The sunny days of early spring in Colorado can easily trigger the gardening reflex in many of us. The frosty nights that often follow those sunny days, however, can just as easily send us shivering back into our homes. While we continue to endure temperatures more suited to mittens than garden gloves, what is an antsy gardener to do?
One of the most useful things we can do before beginning our annual garden labors is to have our garden soil tested. Most gardeners are aware that a healthy garden requires properly balanced amounts of nutrients in the soil. Very few gardeners actually know where their soil stands in comparison to that proper balance. Having your soil tested by a professional lab will tell you exactly what you do, and don’t, need to add to your garden this year.
Most mechanics recommend that before a car trip you should check to see how much air is in the tires, how much oil is in the engine and how much fuel is in the tank. By the same token, most successful gardeners would not start a garden without finding out what levels of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, micronutrients and organic matter are present in the soil.
Soil tests, including a specific list of recommendations for your site, are relatively inexpensive (about $20 in most cases), and this modest sum can help you avoid many of the most common garden failures. Nutrient deficiencies can result in stunted, disease-prone and unproductive plants. Excess nutrients can lead to pest outbreaks and environmental degradation. A simple, inexpensive soil test is one of the best tools around for creating a healthy, productive and environmentally sound garden.
For more information about soil testing and how to find labs that serve the public, see Colorado State University Cooperative Extension fact sheet .507 at www.ext.colostate.edu under Horticulture, or call the extension office in your county to have it mailed.
Joel A. Reich is the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension Horticulture agent in Boulder County. For information on a variety of horticulture topics, visit planttalk.org.
