Melissa Smith 7/31/24 Melissa Smith 7/31/24

Why Soil Tests Are Important?

I’m not sure what it is, but for a significant portion of us there seems to be one thing we overlook in our beginning gardening years: the soil test! I will admit I was guilty of it too- I think I was a few years into my veggie garden until I got one. In fact— I think it was taking the Master Gardener Certification Class that finally kicked me into gear to get one.

So that said- Today I’d like to talk about why soil tests are so important with a few anecdotes from my farming/gardening experience.

To begin we are going to talk about sweet peas- my favorite crop after dahlias. I’ve had an issue with bud drop (stems suddenly losing every bud they have) every year since I started growing sweet peas. Some people say this is environmental, some say it’s nutritional. I was talking to an experienced farmer friend this past spring and he suggested getting a soil test done and then having a custom fertilizer blend made just for the sweet pea crop area.

What a great idea I thought! I contacted a fertilizer company who makes custom blends (Seven Springs Farm Supply) and asked what they needed. They just told me to get a soil test and then call them to discuss what my goals were for the crop.

So off to the Sweet Pea Palace (as we call that tunnel) I go and I gather my soil, put in a bag and mail it off to my local extension service (Clemson University) and then I wait. About a week later I got the results back.

And to be honest, I was a bit disappointed. I was actually hoping the soil was going to be deficient in something. Because solving the bud drop issue in sweet peas from a nutritional standpoint would be a whole lot easier than a climate issue.

But as you can see from the above picture, the soil is great! Boron is an element that is suggested to help with bud drop but there’s no issue with that in my soil.

So back to the drawing board on solving my problem— BUT do you see how the soil test helped me? It helped me eliminate a solution. It also saved me money on fertilizer that I didn’t need. It also tells me that most likely I don’t need to add anything to this soil this fall. I will test it again in September before we plant. But as long as we monitor the elements in the sufficient range from year to year, we don’t need a lot of the typical fertilizer elements you would apply.

Now let’s take a look at a plot of soil over the course of 8 years.

The first soil test I can find for my farm is from Fall of 2016. We moved here in Fall of 2015 but you know how moving goes- I probably forgot to take one when I began.

What you see here is pretty typical for soils in my region. Acidic and high in Potassium and Phosphorus and reasonably sufficient in other elements. It’s clay soil - heavy but rich.

Let’s skip ahead 2 years. This is 2018- same area of soil on the farm.

One noticeable change is the pH- it has gone way up to 7.1 which is actually a little high for what I want. So we used elemental sulphur to bring the pH into a more neutral range. You can also see that the majority of the primary nutrient levels have increased.

In the early years of our farm, we used compost made by our pigs. And it’s great stuff— but it’s rich— richer than our clay soil rich! So after seeing excessive levels for a few years, we backed off of adding the pig compost and any extra potassium and phosphorus.

The cation exchange capacity more than doubled too. If you want more info on what this is- click here. Clemson’s site can explain it way better than I can.

Skipping forward to 2021:

So you can see that we were able to lower the pH level— which changing pH can take some time and it’s a good idea to not make huge adjustments in it quickly.

But the biggest difference is the potassium level is much lower. In fact on all the soil tests we took in 2021- most of them showed a lower potassium level, some even showed that we needed to add. This is a good illustration of how long it can take for a nutrient to adjust in your soil.

Building good soil is a continuous process. You need to have goals but they will change as your soil adjusts.

Skipping forward one more year to 2022:

So what’s different? Well the pH went back up. My guess is because we gave that tunnel a good dose of compost. One thing we work on in our soil is organic matter. Organic matter greatly improves clay soil We don’t always need tons of nutrients because clay soils are usually rich but we need as much organic matter as we can get! So adding compost is something we do on a regular basis. Every year? Nope— too expensive to do the whole farm but we rotate around so that every area gets it every 2-3 years. That decision is crop dependent as well. Adding compost raises your pH level.

The potassium levels have risen- we added muriate of potash. This was in rock salt form and I was able to find it at my local feed and seed.

So what’s the lesson here: Taking regular soil tests gives you so much information to make decisions over time. You can really get to know the soil in a certain area. I’m sure an agronomist could have all kinds of fun with these. That’s way out of my skillset but you don’t have to be a soil scientist to read a basic soil test.

