop that makes deep roots will tend to scavenge nutrients. 2) They can be left on the surface. But for the nutrient scavenging cover crops, tilling does help release those nutrients that were captured by the deep roots. 3) Some plants are just more hungry than others. Cover crops do take some nutrients from the soil, but they also give back. 4) We'll get to see this year if the production is affected by the baseline numbers that we now have. 5) Tarping could certainly be considered a way to preserve nutrients since you wouldn't be losing as much to water runoff. 6) These are the first tests we've ever done on any of our plots, so this is our baseline. 7) One of those bottom half plots had corn last year, but so did the other plots. I don't think the presence of heavy feeders made any big differences in the results.

[@francostacy7675]

@@LazyDogFarm would you be interested in taking a small plot within each plot and add nothing other than irrigation and plant a tomato, collard, potato, carrot, okra of the same varieties to see how these readings impact the same plants and varieties in each sub plot…adding no more nutrients

[@LazyDogFarm]

@@francostacy7675 I don't have enough room to do that complete of a test. And all those crops grow at different times down here, so it would be tough.

[@francostacy7675]

@@LazyDogFarm I understand

[@eroggero]

Found it very educational,Loved the in depth analysis and being able to figure out why the differences in the plots, for a minute it sounded similar to salt water aquarium chemistry,don’t chase PH.lol I have been using the alpha pellets in containers as well as the beds, I recently started grinding the. Up in the blender and tilling it in to see if that makes any difference.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@carolparrish194]

How do you explain high calcium in the garden? I was told by a fellow gardener that lime is a component to synthetic fertilizer like 10x10x10 as a filler. That would explain a higher alkaline soil if using synthetic fertilizers.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Calcium is in quite a few fertilizers. We also have hard water from our well, so that may be a source for us as well.

[@waynespringer501]

Could the possibility of your 2 higher plots be the result of water runoff from the other plots? Is everything pretty level or do you have certain plots that take longer to dry out than others after an extremely heavy rain?

[@LazyDogFarm]

Everything is pretty level and the soil drains really well. We rarely have any water standing in any plots enough to have runoff.

[@saraschoen9818]

Super interesting thanks! I was surprised about your clay/ph thing. Here in East Tenn. our clay is very low ph. Also, I’ve heard clay holds nutrients much better, that seemed to hold true on your plots mostly. Especially 7-8 split in half.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Clay does hold nutrients better, that's for sure. As far as the pH, the theory is that clay holds more water and therefore tends to have a higher pH. But I guess that doesn't always apply.

[@gailpetchenik3048]

Why did u wrap the melons in Saran Wrap instead of using the covers? Is there any difference? It seems that they both do the same thing. Hold in moisture

[@LazyDogFarm]

There's no cover for those larger trays, and especially not a cover for just a part of it. So Saran Wrap was the best option for that particular tray.

[@Grandma.Lilly.]

I wonder what worm castings would do to improve PH? I have a Vermiculture set up and add handfuls of my castings every time I plant in my raised beds. Our native desert soil is naturally alkaline, with a pH of about 8.0, and it just so happens that our ground water is also 8.0. This is one of the reasons I have raised beds. 😬 another reason…..caliche soil. If you’re not familiar with that, think of clay cement.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Don't know what effect worm castings have on pH.

[@matthewking2209]

What plots have the chickens been on ? The ph of compost and chicken manure can be 6.5 - 8. The only recommendations I would give would be to use MegaPhos SP: Bacillus megaterium HM87 that is a beneficial bacterial strain that transforms phosphorus into a plant available form. I think it also will lower the soil ph. I would never use sulfur it will kill your biology and cause crusting. I would use peat moss or cottonseed meal. Typical analysis is 5-2-1, and somewhat acidic so it can be used on plants that thrive in lower pH soil. When I checked last at the feed store it was like 28.00 for a fifty pound bag.

[@LazyDogFarm]

The chickens have only been on plot 2 for a short time, and then on those plots on the back half. Thanks for the suggestions.

[@matthewking2209]

​@@LazyDogFarm Do you think the chickens had any effect on the results? Have you ever tested the ph and mineral content of you well water? I would also be interested to see a sample from your lawn to compare with the garden plots. I had 12 soil test done a few years ago and I had very high phosphorus and potassium levels and my soil ph was anywhere from 5.5 -7. It was top soil and compost I had mixed for raised beds and hadn't used any fertilizers really. I wondered if the high organic matter had an effect on the test. I had recommendations for nitrogen, lime, sulfur and boron. Trying to figure out how much boron to use was confusing, too much and it would be toxic. I had some of the guys at Athens feed and seed look at test and they said they wouldn't do anything. The test looked great to them and just because the phosphorus is there doesn't mean the plants could use it. That it can become locked in the soil and unavailable to plants. I started looking at ways to free it up and started using megaphos trying to keep the phosphorus available to the plants and a little goes along ways 1-8 oz an acre. I have a Lamotte soil test kit and probably should check my soil again. I wonder how using one of these kits would compare to your results. Luster Leaf 1601 Rapitest Test Kit for Soil pH, Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potash

[@LazyDogFarm]

@@matthewking2209 I don't think the chicken plan has been in place long enough to have any significant effects yet. But maybe next year we'll start to see some of their impacts on the test results.

[@matthewking2209]

@@LazyDogFarm I want to get some chickens too, We can have five hens and no roosters. However I'm on a corner lot and have about 6 neighbors that can see my backyard and people walking by are always curious. It would be nice to have the eggs for Ashley's cakes and the manure for compost. I do get several large rat snakes every year and had one over six feet. I usually catch them and take them to the woods. I think if we had chicken we would probably have more of them? Someone is using sheep and chickens to manage the grass in-between the jotemmdown store and the old white house on Barnett shoals rd. It's strange to be driving and see seep right next to the road with no fence.

[@LowcountryGardener]

Time to get 6 more girls and build a second chicken tractor for the dream garden plots.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Haha! I'm not sure I want to try and duplicate that chicken tractor. Spent many nights figuring exactly how I wanted to build it.

[@blainecelestaine4543]

I was betting on recent chicken tractor on 3 6 & 11

[@momshirleydaughtry2125]

Travis do you plant directly into the cotton compost, or do you till it in?

[@LazyDogFarm]

We have a few "no-till" plots where we plant directly into the compost. But we also have other plots where we till it into the soil. You can do it either way. But when planting (plants or seeds), you'll need to be prepared to apply much more water if planting directly into the compost. It doesn't hold moisture very well because it's so fine.

[@imaprepper1866]

Travis , this video was great and informative.Great timing since people are getting their gardens ready to plant. How do you get the ph down to 6-6.5.

[@LazyDogFarm]

You can add sulfur for a quicker fix, or you can add manure over time and that should lower it. We're going the slow route.

[@gailpetchenik3048]

My ph was 7.5 & the extension office told me to apply urea. Do u think that is advisable? I read that the ph affects the ability of the plants to absorb the nutrients. Do u think applying urea is advisable?

[@LazyDogFarm]

Urea is hot and will definitely lower it. Just be careful with it. Corn can probably take it easily, but be careful not to burn some of the lighter feeding veggies.

[@anitamurphy2454]

Geese saying "what the heck" with this weather.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Yep. They might be thinking about turning around! lol

[@wnshelton]

Do you know the PH of the compost you have been applying? The compost I get has a PH of 8.0. So maybe the high PH is because of the compost you have added?

[@KrazyKajun602]

Great idea. To maybe test PH of any compost before adding to soil.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I have seen a soil report on the compost, but it's been a while. I don't remember it being particularly alkaline.