[MassChestnutOrchards] Soil testing for chestnuts - Westerly soil problems

[Kendra Gurney]

Hi Yvonne -

 

The test you suggest should be fine - looks pretty, well, standard.  As for
how to define the crop, I would either select evergreen trees or
blueberries.  They do have blueberries as an option for small fruit.
Ericaceous shrubs should also work well enough.  If you go with deciduous
trees you will probably get a recommendation to add a lot of lime to
increase the soil pH.

 

Best -

 

Kendra

 

From: masschestnutorchards-bounces at masschestnut.org
[mailto:masschestnutorchards-bounces at masschestnut.org] On Behalf Of Yvonne
Federowicz
Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 6:19 PM
To: masschestnutorchards at masschestnut.org
Subject: [MassChestnutOrchards] Soil testing for chestnuts - Westerly soil
problems

 

Hi folks,

URI no longer does soil testing so we need to use Umass or UCT to figure out
what is going on at Westerly.  On the Umass soil test website there are
several choices... Do we have a standard one to use?

I am looking at:

http://www.umass.edu/plsoils/soiltest/soilbrochc.htm

(Choice "C" - standard test plus organic matter?) 

And

http://www.umass.edu/plsoils/soiltest/soilbrochd.htm

(Choice #7, deciduous trees? Doesn't allow for acid-loving trees; would
ericaceous be a better match for chestnut?)




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