Wed. Apr. 27thSoil pH, Liming andPlant Nutrition

The April meeting will be your last chance to place your perennial orders; please bring your forms and your cheques.

Phil Warman is going to talk to us about testing and amending our soil to achieve the best growth results for our plants. As part of his talk, Phil will bring his pH meter so that any club member can have a free soil pH test and lime requirement analysis.  See the details below on how to collect a soil sample from your yard for testing during his presentation.

Phil has a BSc degree in Agronomy and MSc and PhD degrees in Soil Biochemistry from the University of Guelph. His interests include soil biochemistry, soil-plant relations, heavy metal bioavailability, composting of agricultural and industrial wastes (with emphasis on compost quality parameters) and the analysis and application of alternative fertilizers to soils and crops.

Photo by elvisripley on Flickr

If you have soil questions, Phil can also offer insight in the following areas:

• Soil Fertility, Plant Nutrition and Human Health
• Composts and Composting
• Organic Amendments for Soils and Plants

How to collect your soil sample for testing:

• Take a trowel or shovel and dig down at least 6 inches (15 cm) in a few places in your garden and add the samples to a clean pail.
• Mix the entire sample, remove stones and plant debris
• Take a representative sample of about half a cup. 
• Bring the sample inside and spread it out to air dry for at least 2 days on a piece of paper. 
• Make note of what you would like to grow in the area where the sample was taken.
• Bring your dry sample to the Garden Club in a small plastic bag.

As always, we will have a box for donations to our local community food bank at St. Timothy's.

Hope to see you there!