Few other things:
1. These are basic soil tests- there are labs where you can get more in-depth analysis done. You can also pay a bit more on these basic ones and find out your organic matter percentage and the nitrate nitrogen levels (we did this for the Sweet Pea test up top).
2. Where you sending your soil test? Begin by googling your local extension service or your state’s best ag university. Or you can send it to Clemson- they will test out of state soil.
3. How often should I take a soil test? Yearly at a minimum. If you are monitoring a change you are making in your soil then I would say every 6 months. Or take one when you need the answer to a question like I did for the sweet peas.
4. If you have a large area of land, take multiple. Divide up your areas and test them separately. We test all our hoop houses separately and then test a few areas in our main field.
5. How do I take a soil test? Go here— Good directions from Clemson. It’s super easy!!

I really hope I’ve convinced you to get a soil test this fall. Fall is a great time to get a soil test done because you can apply any amendments you need and they will do their work over the winter and your Spring soil will be so much better!

So— go put it on your calendar for some time in September to take a soil test!!

Melissa Smith 7/18/24 Melissa Smith 7/18/24

Are Your Dahlias Thirsty?

Are your dahlias thirsty? I know mine have been- we went over a month June/early July in 95+ temperatures and hardly any rain. We were lucky to get a few showers in that time, I know some farmer friends who didn’t get anything.

So what did we do to keep our dahlias happy without breaking the bank?

For the past 2 years I’ve been using a system called “pulse watering”. This is a process I first heard about 2 years ago on a podcast that I love. I was listening to the No-Till Flowers podcast by Jennie Love (of Love’n Fresh Flowers in PA). She was interviewing a farmer from Tasmania and you know Australians know how to deal with all kinds of crazy weather! It’s episode 25 from season 3 if you are interested.

So what is pulse watering? It’s where you set your irrigation system up to water in short bursts multiple times per day instead of one long period daily or every few days.

The technique was originally used on sandy soil from what I can tell but I’ve adapted it for use in my clay soil. You’ll need an irrigation timer with the ability to water in multiple bursts and the ability to set it for unique timing. I’ve been using a Hunter Technologies system for years. The specific system I use is called Hydrawise. I have a 12 channel controller for my farm (that we have yet to max out). My farm is divided into 7 zones. Each zone is multiple beds. I determined the size of each zone by the area (for example: a whole hoop house is one zone) and the total feet of drip tape in that area. According to the gallons per hour your water source (well, city water, etc) will give you- this determines how many feet of drip tape you can run at one time.

So with my controller, I can set a zone to run multiple times a day for shorter time spans. It took me about 2 weeks to determine how long each burst should be and how many bursts per day. I originally trialed this in a hoop house so I wouldn’t have rain interference and could see how it actually worked. I almost flooded the hoop house on the first run! I had it set for way too many bursts per day. I would start with 4-5 and around 5-10 minutes. I find the length varies by field position. For example, my lower field has a slope to it (6’ drop) so I have to run it longer because the irrigation fills from the bottom first and can take up to 5 minutes before it reaches the top. So if I want at least 5 minutes of run time, I need to run my burst for 10 minutes to make sure each bed gets at least 5 minutes. (Yes, this means the lower beds always get more water which I take into account when deciding what to plant there.)

So why use this method over the tried and true- water deeply less often method? Well first off- that wasn’t working. In the extreme heat of our summers these days, the beds needed more water. I was finding that my beds were dry by early afternoon - the hottest part of the day. I was having to supplement with overhead watering which is not very water wise efficient. Pulse watering will actually use less water once you get it started. When you begin, it doesn’t look like it works because you only see a small circle of water. But over time, the water begins to spread out (this is especially helpful in sandy soils where water goes straight down.) Essentially, your bed never completely dries out. If you begin the process a day or two after a heavy rain, you’ll see the effects faster. Starting from a dry soil takes longer but will work just as well.

The addition of the straw mulch we began using last year completed the process. The mulch keeps the moisture in the soil and makes pulse watering even more efficient. Having clay soil helps too- it holds water better than sandy soil (especially if you’ve been working on increasing your organic matter.)

