How to use a Soil Test for an Apple Orchard
Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and reflects the soil management approach we use on our own farm and teach in our courses. It is not professional agronomic advice, a fertilizer recommendation, or a prescription for your operation. Always obtain independent soil tests and consult a qualified local agronomist or certified crop advisor before making fertility decisions. We accept no liability for any outcomes resulting from the application of ideas discussed here.
On this post we will use AI to take the Soil Fertility Recommendations from A&L Labs and convert them into lbs of the certified organic ammendments from Terralink. We then convert their recommendation into lbs / 100sq ft for easier application.
List Elements and ratios given on the soil test
Soil Test Data for Harry Burton Sample
| Parameter | Value | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Organic Matter | 11.2% | – |
| Phosphorus (Bicarb) | 23 ppm | G |
| Phosphorus (Bray-P1) | 44 ppm | G |
| Potassium (K) | 201 ppm | H |
| Magnesium (Mg) | 310 ppm | M |
| Calcium (Ca) | 2210 ppm | L |
| pH | 6.2 | – |
| Buffer pH | 6.4 | – |
| CEC | 21.5 meq/100g | – |
| % K Saturation | 2.4% | – |
| % Mg Saturation | 12.0% | – |
| % Ca Saturation | 51.5% | – |
| % H Saturation | 33.4% | – |
| % Na Saturation | 0.6% | – |
| Sulfur (S) | 9 ppm | VL |
| Nitrate Nitrogen (NO3-N) | 3 ppm | VL |
| Zinc (Zn) | 17.1 ppm | VH |
| Manganese (Mn) | 23 ppm | M |
| Iron (Fe) | 99 ppm | VH |
| Copper (Cu) | 2.0 ppm | H |
| Boron (B) | 0.4 ppm | L |
| Saturation %P | 5% | M |
| Aluminum (Al) | 1159 ppm | – |
| Saturation %Al | 0.4% | G |
| K/Mg Ratio | 0.20 | – |
| ENR | 112 | – |
| Sodium (Na) | 32 ppm | L |
List the soil fertility recommendations of lbs per acre of each element given by A&L Labs.
Soil Fertility Recommendations for Harry Burton (A&L Labs)
| Element/Compound | Recommendation (lbs/acre) |
|---|---|
| Lime | 0.0 tons/acre |
| N | 30 |
| P₂O₅ | 70 |
| K₂O | 35 |
| Mg | 10 |
| Ca | 0 |
| S | 25 |
| Zn | 0.0 |
| Mn | 0 |
| Fe | 0 |
| Cu | 0 |
| B | 2.0 |
Convert this to a recommendation of fertilizers in lbs/acre using dry granular fertilizers from Terralink. (Terralink 2025 Attachment provided to AI)
Summary of the Table
This table presents certified organic granular amendment recommendations, converted from A&L Labs’ soil fertility guidelines for the Harry Burton apple orchard sample (targeting 600 bu/acre yield). It uses TerraLink’s Ecocert/OMRI-listed dry products to deliver the specified lbs/acre of each nutrient, calculated independently for precision. Incidental nutrients from multi-element products are noted for potential overlaps.
Organic Granular Amendment Conversions
| Nutrient (Lab Rec) | Product Selected | Analysis | Application Rate (lbs/acre) | Notes (Incidental Nutrients Added) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N (30 lbs) | BF Feather Meal | 11-0-0 (Ecocert) | 273 | Pure N; no additions. |
| P₂O₅ (70 lbs) | BF Fish Bone Meal | 4-13-0 (Ecocert) | 538 | Adds ~22 lbs N, high Ca. |
| K₂O (35 lbs) | BF Sulphate of Potash Magnesia | 0-0-22 +11Mg +22S (OMRI) | 159 | Adds ~17 lbs Mg, ~35 lbs S; exceeds lab Mg/S but supports ratios. |
| Mg (10 lbs) | BF Sulphate of Potash Magnesia | 0-0-22 +11Mg +22S (OMRI) | 91 | Adds ~20 lbs K₂O, ~20 lbs S. |
| S (25 lbs) | BF Gyp-Link | ~18S +22Ca (Ecocert) | 139 | Primary S; adds ~31 lbs Ca for base saturation boost. |
| B (2 lbs) | Solubor | 20.5% B (OMRI) | 10 | Minimal; dissolve for even spread. |
Convert this recipe to lbs per 100/sq ft, and then convert it to cups per 100sq ft
Organic Amendment Recipe for Harry Burton Apple Orchard (Per 100 sq ft)
This summarizes the scaled recipe using TerraLink’s certified organic granular products to meet A&L Labs’ recommendations. Rates are for product application (not pure nutrient), assuming broadcast and light incorporation into top 6 inches. Bulk densities verified via sources: feather meal 35 lb/ft³, fish bone meal 35 lb/ft³, Sul-Po-Mag 88 lb/ft³, Gyp-Link 50 lb/ft³, Solubor 25 lb/ft³ (loose pack). Volume conversions use ~120 cups/cu ft; boron math checked—lab 2 lbs/acre B requires ~9.76 lbs/acre Solubor (20.5% B), scaling to ~0.022 lbs/100 sq ft, yielding ~5 teaspoons when dissolved for even spread.
| Nutrient (Lab Rec/acre) | Product Selected | lbs/100 sq ft | cups/100 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| N (30 lbs) | BF Feather Meal | 0.63 | 2.2 |
| P₂O₅ (70 lbs) | BF Fish Bone Meal | 1.24 | 4.2 |
| K₂O + Mg (35 + 10 lbs) | BF Sulphate of Potash Magnesia | 0.57 | 0.8 |
| S (25 lbs) | BF Gyp-Link | 0.32 | 0.8 |
B (2 lbs/acre): Solubor at 0.022 lbs/100 sq ft (~5 teaspoons).
