Reclaiming a long-lost field

[Larro Darro]

We always got ours from the County Ag office. Not sure about cost, but if it wasn't free, it wasn't far from it.

 

[Depmandog]

Dave

Larro is right. The best place is your local extension office.

The University of Maine - Cooperative Extension in Cumberland County - Need to test your soil? Here?s how.

The test kit is free and it appears they charge $15 per sample.

 

[DT86]

We always went to our fertilizer dealer, he sent the samples off to Va Tech for free. They cost a little, I'm thinking less than $10 each, to have done. He made enough off of us to make it up.

I'd contact the local bulk fertilizer dealers close by to see if they do something simular.

 

[dave1949]

Dave

Larro is right. The best place is your local extension office.

The University of Maine - Cooperative Extension in Cumberland County - Need to test your soil? Here?s how.

The test kit is free and it appears they charge $15 per sample.

Thanks. I have the Maine extension forms and sample boxes I picked up at their booth at the fair last fall. I think that would be the way to go if I had a uniform field or wanted to make a field as uniform as possible for a given crop.

At this point I would like to amend the pH as needed in different areas and use green manure/cover crops to build the soil humus level and use legumes to fix some nitrogen. So, I thought something quick and easy might work for getting a read on pH levels which probably vary quite a bit across the field. It's going to take a few seasons to build my soil into something reasonably fertile I think.

 

[Larro Darro]

Larro is right.

If you don't mind, I'll print this off, just to show Margie those words can be used together

 

[Depmandog]

If you don't mind, I'll print this off, just to show Margie those words can be used together

Here, let me help: "Larro is right in saying what a lovely wife he has."

 

[Larro Darro]

Here, let me help: "Larro is right in saying what a lovely wife he has."

Thanks, I need all the help I can get. A couple of weekends ago I was meeting Margie and some of her friends for supper when I got off work. Not only did I go to the wrong restaurant, but to the wrong town. {They were at the Altha Diner, the only place to eat in Altha after dark} Then this afternoon we were going out when she got off work. I thought she was coming to pick me up at here the Civic Center {where I work}, but she had said for us to meet at the restaurant. Maybe if I would pay more attention to our eating plans I would get into less trouble.

 

[dave1949]

I took a few update pics this morning.

The reddish-yellow is Sheep Sorrel seed stalks (AKA sour dock, dock). It rapidly colonizes disturbed ground and likes high acid soil. I have a lot of it.


The short green growth is orchard grass and timothy that I seeded last fall. It's not going anywhere without some fertilizer it seems.


That's my junk pile of roots and rocks. I left a band of open fill space around it that trees will eventually grow into to hide the junk pile.


I think that rock is permanent.


The area where I am working now. Foreground is typical before, background is after. I'm taking the time to pick it pretty clean 'cause I ain't doing it again. :laughing: I don't think I will be dragging the I-beam much anymore. The ground is setting up with not much loose dirt on top. After getting the chunky stuff off the surface I am doing some shallow, light grading with the FEL bucket, then pick up the few rocks that that brings to the surface.

 

[Garandman]

I think that rock is permanent.

I've got one of those. Doesn't look to big on the surface, but it's roughly 6'x4'x4', so 7+ tons.....

 

[cat fever]

I took a few update pics this morning.

The reddish-yellow is Sheep Sorrel seed stalks (AKA sour dock, dock). It rapidly colonizes disturbed ground and likes high acid soil. I have a lot of it.
View attachment 429210

The short green growth is orchard grass and timothy that I seeded last fall. It's not going anywhere without some fertilizer it seems.
View attachment 429211

That's my junk pile of roots and rocks. I left a band of open fill space around it that trees will eventually grow into to hide the junk pile.
View attachment 429212

I think that rock is permanent.
View attachment 429213

The area where I am working now. Foreground is typical before, background is after. I'm taking the time to pick it pretty clean 'cause I ain't doing it again. :laughing: I don't think I will be dragging the I-beam much anymore. The ground is setting up with not much loose dirt on top. After getting the chunky stuff off the surface I am doing some shallow, light grading with the FEL bucket, then pick up the few rocks that that brings to the surface.
View attachment 429214

Looks good Dave. All your work has paid off. Soon maybe you'll be doing this.