| It's a dirty job, but many are eager to
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| | EarthCo found the acidity of our soil
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| do it.
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| | "adequate," the phosphorus high and the
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| Today's home gardeners have been learning
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| | potassium low. And although the report
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| the hard way what their rural forebears
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| | included a two-page list of fertilizers
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| knew all too well: Good plants need great
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| | to correct a nitrogen deficiency, the lab
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| soil, or, in gardening vernacular, a $1
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| | doesn't test for nitrogen. The two labs'
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| plant needs a $10 hole.
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| | measurements of organic content in our
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| There are a few plants that don't need
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| | soil differed by more than 100%.
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| soil to grow, but you wouldn't want them
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| | Our home-chemistry experiments began with
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| around your house. Dirt is most plants'
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| | the No-Wait Soil Test Kit, which required
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| equivalent of bacon and eggs or burgers
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| | some waiting. Ordered by mail from
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| and fries -- except plants prefer
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| | Heirloom Seeds in West Elizabeth, Pa.,
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| nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other
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| | the kit demanded, not just suggested,
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| minerals to stay healthy, to bloom and to
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| | using distilled water, which required a
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| reproduce. Because so many Americans live
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| | trip to the grocery store. All of the
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| in new houses, where dirt has been
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| | do-it-yourself kits involved some
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| removed for construction and then
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| | variation on comparing the color of test
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| replaced, the quality of their soil can
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| | fluids to an enclosed palette. Again,
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| range from fecund to barren.
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| | with No-Wait, the nitrogen was the fly in
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| Traditionally, soil analysis was done by
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| | the ointment; after four attempts, the
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| agricultural colleges for farmers, who
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| | test fluid remained stubbornly clear when
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| need to know what kind of fertilizer to
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| | it needed to turn pink or, even better,
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| use for maximum yield. Now, a cottage
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| | red. In direct opposition to EarthCo,
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| industry of commercial testers has sprung
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| | No-Wait found our phosphorus low and our
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| up to give home gardeners the dirt on
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| | potassium high.
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| their earth.
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| | The Rapitest Soil Test Kit, made by
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| This particular cranky consumer fared
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| | Luster Leaf Products Inc. in Woodstock,
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| poorly in science classes and liked the
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| | Ill., isn't particularly rapid if, like
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| idea of shipping a soil sample to
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| | ours, your soil is more clay than sand.
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| professional laboratories for analysis.
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| | To create a liquid sample, your soil must
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| But many gardeners prefer the
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| | settle in water, which can take as long
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| do-it-yourself kits sold at most garden
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| | as 24 hours. Then you mix some of the
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| centers and by mail order. We tried some
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| | liquid and capsules of mysterious powder
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| of each: two labs, one at a university
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| | in four containers and match the
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| and one commercial, and three home tests,
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| | resulting hues with the patented "color
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| all of which promised to be user-friendly
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| | comparators." Once again, we flunked
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| even to chemistry dunces.
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| | nitrogen. We had surplus potassium and
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| We collected the soil sample from our
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| | adequate phosphorus.
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| Garrison, N.Y., garden according to
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| | AccuGrow Soil Test Strips, made by
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| rigorous guidelines prescribed by the
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| | Environmental Test Systems in Elkhart,
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| University of Massachusetts at Amherst:
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| | Ind., came with a 24-page manual
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| digging down about six inches in a dozen
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| | introduced by a cartoon gardener named
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| parts of the garden, mixing the samples
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| | "C. Moore Green." This was by far the
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| and letting them dry. We harvested enough
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| | simplest test. After a brief preparation
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| dirt for all five tests.
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| | of soil with solutions identified only as
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| We shipped about two cups of soil to the
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| | M and A, two strips (each with two test
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| university and requested the standard
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| | patches) were inserted in the fluid for a
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| soil test. Two weeks later, a report
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| | minute or less. All four patches roughly
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| arrived in the mail. Our soil is too
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| | turned the desired colors, although some
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| acid, has medium levels of phosphorus and
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| | of the gradations were subtle indeed and
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| potassium, and its nitrogen (NO(3)-N)
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| | required squinting. (This test in turn
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| level is "10 ppm." Huh? Although the
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| | showed low potassium and nitrogen and too
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| explanatory pamphlet emphasized that
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| | much phosphorus.)
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| nitrogen "is essential" to plant growth,
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| | Sylvie Brouder, associate professor of
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| there was no indication whether our 10
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| | plant nutrition and soil fertility at
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| ppm (parts per million) was low, medium
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| | Purdue University in West Lafayette,
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| or high. Steven Bodine, director of the
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| | Ind., explained why the tests showed such
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| lab, says testing for nitrogen is tricky
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| | different results. Most soil-testing labs
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| and only extreme results, such as 50 ppm,
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| | were developed for regional growers, and
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| are useful for making recommendations.
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| | their methods and equipment have evolved
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| The lab's advice for amending our soil
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| | to support different areas' growing
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| had a one-size-fits-all quality and
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| | conditions. Choosing a lab close to home
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| involved mixing in copious amounts of
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| | is most likely to yield useful results.
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| manure, wood ash and bone meal. In our
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| | Ms. Brouder also suggests asking for
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| neck of the woods, putting bone meal in
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| | recommendations from a local nursery or
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| the garden is like laying out a
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| | garden center.
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| smorgasbord for woodchucks.
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| | The home kits can point arrows in the
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| A St. Louis laboratory, EarthCo, offers a
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| | right direction -- especially regarding
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| basic soil test whose results can be
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| | the acidity of your soil -- but shouldn't
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| easily downloaded from the company's Web
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| | be regarded as exact science. A balanced
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| site. The report is colorful and easy to
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| | fertilizer (we use organic because we
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| understand, offering both numerical data
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| | have omnivorous dogs), healthy additions
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| and an interpretation: Our 4.8 pounds of
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| | of compost and a layer of mulch will
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| potassium per 1,000 square feet is low.
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| | treat most soil problems. And don't
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| But the results were significantly
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| | forget to water.
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| different from the university lab.
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