Knowledgebase
food plot fp report #871709
Asked June 05, 2024, 12:34 PM EDT
Clare County Michigan
Expert Response
Michael - in reviewing your soil test results, I see that your soil is in need or organic matter and Potassium. The Phosphorous is at Optimum so we don't usually recommend adding any unless it is needed for planting and establishing new turf. Are you intending to plant the cover crops in your vegetable garden to improve the soil? If so, you should select a cover crop that can easily be worked into the soil or that does not survive the Michigan winter. See the article below for more details about your options and what to consider. With your soil test results, you should be able to plant Clover, Oats and Wheat to improve the quality of the soil. I've included a second article below that talks about building the soil structure using ground covers.
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/cover_crops_are_on_deck_as_small_grains_near_harvest
https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/plant-cover-crops-home-healthier-soils
After the cover crop is established, you can apply the Nitrogen and Potassium fertilizers. Once you select a product, you can come back to the MSU soil test site and enter the nutrient numbers from the package into the Fertilizer Calculator (found under Tools). The site will calculate how much of that specific product to apply for one year for 1,000 sq. ft. You may need to pro-rate the amount if your area is more or less than 1,000 sq. ft. Note there is an Area Calculator as well.
Hope that helps and good job starting with a soil test.