Western Colorado is full of Caclareous soil and usually it makes soil testing a challenge. With that in mind we also find that potting soils mixed with Lime or Gypsum act similarly to Calcareous soils for testing purposes.
Read The Attached PDF below for the full story.
"Imagine a scenario where you have been consistently collecting soil data for tees, fairways, and greens for more than five years, using one lab and one procedure. Does this sound familiar to you? If it does, great! Regular soil testing is an invaluable tool for developing and fine-tuning fertilizer and soil amendment programs. Receiving accurate and consistent values from the laboratory, coupled with personal observations, allows for intelligent decision making in the field. But what if you were to discover that the data for all those years was wrong? Would you change to a more accurate procedure? If you grow turf on calcareous soils (those containing calcium carbonate) or gypsum, it is possible, and even likely, that you should consider changing soil testing procedures. However, in the absence of free carbonates or gypsum, a change in soil testing methods is unneeded. The objective of this article is to alert golf course superintendents who manage turf on calcareous or gypsiferous soils (containing gypsum in excess of 2%) that nutrient data obtained from the most commonly used and accepted soil testing extractants may result in misguided fertilizer and soil amendment programs."
http://verde-cal.com/soil-testing-procedures-calcareous-soils/
http://verde-cal.com//wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Soil_Testing_Calcareous_Soils.pdf
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If you have been reading about cultivating indoors with organic soil then you've heard of SubCool's Super Soil. I admit to starting with this mix and thought I was really doing something special when I first went for it. I bought all the stuff and was really excited to use it.
My results were actually pretty good, but I've since moved on I think you should too.
Besides the "base soil" being purchased instead of made from scratch, I have many other issues. All in all this taking bagged soil and adding worm castings and nutrients isn't a bad idea, but it can be improved upon and money can be saved.
Here is the Recipe: 8 large bags of a high-quality organic potting soil with coco fiber and mycorrhizae (i.e., your base soil) 25 to 50 lbs of organic worm castings 5 lbs steamed bone meal 5 lbs Bloom bat guano 5 lbs blood meal 3 lbs rock phosphate ¾ cup Epson salts ½ cup sweet lime (dolomite) ½ cup azomite (trace elements) 2 tbsp powdered humic acid
Now I'll go through each item: Read more.....
