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Soil Test Report - Help

VaBruiser

VaBruiser

Active Member
SH Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2020
Messages
193
Location
New River Valley, Virginia
Looking for some help from anyone with experience planting food plots. Looking at just doing clover to start. I have no experience outside of a small garden every year. I’ve got the lime numbers figured out, but I can’t make sense of the suggested fertilizer. The tests recommends the following in pounds per acre. Nitrogen - 50, Phosphate - 50, Potash - 0. Am I looking at a single fertilizer that matches these numbers or what? I’ve also read that you don’t need to add Nitrogen to clover cause it produces its own. Keep in mind this is a new plot that was just various grasses before. Any help is appreciated.
 
When you send in for a soil test, they ask what you're planting on the form. They'll give amendment recommendations based on what you tell them. Were those recommendations for clover?
 
Hillbillyfab said:
Where you buying your seed, fertilizer at? I ask because I use my local Co-op. I take my test results with me and we discuss my options at the store.
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+1 this is one of those things that 10 minutes talking to someone is worth hours of internet searches
 
If you’re growing clover yes you’re looking for a high phosphate fertilizer. Whatever middle number fertilizer you can find that’s % phosphorus. multiply that number by however many lbs of that fertilizer you have and that’s how many lbs of phosphorus you are delivering. I’m just making this up but if you put down 100 lbs of 0-46-0 that’s 46 lbs. If you end up with a fertilizer with some N and K in it, that’s fine won’t hurt anything. For food plots I fertilize to the low side of ideal. Fertilizer is easy it’s lime that sucks. What’s your current ph?
 
@Hillbillyfab i got the soil test from our local Coop Extension. It looks like the county has an Extension Agent, which I didn’t realize. I’ll just hit him up and see if he’ll go over the results with me. That could make this real easy! @LAKY i can’t remember if I specifically noted clover. The results say, Crop: Wildlife Mixture, which sounds close. It’s got my current pH at 5.7 @neonomad
 
Depending on how much time you have, can shoot for 7.0 ph but that’s a LOT of lime depending on your acreage. I’m usually content if I can keep the ph at 6.0 or higher… I wouldnt’t put the full lime dose to 7.0 down in one year, even getting into the low 6s will grow stuff just fine. I’m finding that winter cover crops have helped me keep ph and fertility higher without amendments, heading into winter you might consider overseeding with rye and wheat, maybe even some brassicas… this will provide a late season draw as well. Good luck, have fun.
 
VaBruiser said:
@Hillbillyfab i got the soil test from our local Coop Extension. It looks like the county has an Extension Agent, which I didn’t realize. I’ll just hit him up and see if he’ll go over the results with me. That could make this real easy! @LAKY i can’t remember if I specifically noted clover. The results say, Crop: Wildlife Mixture, which sounds close. It’s got my current pH at 5.7 @neonomad
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The extension agent will be your best bet. If you're only doing clover, and you had listed you were going to do a mix, then that may be why the test shows you need nitrogen but not potassium. I would let him know you're doing clover, because potassium makes clover jump. I wouldn't skip the K with clover.
 
At 5.7 ph, you shouldnt have any problem growing clover but lime will help. The other thing to keep an eye on and maybe add some on the front end would be boron. I see the report says sufficient and you dont want too much boron but I would lean towards adding some. Just go light with it.
 
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