Soil testing

Reggie.

Alright lads and lasses.

Gonna get the finger out and test the soil in my paddocks. Never did it before you bear with me.

The main paddock is 4 acres square.
So I believe you go in a W pattern around the paddock.
How much soil do you take per test hole and what depth?
How much soil total is the normal? A cup?
I'll take it it's a bag of soil per field.
How much is it to get a sample tested? I believe there is one in Oldcastle that would be my closest

onyerbikepat

Here ya go;
http://www.teagasc.ie/publications/2010/20100913/TeagascSoilAnalysis.pdf

You need about 20 samples per paddock. Each sample should be down to 100mm, and will include averything down to that depth, grass and all. Put all 20 samples (or cores) into a bucket and mix well by hand. Take out about a cup full then, put in a zip-lok bag, label bag, and send away.
I made up my own sampler from a bit of 20mm stainless pipe with an elbow fitting on top. Uncrew fitting each time and push out sample from top with solid rod. Slow but worked.

Reggie.

onyerbikepat wrote: »

Here ya go;
http://www.teagasc.ie/publications/2010/20100913/TeagascSoilAnalysis.pdf

You need about 20 samples per paddock. Each sample should be down to 100mm, and will include averything down to that depth, grass and all. Put all 20 samples (or cores) into a bucket and mix well by hand. Take out about a cup full then, put in a zip-lok bag, label bag, and send away.
I made up my own sampler from a bit of 20mm stainless pipe with an elbow fitting on top. Uncrew fitting each time and push out sample from top with solid rod. Slow but worked.

Looks like I'll have to head out to the guntering shed so. Never thought of how to gather the sample. Couldn't just dig it up

Parishlad

Reggie. wrote: »

Looks like I'll have to head out to the guntering shed so. Never thought of how to gather the sample. Couldn't just dig it up

You can just dig it up Reggie but best of you use a stainless steel spade or the like. Stops other traces getting mixed in with the sample. In the same boat here....about to take the leap in to soil testing.

onyerbikepat

I tested mine for the first time last year. At €12.50, it's money well spent. I'd be embarrassed to tell ya what the PH of one of our fields came back at.

Parishlad

onyerbikepat wrote: »

I tested mine for the first time last year. At €12.50, it's money well spent. I'd be embarrassed to tell ya what the PH of one of our fields came back at.

I'd say you'd be in good company with myself anyway!
Have you made a lot of changes to how you are fertilising the place?

onyerbikepat

Parishlad wrote: »

I'd say you'd be in good company with myself anyway!
Have you made a lot of changes to how you are fertilising the place?

The main reason for testing was to put out lime. I was taking 2 cuts of silage from one field and I knew it needed lime in a bad way. I was right.:rolleyes: I ended up putting out 3 Tonne/acre of lime and it will need more.
As for fertiliser, results were what I expected too. Afew fields that got slurry etc were index 3. Grazing fields that would get 18,6,12 were coming back at index 2 and a few wet fields that got no fertiliser for maybe 2 years due to wet year etc, were down at index one. These are fileds that will need some bit of drainage too.
Strange but it seems that say 20 years ago, farmers were more likely to put out lime.

Reggie.

onyerbikepat wrote: »

I tested mine for the first time last year. At €12.50, it's money well spent. I'd be embarrassed to tell ya what the PH of one of our fields came back at.

God knows what mine are like

Charliebull

onyerbikepat wrote: »

I tested mine for the first time last year. At €12.50, it's money well spent. I'd be embarrassed to tell ya what the PH of one of our fields came back at.

WHERE did you get €12-50 sample

Teagasc quoting me €20 (maybe the extra cost is in the supply of the implement:eek:)

kowtow

Charliebull wrote: »

WHERE did you get €12-50 sample

Teagasc quoting me €20 (maybe the extra cost is in the supply of the implement:eek:)

Do they supply the implement for €20?

onyerbikepat

Charliebull wrote: »

WHERE did you get €12-50 sample

Teagasc quoting me €20 (maybe the extra cost is in the supply of the implement:eek:)

FBA IN waterford. That was last year. SR2 Test;
http://www.fba-labs.com/index.php?contentid=soil-analysis

Reggie.

Just rang oldcastle there and they do it for 17.50

Parishlad

Charliebull wrote: »

WHERE did you get €12-50 sample

Teagasc quoting me €20 (maybe the extra cost is in the supply of the implement:eek:)

Think that IAS may be around that price too but not 100% on that. Do you need to be a member of Teagasc to use them for soil testing and...more specifically.....get to use the soil sampler?

Injuryprone

Often your coop shop will have to give out as well. I got one off them before. It would probably be in high demand this time of the year I suppose

Reggie.

