Beginner - Soil Test - What to do next

Location: New Jersey Zone 7a

I'm a beginner from NJ. I really appreciate you taking the time to read my post.

I've cordoned off a section of my backyard for a vegetable garden. Even though real life responsibilities have made this a slow process, I'm committed to revitalizing my soil before I plant directly in the ground.

Attached is my soil test. I have some, what I think are, common sense ideas regarding how to address these issues. But I'd love to read the opinions of those of you with more experience - which is probably most of you. I appreciate your help!

Thanks,
Pat

Hello Pat,
welcome to permies.

This kind of test is only relevant when you are doing industrial gardening, this is, adding yourself anything that your plants need. You are feeding the plants.
I suggest moving towards organic gardening and letting plants choose their own food.

In this kind of gardening, you only need to provide a bunch of microorganisms to help start the process, and manage the soil properly by not disturbing, adding organic material (the cellulose rate depends on what you want to grow, cellulose helps trees, while high nitrogen material will produce herbs), and filling every inch with plants (as your water availability permits), be them weed or not.
A good compost pile made with plants around your place will provide with the microorganisms you need, but you can buy a good compost if you don't have the time or the means. Mix compost to your irrigation, and the microbes will colonize the soil more easily.

Pat, welcome to the forum!

Soil tests are good though I feel building soil heath is a better approach.

These threads night help:

https://permies.com/t/69892/Soil-Test-Results-Interpret

https://permies.com/t/67969/quest-super-soil

Thank you both for your replies. I appreciate it.

Abraham - I see you mentioning that this kind of test is only relevant for industrial gardening. So I get it that I might be overshooting. But, based on my limited knowledge, I'd still like to stick with my approach of (1) seeing what my soil deficiencies (i.e. this soil test) and (2) planting the restorative plants to ameliorate these deficiencies. I get that different plants have different needs, but I'm going to pursue a base starting point.

Anne - I am looking to build soil health - so I think we're on the same page. That's why I think the soil topic in this permaculture forum is a good place to ask. My thought process, though, to achieve good soil health is to start with a soil test (which I did) and then to plant restorative plants based on the results of the test. Is starting with a soil test considered a different approach than building soil health? Maybe this is my first lesson .

Thanks again!

Welcome to Permies!

You can't fix something that you don't understand. I am pro testing, especially in new areas that you are starting to work.

Did someone say nitrogen fixing legumes!? I see peas and clover in your future.

Do you want to garden directly into the ground? Raised Beds? Are you starting from lawn or is it a derelict bed from the past?

For example, I have some rocky ground that is a layer of fill over sand. I created wood sided raised 4x12x1 beds to be able to grow vegetable gardens and really control my soil. This had lead to some difficulty until this year where I finally got a decent harvest. I however have created two large successful in ground perennial gardens that were previously lawn with great success via compost/chip mulch.

Tell us your vision, we would love to help you get there.

Or course, it is possible to start with the right plants, but it is a longer process.

The test suggest your soil is slightly acidic and is very low on macronutrients. The acid usually comes from decomposition, and it is easier to see in moist soils. The lack of nitrogen is usually because the mechanism of reposition is not there, or maybe it is decomposing woody material, which needs much nitrogen. I mean, if this is a prairy where ruminants used to defecate, the system is adapted to this, but the ruminants are not there anymore, so it lacks manure. Or a farmer used to apply manure, which is the same, at the farmer's extra work. Or maybe it had many legumes species that were supressed for a lawn.

So, your soil is decomposing fast, but you are not replenishing it's nutrients, this is what the test is saying. And they suggest you to apply 10-10-10 and some lime, if you wish to grow the usual stuff in a market garden. The problem with applying manure is that once you take yourself the role of fertilizer, that's yours, you have to keep fertilizing. Forever. (This is how our grandparents grew stuff, not a big deal unless you are relying on external inputs).

Now, you want to use plants for building soil. Excellent. You need plants adapted to the current conditions of your soil, which are mostly weeds, and some rustic shrubs, plants that do not require fertilization and grow fast. These will create some organic material, increase the microbial population and prepare conditions for more demanding plants. When the ecosystem is at its apex, you prune it and make way for the next stage. This is how sintropic gardening works. But it takes years.
With a good compost you can skip the first years and start growing at fertile prairy levels.

Both are valid methods.