I’m not sure if I’ve explained this super well (but go listen to that podcast for more in-depth explanation)- however, it’s been a life-saver for my dahlias. The mid day drooping that is pretty normal for hot climates is not near as substantial, some varieties don’t droop at all.

There are faucet timers that will do this- you don’t have to have a full on system like I have. Although if you run a commercial operation, I highly recommend it. (I can control this system anywhere in the world b/c it’s hooked to the internet.) But for a home garden setting, you need a timer that will allow you to water in at least 5 minute increments. I’ve found Orbitz brand is great (but don’t let them freeze in the winter). When you begin, you will probably have longer bursts for the first few weeks but once you get the moisture level established, you can shorten the bursts. Also if you begin watering a little earlier than you think you need too after a substantial rain event, you’ll build momentum on that existing moisture and won’t need a long burst unless it gets very hot!

I hope this idea helps you manage your dahlias in this extreme heat- I know it’s eased my anxiety over them!

Disclaimer: I am not an irrigation expert- in fact, it’s one of my most dreaded tasks on the farm. If you are trying to set up an irrigation system for the first time, consult an expert- try out dripworks.com, rainflo.com, berryhilldrip.com - those are all good sources of information as well as great places to get the supplies you need. My goal here is to offer a different way of thinking about running your system that I have found to save water and increase my plant health.

Melissa Smith 6/6/24 Melissa Smith 6/6/24

2024 Test Dahlia Garden

So it’s been awhile since we talked dahlia varieties so let’s chat about what varieties I’m trialing for 2024! This list includes some first year trials but also varieties that are coming back for a second and third year.

The “brand new” (to me) 2024 Dahlias I’m trialing on my farm:
Bloomquist Compare
Bloomquist Wonderful
Bloomquist Mojo
Bloomquiest Alan
Bloomquist Butch G
Bloomquist York
Bloomquist Crave
Ruthie G
Solo
Normandy Bright Day
Elks Tennley Rose
Chimacum Nadjae
Ferncliff Apricot
Normandy Sweet Lucy
Westerton Lillian
GW's Calhoun Moon
Korb River Bend Jean
Sterling Silver
These below I’ve grown before but lost my stock for various reasons:
Tahoma Surething
Kenora Lisa
Camano Zoe
Bracken Rose

I’ve also got a bed of KA dahlias- some brand new and some on their 3rd year:
KA Mocha Katie (3rd year)
KA Snow Jo (3rd year)
KA Keltie Rose (3rd year)
Brand New:
KA Cinder Rose (whohoo!)
KA Mocha Maya
KA Champagne
KA Mocha Jake
KA Pearl

I’m probably missing a few but we’ll just see those when they bloom!

2nd and 3rd Year varieties that are returning for further evaluation:
Midnight Dancer
Nonette
Sylvia Craig Hunter
Doodle Bug
Ferncliff Spice
Gerrie Hoek
Copper Boy
Skipley Moonglow
Clearview Peachy
American Dawn
**Click on an image and it will turn into a pop up with the names labeled

So have you grown any of these? Do they work for the hot South? Let me know- I’d love to hear about your experiences!

Melissa Smith 5/30/24 Melissa Smith 5/30/24

Overwintered Dahlias- The Summary

I harvested the first blooms from our over-wintered dahlias this week! They are beautiful and I’m slightly addicted to dahlias even more than usual right now!

This blog serves to educate but also as a record of trials and experiments so I want to record the process here for you.

I guess it technically begins last Spring. I planted 2 rows of Blizzard tubers. I was seriously thinking about overwintering so I allowed them a bit more space. I planted 3 rows of 45 tubers in a 36” bed, 45’ long. So glad I did— they are huge this Spring.

The beds bloomed beautifully last year. In the Fall, I cut them down to the ground and tarped over them. This planting area doesn’t have raised beds and the beds aren’t raised too much above the ground level. (One of the 3 beds rotted over the winter- it was on the edge of the tarp and I think too much water got in.)

I pulled the tarps off in early March. I should have pulled off in mid February with the warm winter we had. This is a note to self for next year— pay attention to climate conditions and take tarp off earlier. Also I plan to monitor soil temps in this area next winter. When I see them hitting 60- I’ll definitely get the tarp off.

The plants were sprouted some beneath the tarp when it came off. This is a huge issue but it does make it easier if you need to weed, fertilize, add compost if the plants aren’t sprouted yet.