FIL never ceases to amaze. He tells me he has one out in the shed somewhere. The treasure hunt begins

Charliebull

kowtow wrote: »

Do they supply the implement for €20?

yea and the boxes as well:D

Parishlad wrote: »

Think that IAS may be around that price too but not 100% on that. Do you need to be a member of Teagasc to use them for soil testing and...more specifically.....get to use the soil sampler?

i dont know, i am member so they always give it when asked

Parishlad

Injuryprone wrote: »

Often your coop shop will have to give out as well. I got one off them before. It would probably be in high demand this time of the year I suppose

Thanks for that! Just gave them a ring and I can pick one up this evening. Got lucky as somebody had just dropped it back in. No excuse now. Only thing is I will be doing most of it in the dark if I want to get it done by the weekend!

Charliebull

Parishlad wrote: »

Thanks for that! Just gave them a ring and I can pick one up this evening. Got lucky as somebody had just dropped it back in. No excuse now. Only thing is I will be doing most of it in the dark if I want to get it done by the weekend!

head torch and a packet fags

done the same myself last week

bring a bag to hold the sample boxes

Parishlad

Charliebull wrote: »

head torch and a packet fags

done the same myself last week

bring a bag to hold the sample boxes

My plan exactly Charlie! I'll make sure I'm well stocked up before I head out!

rangler1

Charliebull wrote: »

yea and the boxes as well:D



i dont know, i am member so they always give it when asked

Teagasc did 12 samples here for €300, they have a young farmer doing it part time.....saves a lot of messing

Charliebull

rangler1 wrote: »

Teagasc did 12 samples here for €300, they have a young farmer doing it part time.....saves a lot of messing

I had to get 7 done this year, got a quote off €140 from teagasc, they supplied the sampler and the boxes and I took the samples and dropped them back into teagasc

rangler are you saying someone comes out and takes the samples for that fee

severeoversteer

Reggie. wrote: »

Just rang oldcastle there and they do it for 17.50

got it done in oldcastle a good few times

it turns out they sub contract the testing to fba labs

in recent years I send my sample straight to fba labs

frazzledhome

Charliebull wrote: »

head torch and a packet fags

done the same myself last week

bring a bag to hold the sample boxes

In dark be careful you don't sample dung pad or poached ground

Muckit

Reggie. wrote: »

Just rang oldcastle there and they do it for 17.50

One sample would be plenty good enough Reggie. It's more than likely the same soil type and receiving similar fertiliser. Not being mean but when you think about it your farm (like mine) would be a big farmers field!!!!

Just take random samples from the whole area. Stay away from cow dungs. The teagasc sample boxes are usually the size of three fag packets side by side.

Charliebull

frazzledhome wrote: »

In dark be careful you don't sample dung pad or poached ground

fcuking cheek off you:D

yea the dung pats can be tricky at night

rangler1

Charliebull wrote: »

I had to get 7 done this year, got a quote off €140 from teagasc, they supplied the sampler and the boxes and I took the samples and dropped them back into teagasc

rangler are you saying someone comes out and takes the samples for that fee

Yes

Charliebull

rangler1 wrote: »

Yes

handy

rangler1

Charliebull wrote: »

handy

Don't know if the guy that did mine, does much of it, but I have a friend does it for teagasc in Galway and says it's a nice little earner at a quiet time of the year

Miname

grassland fertilisers have someone on the road too. i got them out at 17.00 each and every 5th sample free. its one sample for every 10 acres is the recommendation.

Green farmer

Borrowed a soil sampler from local coop and sent samples off to fba labs as well. € 12.70 a sample. Cannt go wrong with that. Just waiting on results back now.

Reggie.

Green farmer wrote: »

Borrowed a soil sampler from local coop and sent samples off to fba labs as well. € 12.70 a sample. Cannt go wrong with that. Just waiting on results back now.

Might post to them rather than oldcastle

Parishlad

Just in the door. First batch of samples taken. Fairly handy with the sampler. Will get the rest done tomorrow night.

onyerbikepat

It's a worthwhile exercise to take your own samples. You'll see the different soil types then and feel the different textures of the soil. We totally depend on the soil, not just as farmers but our whole existence on this planet is down to the soil. Time for a coffee! :rolleyes:

Parishlad

onyerbikepat wrote: »

It's a worthwhile exercise to take your own samples. You'll see the different soil types then and feel the different textures of the soil. We totally depend on the soil, not just as farmers but our whole existence on this planet is down to the soil. Time for a coffee! :rolleyes:

Heavy stuff so early in the day!:p

Reggie.

Parishlad wrote: »

Heavy stuff so early in the day!:p

Very "from the heart" wasn't it

I said

Did two fields today.Getting teagasc to test samples.

Parishlad

Green farmer wrote: »

Borrowed a soil sampler from local coop and sent samples off to fba labs as well. € 12.70 a sample. Cannt go wrong with that. Just waiting on results back now.

