Dr Cindy,

Welcome to the forum. You'll get your best information from the Soil Compost Mulch Forum here at Gardenweb. General soil requirements for most Asian Vegetables won't be that much different than what is required for "American" or other vegetables.

Browse thru the posts there, you can learn a ton just by doing that. Then if you have more questions, ask there.

You should definitely get your soil tested by your Check with your state's Extension Service. Each county should have it's own Cooperative Extension Office which provides free publications and information for the asking. They'll tell you what you need to do to get it tested. It's usually only $6.00 -$12.00 which is what home kits cost but don't tell you nearly as much as a lab can tell you. Then you won't be guessing as to what state your soil is in or wasting money on amendments you don't need. They'll tell you exactly how much of what elements you need to add to your soil per square foot (if any).

Stick with compost and natural sources of organic matter instead of fertilizers which can render your soil sterile in the long run. They'll tell you more at the Soil Compost Mulch Forum.

How did it go DrCindy?