Soil Fertility Tests for Ike-Ravaged
Landscapes (November 12 - December 31, 2008)
Dr. William M. Johnson, County Extension Agent-Horticulture
Texas AgriLife Extension Service
Galveston County Office
5115 Highway 3
Dickinson, Texas 77539
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NOTE: The Soil Fertility Testing Campaign ran from November 12 -
December 31, 2008. For more information on testing your soil now,
click
here.
The path to landscape
recovery and renovation may require soil modification following
prolonged periods of saltwater flooding. Choosing the best course of
action will largely depend on the level of residual salts and
related chemicals left behind in the soil as well on soil type and
other factors.
To assist in this
decision-making process, Texas AgriLife Extension is sponsoring a
special soil testing program. Using the results from a soil test to
make soil modifications as may be needed will help limit unnecessary
applications of garden chemicals/fertilizers while nurturing a
healthy and sustainable landscape environment.
Each soil test report
will provide pH level and a detail analysis of nitrogen, phosphorus
and potassium levels in addition to several micronutrients. Each
report will also provide details on what mixes of fertilizer to
apply, when to apply them, and at which rates.
Soil tests are being
offered at the reduced cost of $6 per sample for people who live in
coastal counties affected by Hurricane Ike. Soil sample bags and
submission forms may be obtained at the following businesses who
have agreed to serve as pickup and dropoff points:
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Lynn's Landscaping &
Water Garden Center
2060 Pecan Orchard Road
League City, Texas 77573
281-332-4651
Owner: Greg Gripon |
Texas City Feed &
Supply
2031 Texas Avenue
Texas City, Texas 77590
409-945-7731
Owner: Leroy J. Schaper |
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Tibaldo's Feed &
Supply
12011 State Highway 6
Santa Fe, Texas 77510
409-925-2735
Owner: Richard Tibaldo |
Tom's Thumb Nursery &
Landscaping
2014 - 45th Street
Galveston, Texas 77550
409-763-4713
Owners: Cary and Peggy Cornelius |
Soil sample bags and submission forms may also be picked up and
returned directly to the Galveston County Extension Office located at
5115 Highway 3, in Dickinson (phone: 281-534-3413, ext. 1, 2). The level
of salinity will also be determined for each soil sample. This
information will be of value for dealing with soils flooded by tidal
waters which can contain harmful levels of salts such as sodium.
The standard Texas A&M submission form available as a portable document
file (PDF) on the Internet cannot be utilized with this offer. The
custom submission form available at pickup/dropoff sites must accompany
each soil sample or set of samples submitted. For more information on
our soil testing program, visit my website provided at the end of this
column (click on the link entitled “Hurricane Ike Landscape Recovery &
Renovation”).
Soil tests are only as good as the samples submitted. So, home gardeners
should follow these steps as well as those contained on the submission
form:
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Each area sampled should be fairly uniform in soil color and texture
(clay vs. sandy) as well as ability to grow plants. Any areas that could
give misleading results, such as low spots or the soil under shrubs that
received extra fertilizer, should be sampled separately.
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You should test your garden areas and your lawn separately—if nothing
else, because they've had such different treatment in terms of
cultivation and fertilizer. You may need more tests than that. For
example, you may have a garden that's fill dirt in one part and native
soil in another.
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Avoid taking samples when soil is overly wet. On the other hand, if soil
is dry (a likelihood given current dry weather conditions), providing a
moderate amount of irrigation to an area to be sampled 1 or 2 days prior
to sampling will be beneficial especially in heavy clay soils.
Whether your landscape and garden soil was impacted by tidal floods or
you’re just interested in knowing the nutrient level of your soil, take
advantage of this special offering to get your soil tested. You will not
only save dollars at this special rate, you could also save money by not
having to fertilize if your soil doesn't need phosphorus and/or
potassium—which is the case for many of the heavy clay soils in our
county.
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This web site is maintained
by Master Gardener Laura Bellmore, under the direction of William M.
Johnson, Ph.D., County Extension Agent-Horticulture & Master Gardener
Program Coordinator.
All
digital photographs are the property of the Galveston County Master
Gardener Association, Inc. (GCMGA) © 2002-2006 GCMGA - All Rights
Reserved. |
