>>If you test your soil through a reputable lab, make sure they give you the Calcium and > >Magnesium base saturation levels. Calcium should be about 68% and > >Magnesium should be about 13.5%. > > That example is 5 to 1. My recollection is Albrecht said 7 to 1 is the > ideal. 9 to 1 is high. > Dave Robison
Dave your correct with your math but again this depends on who does the testing My experience is that if you get to 68/12 (with everything ELSE in correct proportion) for our soils on a perry USA test your are home! - that same soil sample is probably going to show 75 /10 from a Brookside analysis. This is not saying one is right and the other wrong just that we need to be aware of differences and alter the numbers where necessary. Also means that changing labs partway along is not going to help much Regards the original Green Gold message - any old lab over here will get you workable base saturation numbers -I have yet to see a paid for soil test that has not got this info on it- what costs us the money is a proper trace element analysis All the best L Charles
