Testing PH
02-21-2008 | 08:09 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Fork Horn
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 199
Likes: 0
From: Northern Virginia
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.
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.
02-22-2008 | 06:07 AM
#2
Fork Horn
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 227
Likes: 0
From: Slapout, Alabama
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.
02-22-2008 | 06:43 AM
#3
Fork Horn
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 104
Likes: 0
From: Solvay, NY
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.
02-22-2008 | 08:32 AM
#5
Thread Starter
Fork Horn
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 199
Likes: 0
From: Northern Virginia
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?
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.
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.
02-22-2008 | 08:51 AM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,134
Likes: 0
From: Millboro, Va
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.
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.
02-22-2008 | 09:49 AM
#7
Fork Horn
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 104
Likes: 0
From: Solvay, NY
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.
02-22-2008 | 10:48 AM
#8
Thread Starter
Fork Horn
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 199
Likes: 0
From: Northern Virginia
RE: Testing PH
ORIGINAL: RockinChair
x2. We usually send ours away to the Whitetail Institute. They do a fantastic job.
x2. We usually send ours away to the Whitetail Institute. They do a fantastic job.
thanks
02-22-2008 | 10:49 AM
#9
Thread Starter
Fork Horn
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 199
Likes: 0
From: Northern Virginia
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.
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.
02-22-2008 | 12:29 PM
#10
Fork Horn
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 104
Likes: 0
From: Solvay, NY
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.