Check the link

Here is a link that might be useful: Google It

Yes, I'd done a number of google searches last night. I was wondering if anyone had actual experience with any of them.

I had soil tests for two properties done by Perry Laboratory in Watsonville Ca. I was well satisfied with the tests and the consulting on the results. Their phone is 831-722-7606. Al

Thanks, Al. Do you mind if I ask what they charged? I've seen on this forum people saying you can have them done for as little as $10, but the only one I found that quoted a price on-line charged $75! (I could buy lots of soil amendments for $75, heh).

Never mind that last question. I found their website and it had the information I was looking for. The only thing I'm not sure about is which test I should be looking at:

Horticultural Appraisal ($135)
Soil Fertility ($29)
Soil Fertility, Salinity, Alkalinity ($63)
Soil Micronutrients ($32)

With recommendations, the prices are even higher. When you submitted yours, do you recall which one you requested? I'd love to go the full boat, but boy, those prices are steep!

Did you ask/search over on the soil/compost forum? Seems to me there were some suggestions there for CA.

No, I'll try that. I did the general search at the top of the website. I only recently realized you can search individual forums (which was a huge coup and totally improved my hit ratio). I hadn't thought about the soil forum, thanks!

Ugh, I don't know. It looks like the best way to start an argument is to go to the soil forum and ask about soil testing. My searching got me more confused than anything!

Maybe I should keep to my original plan of waiting for the weather to warm up and see if my garden improves. These are new raised beds I put in late last summer. The entire top foot is "veggie mix" soil from a local quarry, followed by an inch or so of gravel then clay underneath that. I've done a home test and all the major nutrients came up fine, PH about 7.

Last fall, I planted onions, broccoli, lettuce and chard and all of it did beautifully. I put my spring crop in a month ago and everything looks horrible. The lower "older" leaves of my squash have chlorisis and keep dying off even though the new growth looks great. My tomatoes leaves are curling like tacos, are dark green with a purplish tinge on them and haven't grown an inch, though they are trying to flower. My pole beans sprouted beautifully but now the leaves are turning lime green instead of staying lush and dark. Peppers are still tiny and some of the leaves are curling. Everything is stunted. My pansy and marigold leaves are purple and brown.

Conversely, my peas are doing beautifully, flowering and fruiting without a problem at all. Cucumbers aren't bad either. Being peas are a cooler weather crop makes me think my problem is the weather not my soil.

Adding to that suspicion is that the water meter registers off the scale when I go more than 3 inches down. Daytime highs have been in the low 70's, nighttime lows high 40's to about 50. Because my fall crop did so well, I'm thinking my problem is more water and temperature than it is nutrient deficiency. I've fertilized twice, once with fish emulsion then with miracle grow and didn't see much change. I'm afraid to try again because to do so means I have to spray more water.

I was thinking maybe I should have the soil tested, but dang, I hate to spend all that money only to discover my first instinct was correct--it's a water/weather issue that will correct itself if summer should ever arrive.

Hubby tells me I'm impatient and I'm overanalyzing the garden to death. Maybe he's right!

My test were done in the early nineties. I said I was planning on growing ornamentals and only needed the basic tests. The cost at that time was I think $32. I lived in the area and picked up the report at the lab. Mr Low asked me to sit down and he explained what I should do to my soil for the best results. I was given four pages, three of them explanations of the report results. If you would like a copy, send me an email and I will email them to you. Al

Lori, did you ever get your soil tested? I'm planning to do this very soon ... we know our soil is alkaline clay, and that's the extent of it. Would be interested what you did and what you learned.

A lot of people do their soil test at the local extension office. So maybe worth a shot checking how much they want for the area you are in.

Rudy