I'm going to the local Co-op Extension for a soil testing kit

[Inchworm]

I still have time before planting here in NC Mtns.

Remember that I'm a gardening newbie. I think I'm going to go with a 15'x15' plot with 2.5 foot of path cutting through the centers. We'll see. I'm just having fun planning now.

Has anyone had experience with soil sampling? Oh yea, I also plan to start a compost heap if you have tips/links.

:hi:

[Kolesar]

1. I used University of Massachusetts Extension

http://www.umass.edu/plsoils/soiltest/

The mail that I got back had data with "relative" bar charts showing the amount of nutrients. Our garden had plenty of each of the primary (NPK) and secondary nutrients. It also had acidity (pH).

Even with a high nutrient level, I advise to fertilize the garden every year. And you probably want to lime it to get some calcium into the soil.

[Inchworm]

2. It is a first time plot

That's why I figured I should do it.

I hope the charts are self-explanitory; although, the folks at the co-op were very friendly and willing to help.

:hi:

[NMDemDist2]

3. my compost heap is just a bunch of pallets behind the shed

I took 5 pallets and wired them together in a "W" shape (sorry about that W reference LOL)

stood em up behind the shed and propped the sides up with some 2x4 I had laying around.

I'm just getting ready to start using the other side, one side was plenty for me to start.

I shredded newspaper (black and white only) and cut up cardboard since I don't have grass clipping or hay and started saving my kitchen stuff. eggshells, coffee grinds, tea bags, veggie clippings and just threw em on there and covered it with a thin layer of dirt every time I added stuff. I even threw some tumbleweeds on it last fall.


Now it's a year old and as long as I keep it moist it cooks down my kitchen stuff FAST. It's about half the volume it was last fall too. I'm ready to strain it through some chicken wire and start again. My big plot is gonna love it when I till it in next week I think, it's dark and smells like DIRT which is a long way from the white stuff that passes for ground around here.

I use a couple things in the kitchen, I have a 2 gallon canister with an airtight lid I use for coffee grinds and eggshells and small veggie scraps. If I have something big (like the artichoke leaves and stems from last night or the head of lettuce that was full of rust and useless) I just put em in one of the bags that I get for veggies at the grocery store and stick it in the freezer until I'm headed out to 'compost' which I do every 2-3 days.

:bounce:

[ThomWV]

4. Get a head start

You're going to need about a quart of dirt, sifted for sticks and stone. Then dry it and break up the clumps. This will get it process faster and at least in this state it'll get your results back to you faster. To dry it just lay it out on a cookie sheet and turn it a few times.