Soil Testing at Home

I chose to plant vegetables in raised beds filled with 100% compost. This is a method from renowned market gardner Charles Dowding.

Because I am in the beginning stages of making my own compost, I had to purchase large quantities of compost to get started.

For research purposes , I purchased 2 different types.

1. Horse manure and straw

2. Plant matter and prairie hay

Each bed is intentionally filled with one type of compost, so I’ve had the opportunity to witness differences.

In one of the beds, the growth rate slowed to a standstill... and the outer leaves of cabbage and kale were yellow, starting at the tips. I thought it might be nitrogen deficiency, but couldn’t imagine how fresh compost full of organic matter could be nitrogen deficient.

So I did some testing...

The plant based compost is on the left, and the horse manure on the right. You can see the poor distribution of soil matter throughout the water on the left.

And if you look at the purple vial on the far left you will see that the plant based compost has NO nitrogen... none . nada . zip . zilch.

So tomorrow I will be adding old chicken manure to ALL of the plant based compost beds.

Lesson learned.