I don't know about you, but the week before last was a busy one in my garden.
I picked the last of my fall cabbage. I had a pretty tough battle with cabbage worms this year, but fortunately, I got them under control soon enough to save the crop. I tilled and composted that area and planted fall garlic. I was harvesting tomatoes up to last week, but they were slowing down quite a bit. I had been pulling some of the plants that have stopped producing then finished cleaning them out right before the snow and freeze last week.
I hope your garden fared well this year.
As the garden winds down there is one important item to consider: a soil test.
Testing is best done in the fall so you have time to do any needed treatments before the ground freezes. In fact, it probably should have been done a little earlier, but it's better to do it now then not at all, and we still have some time before the ground freezes. If you are starting a garden in a new spot or have not had a soil test performed in your garden for a couple of years, now would be a good time to have it done.
After initially testing the soil in a new vegetable garden spot, you should test the soil every one to three years. If your soil tests are coming back good on a consistent basis, you can space the testing out to three to five years. It is a good idea to do an additional soil test if you are having a problems with your plants and are unsure of the cause.
Fertilizing troubled plants without first determining the cause of the problem often does more harm than good.
Garden plants require 18 nutrients for healthy growth and productivity. The soil is a stockpile of most of these nutrients (some do come from the air and water). Plants use up these nutrients, so they need to be replenished from time to time. This can be accomplished with cover crops, compost, fertilizer or a combination of them. By having your soil tested you can learn which nutrients are present and which ones need to be added.
Soil testing can also help if you are trying to grow a specific plant that needs an extra amount of a particular nutrient. Testing your soil can help avoid over-application of fertilizers, which can waste money, reduce plant quality and contribute to water pollution. Based on your soil test results, you will receive a custom fertilization program to meet the needs of your plants and safeguard the environment.
Do-it-yourself kits are available, but the most reliable tests are through a lab. The Callaway Extension office is an excellent place to get a soil test done. The extension office has a kit that includes the tool to get the soil down to the proper depth and an approved container to put it in. Of course the kit comes with instructions. All this for a modest fee.
Think of your soil test as a mid-term grade card: It gives you enough time to get things right before it's too late.
Happy gardening!
Peter Sutter is a lifelong gardening enthusiast and a participant in the University of Missouri Extension's Callaway County Master Gardener program. Gardening questions can be sent to [email protected].