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11 comments

[–] ScorpioGlitch 1 points (+1|-0)

Your pH should be closer to 6.5, 6.2 on the low end. Everything that's high in your chart is insanely high. I'd recommend looking at a few things including the surrounding trees (nearby pine or walnut trees, for example) and water runoff (where is any runoff water into your garden coming from).

The good thing here is that if this is related to anything you've added (not necessarily fertilizer but anything that changes the levels without actually amending the soil) should be gone by next growing season. This is why you're told to amend your soil instead of adding things like fertilizers (as those just mask problems).

Normally, I'd recommend adding some ash to increase the phosphorus but your ph is already too acidic.

[–] jobes [OP] 0 points (+0|-0) Edited

It is near a ton of pine. Directly next to oak trees. I did not fertilize that, but i do my potted plants. This is certainly not related to fertilizer, I mixed in some pete moss after clearing the grass, so this is a very accurate soil sample I took 4 inches deep

[–] jobes [OP] 0 points (+0|-0)

Also any pH recommendations since I can't remove the pine?

[–] ScorpioGlitch 1 points (+1|-0)

lime/quick lime and also keep going with your peat moss.

Bear in mind that this is not something you can fix until you either find another plot or get rid of the pine (I know, you said you can't) because you're going to be fighting those pines. You need to amend your soil and let it rest a season or two.

In the meantime:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/lower-acid-soil.htm

https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/changing-the-ph-of-your-soil/

[–] jobes [OP] 0 points (+0|-0)

Actually this a garden at my parent's house in a space the builder had to dump 20 feet of topsoil like 40 years ago to fill the gap. That might explain why it is so excessively rich?

[–] ScorpioGlitch 0 points (+0|-0)

Pine has a serious effect on soil. That's part of its survival tactics. Make the soil too acidic for anything but pine to grow. This is why you don't see a lot of undergrowth wherever there's a lot of pine compared to just regular old trees. That means some of your nutrients are going to be high while the ones the pine uses are going to be lower except the pine needles cover the ground and decompose and if there's no pine growing where the needles fall, then it's effectively moving it from section of dirt to your plot.

In the meantime, could I interest you in pine needle tea? It's high in vitamin C.