Soil fertility is a very important aspect for those who use their lands to grow crops. To determine how fertile a piece of land is, it is important to carry out a soil test. The test is meant to measure the amount or level of macro and micro-nutrients in the ground. These nutrients are important for the healthy growth of plants. Here are facts regarding Southern California Soil Testing.
In most cases, the most commonly performed test is meant to determine the level of acidity, or simply the pH level. Another aspect that is measured includes cation exchange capacity (CEC). Good soils usually have a high CEC level so as to be able to exchange cations with plants. Also, the test measures the ability of the soil to retain and provide essential nutrients to plants.
The percentage of organic matter in the ground greatly determines the level of CEC of land. The percentage of organic matter is usually abbreviated as OM. This abbreviation also has influence on the saturation percentage base. Base saturation measures the abundance of calcium, potassium and magnesium.
Once the test has been completed, one can base on the findings to determine what changes or adjustments they need to do to make the soils more fertile. The most common amendment that most people take is to add fertilizer to the land so as to improve the amount of calcium, magnesium, and potassium cations. The land is only said to be fertile if the cations are available in the right amounts and proportions.
The correct fertilizer and lime quantities can only be added when one has established fertility of the land as mentioned above. It may only be one or a few nutrients that are lacking in the ground in some cases, and not necessarily all nutrients. By testing, one can know which nutrients need to be added and the quantities. Most homeowners apply lime on their lawns annually, believing that this improves its fertility.
But, when the very homeowners make a decision of performing a soil test, an entirely different situation is revealed. As a matter of fact, some homeowners realize later that adding lime only hurts the soil further as the expense of increasing its fertility. Most soils have a delicate balance of nutrients which must be kept this way. When amendments are over-applied, they could stress the plants by upsetting the balance.
The pH of the land usually has a lot of effect on the solubility of various nutrients in the soil. When nutrients are soluble, they are readily available for absorption by plants. As such, the pH must be maintained at the right level for maximum absorption of nutrients. Otherwise, the land could be suitably fertile, but because of the pH level, the nutrients cannot be absorbed by plants.
Most plants require a pH value of between 6.5 and 7.0. That level of pH means that the soil is neutral or slightly acidic. However, it is also important to know that some plant varieties usually require acidic soils in order to grow well. Thus, one should set the level of pH of their soils depending on the plant they need to grow too
In most cases, the most commonly performed test is meant to determine the level of acidity, or simply the pH level. Another aspect that is measured includes cation exchange capacity (CEC). Good soils usually have a high CEC level so as to be able to exchange cations with plants. Also, the test measures the ability of the soil to retain and provide essential nutrients to plants.
The percentage of organic matter in the ground greatly determines the level of CEC of land. The percentage of organic matter is usually abbreviated as OM. This abbreviation also has influence on the saturation percentage base. Base saturation measures the abundance of calcium, potassium and magnesium.
Once the test has been completed, one can base on the findings to determine what changes or adjustments they need to do to make the soils more fertile. The most common amendment that most people take is to add fertilizer to the land so as to improve the amount of calcium, magnesium, and potassium cations. The land is only said to be fertile if the cations are available in the right amounts and proportions.
The correct fertilizer and lime quantities can only be added when one has established fertility of the land as mentioned above. It may only be one or a few nutrients that are lacking in the ground in some cases, and not necessarily all nutrients. By testing, one can know which nutrients need to be added and the quantities. Most homeowners apply lime on their lawns annually, believing that this improves its fertility.
But, when the very homeowners make a decision of performing a soil test, an entirely different situation is revealed. As a matter of fact, some homeowners realize later that adding lime only hurts the soil further as the expense of increasing its fertility. Most soils have a delicate balance of nutrients which must be kept this way. When amendments are over-applied, they could stress the plants by upsetting the balance.
The pH of the land usually has a lot of effect on the solubility of various nutrients in the soil. When nutrients are soluble, they are readily available for absorption by plants. As such, the pH must be maintained at the right level for maximum absorption of nutrients. Otherwise, the land could be suitably fertile, but because of the pH level, the nutrients cannot be absorbed by plants.
Most plants require a pH value of between 6.5 and 7.0. That level of pH means that the soil is neutral or slightly acidic. However, it is also important to know that some plant varieties usually require acidic soils in order to grow well. Thus, one should set the level of pH of their soils depending on the plant they need to grow too
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