Soil Testing, Analysis, Products and Information from Midwest Labs

Category Archives: crops

Soil Testing in April

I can’t believe the number of requests that are being received for soil testing. Lawn and Garden There have been a number of requests this year for this type of testing, especially garden testing. I think this points to people really making a conscious decision to grow more of their food produce locally near theirContinue Reading

Soil Testing and Recommendations

Do you still wonder what those report values mean. Look at this blog entry from Midwest Laboratories. In the post you will find a resource to help explain those values you see on your report. The folks at Midwest Laboratories also have online capabilities which allow users to see recommendations for different types of cropContinue Reading

Soil Testing Benefits Of a Pre-Sideress Soil Nitrate Test

Nitrogen is, of course, an essential plant nutrient – but it also can negatively affect both growth and quality of a crop and so must be carefully managed. Crops take up nitrogen that is released to the soil as a direct result of several catalysts, including atmospheric deposition … soil organic matter mineralization … cropContinue Reading

Soil Testing in Soil Cleanup Operations

Soil can be contaminated by any of a number of ways, rendering the land it occupies unsuitable for crops and livestock, illegal to develop, and potentially toxic to the human environment. Soil testing represents the key first and last steps of any cleanup operation.   Depending on the levels and type of toxicity, a cleanupContinue Reading

Explanation “Estimated Nitrogen Release”

Estimated Nitrogen Release or ENR is a calculated estimate of how much nitrogen will be released through the growing season from the organic matter (O.M.) or humus-like materials. Therefore, as the % O.M. increases, so will the ENR. This calculation is based on the “rule of thumb” that organic matter contains 5% nitrogen. The rateContinue Reading