HuntingNet.com Forums

HuntingNet.com Forums (https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/)
-   Wildlife Management / Food Plots (https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/wildlife-management-food-plots-11/)
-   -   Testing PH (https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/wildlife-management-food-plots/233925-testing-ph.html)

PaBowSniper 02-21-2008 08:09 PM

Testing PH
 
How important is testing the PH before you plant your food plots?

What do most of you do, use a test it your self kit or send a soil sample away to get tested?

Thanks for any info you can provide.

Slapout_hunter1202 02-22-2008 06:07 AM

RE: Testing PH
 
I never have before, but I would like to try it. My plots never do bad but knowing what was in the soil would help. I'm learning how to in a few days in my Horticulture Ag class. I'll post it on here if you haven't had any responses.

DanM3029 02-22-2008 06:43 AM

RE: Testing PH
 
Soil testing is BY FAR the most imporatant part of a food plot preparation. After several failed attempts at "plant and pray", I have found that with a soil sample, you up your odds of a successful plot tremendously, provided you follow the recommendations. I use the Biologic sample for a couple of reasons (1) it is easy (2) it is cheap (about $8/sample) (3) it is fast, results emailed in a few days (4) itis plantspecific, meaning if I tell tehm I want to plant brassicus, they will tell me the actual ph, optimum ph, and how much lime and fertilizer i need to add to theplot, and (5) i dont have a local place to take my samples. It is very cehap and easy and takes a lot of guesswork out of it. In the long run, you will same time, $ and frustration with a soil sample. Good luck.

timbercruiser 02-22-2008 07:20 AM

RE: Testing PH
 
If the PH is all I need I take the sample to the Ag office and they have local garden club do the test for free.

PaBowSniper 02-22-2008 08:32 AM

RE: Testing PH
 
Thanks alot for all of your responses. I have heard its a waste of time trying to plant w/o getting the PH correct.

So what you say is you send a sample to Biologic? Is this from the web site http://mossyoakbiologic.com?

What do you put your soil sample in and how much is needed to send out?


ORIGINAL: DanM3029

Soil testing is BY FAR the most imporatant part of a food plot preparation. After several failed attempts at "plant and pray", I have found that with a soil sample, you up your odds of a successful plot tremendously, provided you follow the recommendations. I use the Biologic sample for a couple of reasons (1) it is easy (2) it is cheap (about $8/sample) (3) it is fast, results emailed in a few days (4) itis plantspecific, meaning if I tell tehm I want to plant brassicus, they will tell me the actual ph, optimum ph, and how much lime and fertilizer i need to add to theplot, and (5) i dont have a local place to take my samples. It is very cehap and easy and takes a lot of guesswork out of it. In the long run, you will same time, $ and frustration with a soil sample. Good luck.

RockinChair 02-22-2008 08:51 AM

RE: Testing PH
 

ORIGINAL: DanM3029

Soil testing is BY FAR the most imporatant part of a food plot preparation. After several failed attempts at "plant and pray", I have found that with a soil sample, you up your odds of a successful plot tremendously, provided you follow the recommendations. I use the Biologic sample for a couple of reasons (1) it is easy (2) it is cheap (about $8/sample) (3) it is fast, results emailed in a few days (4) itis plantspecific, meaning if I tell tehm I want to plant brassicus, they will tell me the actual ph, optimum ph, and how much lime and fertilizer i need to add to theplot, and (5) i dont have a local place to take my samples. It is very cehap and easy and takes a lot of guesswork out of it. In the long run, you will same time, $ and frustration with a soil sample. Good luck.
x2. We usually send ours away to the Whitetail Institute. They do a fantastic job.

DanM3029 02-22-2008 09:49 AM

RE: Testing PH
 
Entr the Biologic site. on the drop down menu on the left go to Biologic Soil Test, open that, print out the form then get your sample. I dig down a couple of inches, get a small sample, no bigger than a dixie cup, and get one from 4 different areas of my plot. I pout all the dirt in a ziplock bag and mix it together. Then i reduce the sameple down to about a cup total. I put that in a sandwich sized ziplock bag, but that ziplock into a bigger ziplock (gallon size) with the biologic sample information sheet (filled out), seal that, and put it into a mailer envelope. Doint it this way allows me to submit aa buch of different sampel at the same time. I have 8 different plots, so i can submit them all in trhe same mailer withiout the infromation sheets getting mizxed up with the wrong sample. Just make sure that when you get your sample, use clean equipment, be it a shovel or trowel, as contaiminants on the tool can skew the sample. Good luck.

PaBowSniper 02-22-2008 10:48 AM

RE: Testing PH
 

ORIGINAL: RockinChair


x2. We usually send ours away to the Whitetail Institute. They do a fantastic job.
I just checked them out. How many differnt samples can you send. I plan on planting 2 food plots this spring. I would like to take samples from both. Will they accept both samples with one package?

thanks

PaBowSniper 02-22-2008 10:49 AM

RE: Testing PH
 

ORIGINAL: DanM3029

Entr the Biologic site. on the drop down menu on the left go to Biologic Soil Test, open that, print out the form then get your sample. I dig down a couple of inches, get a small sample, no bigger than a dixie cup, and get one from 4 different areas of my plot. I pout all the dirt in a ziplock bag and mix it together. Then i reduce the sameple down to about a cup total. I put that in a sandwich sized ziplock bag, but that ziplock into a bigger ziplock (gallon size) with the biologic sample information sheet (filled out), seal that, and put it into a mailer envelope. Doint it this way allows me to submit aa buch of different sampel at the same time. I have 8 different plots, so i can submit them all in trhe same mailer withiout the infromation sheets getting mizxed up with the wrong sample. Just make sure that when you get your sample, use clean equipment, be it a shovel or trowel, as contaiminants on the tool can skew the sample. Good luck.
thanks for the info dan

DanM3029 02-22-2008 12:29 PM

RE: Testing PH
 
yeah, I have sent as many as 4 at a time. Just make sure your sample is in a small ziplock, and the info sheet and the samplethen goin the larger ziplock so they stay together. This seems to work well.


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 08:14 PM.


Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.