PH TEST

[iceman]

How do you check it ?

[ScottPugh]

PH Soil Tester - Google

[Woody]

I've got one for testing the ph in the ground for plants.  I bought the gizmo at Wal-mart in the landscape nursery section.  I'm still going to attempt to grow strawberries someday-once I get the ph level in the ground optimized for them.

[iceman]

ok so whats the numbers i'm looking at for a deer plot ?

[Mayfly]

ok so whats the numbers i'm looking at for a deer plot ?

7??

[iceman]

7?? 


whats that ?

[Mayfly]

On the PH sclae 7 is nuetral. I'm assuming that is best for planting??

[LandDr]

7 is neatural on a scale from 1 to 10...1 being extremely acidic and 10 being very basic.

Most of your food plot seeds will fall into pH levels between 6.5 and 7.5 as tolerable.  You can still have food plots outside of those numbers but you might start seeing some yellowing of the plants.  pH can inhibit the plants ability to take up certain minerals therefore causing the yellowing.

Most of the soils in central and southern MN are in the adequate pH range.  As you enter into the conifer region, the soils can be very acidic...much of it due to the dropping of pine needles.  Liming will be needed in these cases to bring the pH up.  Your soil test will tell you how much lime to apply.  Often lime will not really start working until one year after you apply it so try to plan for that as well.

Good luck!

Kyle, PLM
www.HabitatNOW.com/go/MNO

[iceman]

Kyle ,
Have you ever used beat lime ?

and what type of fertilizer's do you recommend ?

I'm looking at doing a 3 plots of about 10-20 acres in very sandy soil and theres norway pine planted there also..

[LandDr]

I have never used beat lime.  I haven't heard of it either...not sure if that is any different than any other lime.  All lime should work the same way in that it neutralizes acidic soils.

To get lime, you can call your local ag dealer and they often have these pull behind trailers that they will deliver to your site.  Just hook up to them with your tractor and turn on the PTO to apply.  If you don't have a tractor, they can also dump the lime at the site and you can scoop and apply with the resources you have.

Any fertilizer is fine...just match it up with your soils test.  Your soil test will come back to you with a ratio of what you need.  Then look for the fertilizer that matches up to that ratio.  If you just want to guess, use 10-10-10.  But you are guessing.

Sandy soils...plant earlier to take advantage of the early soil moisture.

Good luck

Kyle, PLM