The plants began to grow but were checked about 10 days later by a frost. This is pretty normal for over-wintering dahlias in our climate. We get random harsh Spring frosts. You can protect your plants if you like but they will resprout.

They will resprout within 2 weeks usually. Fortunately we didn’t have another frost hard enough to take them down. It is a bit warmer near the ground like that.

So they were off to see how fast they could bloom. I pinched the last week of April. They could have used it about a week earlier but we had a very rainy spring and it was hard to find a dry window to do the pinch. We missed a few stems so some of the first blooms have broomstick handles.

We also fertilized at this point. Next year, we’ll lay it down right after we pull the tarp off. They can definitely use it when they get started.

We got them mulched in early May. They don’t look like they’ve grown much here b/c they are recovering from the pinch at this point.

I discovered the first bud the next week. I also documented some flooding and drainage issues in the row next door. This was the row that rotted over the winter. We corrected this row before planting- we added lots of compost and gypsum to help with the drainage. We mulched it after planting to keep the weeds down.

In the 3rd week of May we got our netting up- about 2 weeks later than we should have but fortunately not too late.

We also began the bagging process.

And about a week later— Blooms!! We were cutting the first 2, followed by a bucket more a few days later!

I’ve loved this process! I’ll definitely be doing more of it in years to come. It hasn’t been without it’s challenges. Bug control is a lot more important in early season- so many more things you have to watch out for. Just this morning we had to throw out a 1/3 of our harvest because they had so many thrips on them. We’ll keep spraying and doing what we can to address it. But I would say the good outweighs the bad!

Melissa Smith 5/23/24 Melissa Smith 5/23/24

Dahlia Q & A: May Edition

May is one of the busiest times in the “Dahlia Growing Calendar.” Almost every growing zone is planting and all the questions come flooding in! I get a lot of similar ones so I figure if one person has the question, then most likely others do too. The following are either actual questions I’ve gotten over the last month or combinations of similar questions.

Q. I’m planting my dahlias, should I add bonemeal to the hole when planting? What kind of fertilizer should I use?
A. First off, what does your soil test tell you? The reason this question is so commonly asked is because people skip the soil test. It’s vital to anything you grow!! If you’ve never taken one, click here. It’s very easy! You can mail your sample to your local extension service lab or take it in person. It’s worth it— I promise.
So to answer the question above— Do you add bonemeal? Bonemeal is a good source of calcium and phosphorus so if your soil test results tell you that you need this, then yes- it’s a great way to add it to your soil. But don’t go adding it because you heard somewhere it was a good thing to do— fertilizers are expensive so don’t waste money. Also you may throw your soil nutrients into excess levels which can be just as problematic as not having enough of a nutrient.
As for fertilization after planting, I’ve got a whole blog post about it here.

Q. I pre-sprouted my dahlias using the plastic baggy method, what do I do now?
A. So I have never used this method because it’s not conducive to growing 1000’s but I did a bit of research so here goes: If you have a plant in a plastic bag, it’s basically a mini greenhouse. So keep this in mind when moving them outside to harden them off. You’ll need to move them gradually from a shady place to a warmer spot with more sun over a period of several days. Get them planted out before the sprouts get too tall- preferably not over an inch or so. If you are curious about other methods of waking up tubers, take a read here.

Q. When you start and stop fertilizing dahlias?
A. I begin fertilizing as soon as they are up a few inches. We begin our spray maintenance program and this includes fertilizer, fungicide and organic pesticides. They young plants are super vulnerable to pests at this stage so we try to stay on top of it.
I stop fertilizing about 3-4 weeks before I’m planning to dig. This may be my last frost date or it may be before. My frosts can come late here so I just plan my dig date. If we get a frost, great! If not, no big deal. You don’t want a whole lot of new growth for the tubers to support in those last few weeks. It usually around early October when we stop fertilizing. We do however continue the pest and fungus control. 3-4 weeks also works even if you plan to leave them in the ground. Just back that date up from your average last frost date. It’ll be okay if you are off by a week or two.

Q. What makes a dahlia formal or informal?
A. I’m not quite sure who came up with the dahlia forms originally. But if you are curious as to what they are and would like to see them explained well- the American Dahlia Society has a great explanation here.