Client: I'm somewhat disappointed in my garden's performance this year. Or maybe it's me. However, I'm thinking that my soil isn't what it used to be. I know you frequently recommend soil testing for struggling gardeners. Could you please remind me of how to test my soil?
UCMG Help Desk: Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk with your question about soil testing. Healthy soils will definitely improve your garden's performance
Alternatively, you could take samples of your soil and send them to a commercial laboratory for analysis. This would allow you to test for additional variables, including organic matter and any micronutrients you may have an interest in. Attached below is a list of laboratories you could consider. You'll want to visit their websites to help you chose which laboratory to use and what to test for. The websites should also have information on how to take and submit the soil sample for analysis. We do recommend contacting the laboratory to confirm how and what to sample. They will most likely have special equipment and procedures that they will recommend that you use to assure accurate results. The laboratory should also be able to provide you with guidance on what the results mean and how to apply the results to your garden.
If you decide that you need help to understand the results of your tests, we would be happy to help you with that.
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa County (JL)
Note: The UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523. We can also be reached via telephone: (925) 646-6586, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/ MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Blog (http://ucanr.edu/blogs/CCMGBlog/).
Soil Test Kits UC Davis Garden Web
Soils Testing Laboratories for Home Gardeners v20160322p (03-16)
Advice from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa County
Client: I'm having some early summer problems in my garden. I'm reluctant to use pesticides in my garden since I have several small children. Would you please provide some recommendations to either cure and/or minimize the problems:
- Tomato plants are doing reasonably well but there are some funky looking lower leaves that I'm concerned about.
- My roses' leaves are mottled with brown-red markings.
- The flowering pear tree's leaves are mottled and dropping; an arborist recommended injecting a chemical into the tree to cure the problem
- I suspect that my garden soil is too alkaline (i.e. previously tested pH@7.1). How can I test it and what can I do to reduce pH? Will just adding compost reduce pH?
UCMGP's Help Desk Response: Thank you for the photographs, which were very helpful. Our responses follow:
Flowering Pear Tree: The photograph from the flowering pear confirms that it is infected with Entomosporium, another fungus that is spread by splashing rain. http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/PLANTS/DISEASES/entomoslfspt.html. We do not think that this disease warrants fungicide treatment. I do not know what chemical the pest company was
Soil pH: Home test kits for soil are fairly reliable as long as the instructions are followed carefully. A pH of 7 - 7.5 is borderline satisfactory, but may go up over time because our municipal water tends to have high pH. We recommend that you wait until the plants have been harvested and then add garden sulfur to the soil in the fall according to label directions. Lowering the pH with sulfur takes time (i.e., months), so you must be patient. Adding compost will not lower the soil pH.
I hope that this information is helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact us again. Good luck on a successful summer garden.
Editor's Notes: It is likely that the tomato, rose, and flowering pear tree problems may have been caused by the late rains creating conditions conducive to fungus: cool, humid conditions. Warmer, drier weather should minimize these types of fungus infestations provided there is adequate air circulation and not overhead watering early evening.
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (JL)
Note: The UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523. We can also be reached via telephone: (925) 646-6586, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/ MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Blog (http://ucanr.edu/blogs/CCMGBlog/).
- Author: Stephen I Morse
The editor of the PHGSC's in-house newsletter, Eileen Housfeld, has produced a one-page summary of the major points of Steve's hour-long presentation. It is a good start to remind you about the importance of what you should be doing to manage your garden soil during the drought. It also includes links for even more information. You can find the one-page summary at http://phgsc.com/Galleries/Aug15mtg/FPAndrewsTalk.pdf
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