Well Greenfarmer.....did you get your results back? I sent off some to FBA last Friday and just wondering how long they take to come back

Green farmer

Took 3 weeks to get them back

Parishlad

Green farmer wrote: »

Took 3 weeks to get them back

That's not great really is it! Would have thought two weeks would be enough but then again maybe every T,D & H is soil testing at this time of year.

Green farmer

Parishlad wrote: »

That's not great really is it! Would have thought two weeks would be enough but then again maybe every T,D & H is soil testing at this time of year.

Normally 2weeks but because it's the busy time of year, it takes a week longer

darragh_haven

Sent off 14 samples a few weeks ago. Got the results last Thursday. Farm stocked at 2.4 lu/ha. Last sampling was done in 2009. Every field needs lime between 1.5 and 2.5 ton/acre.
6 samples showed satisfactory for P & K
1 sample was index 1 for P
7 samples were index 2 for P or K or both.

excluding lime, it was calculated at todays fertiliser prices, it will cost 25 to 28 euro per acre to have all the farm in index 3 or above. Very happy with that

Lime of course will be extra

joeyboy12345

darragh_haven wrote:

excluding lime, it was calculated at todays fertiliser prices, it will cost 25 to 28 euro per acre to have all the farm in index 3 or above. Very happy with that

They give you a rough guide of the price aswel?thats great!sent mine 3 wks ago tomorrow so looking forward to the results!

Parishlad

The last post just prompted me to check my email and low and behold the results from my sampling are back....just gonna take a quick look now....should be interesting reading!!:pac:

Bullocks

darragh_haven wrote: »

Sent off 14 samples a few weeks ago. Got the results last Thursday. Farm stocked at 2.4 lu/ha. Last sampling was done in 2009. Every field needs lime between 1.5 and 2.5 ton/acre.
6 samples showed satisfactory for P & K
1 sample was index 1 for P
7 samples were index 2 for P or K or both.

excluding lime, it was calculated at todays fertiliser prices, it will cost 25 to 28 euro per acre to have all the farm in index 3 or above. Very happy with that

Lime of course will be extra

Will you go with gran lime now or go with ground lime later in the year ?
A few lads around me claiming they are not happy with the ground lime they have been spreading and that it will work out nearly as well to go with the gran lime . I wonder what's the cost difference between the two

Parishlad

Not sure if the attachment will work but here goes.....results from 4 samples taken a couple of weeks ago. Not great but at least I know now. So, would love to hear from the more knowledgeable lads on here as to what my plan of action should be especially around P and K requirments. Where lime is required I guess it works out at about 5 tonnes per acre. Will probably be going with Gran Lime so how does that work out, i.e. how much Gran Lime required to equate to same amount of ground lime?

AP2014

Parishlad wrote: »

Not sure if the attachment will work but here goes.....results from 4 samples taken a couple of weeks ago. Not great but at least I know now. So, would love to hear from the more knowledgeable lads on here as to what my plan of action should be especially around P and K requirments. Where lime is required I guess it works out at about 5 tonnes per acre. Will probably be going with Gran Lime so how does that work out, i.e. how much Gran Lime required to equate to same amount of ground lime?

Jaysus they don't look good. Ya need to get that K up. Would hit the whole farm with a bag and a half of potash now and again in September.

Maybe two bags of 10.10.20 to the acre as well. All depends how much you have to spend.

Greengrass1

AP2014 wrote: »

Jaysus they don't look good. Ya need to get that K up. Would hit the whole farm with a bag and a half of potash now and again in September.

Maybe two bags of 10.10.20 to the acre as well. All depends how much you have to spend.

On index one soils here were allowed 25u chemical P
we've 20 units of that already out

mahoney_j

Greengrass1 wrote: »

On index one soils here were allowed 25u chemical P
we've 20 units of that already out

Time to get creative lads!!

AP2014

Greengrass1 wrote: »

On index one soils here were allowed 25u chemical P
we've 20 units of that already out

Who has put the 25u limit on you? How is it regulated checked?

onyerbikepat

Parishlad wrote: »

Not sure if the attachment will work but here goes.....results from 4 samples taken a couple of weeks ago. Not great but at least I know now. So, would love to hear from the more knowledgeable lads on here as to what my plan of action should be especially around P and K requirments. Where lime is required I guess it works out at about 5 tonnes per acre. Will probably be going with Gran Lime so how does that work out, i.e. how much Gran Lime required to equate to same amount of ground lime?

Just remember to divide the Units on a fertiliser bag by 2 to get the KG. So for example 18.6.12 would be 9Kg N / 3Kg P / 6Kg K. You should be able to figure it out then.
I would look to bring up the soil fertility over a few years. I think it is better (and cheaper) that way.

Greengrass1

AP2014 wrote: »

Who has put the 25u limit on you? How is it regulated checked?

EU.
based on your stocking rate tbh ye would cost yourself alot buying too much phos every yr
Build it over a few yrs