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