The only way to know what that soil has for pH, P, K, Ca, and Mg is with a good reliable soil test. Along with that test you could also use these to get more information. 1) Soil test for organic matter. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drainsâ too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy.

"The reason Miracle Gro is thought to be bad for the soil is that it is not food for soil microbes." This isnÂt true. Microbes might not use the elements specifically for fuel, but they use them to carry out biological functions just like every other plant or animal. "The salty chemicals in Miracle Gro are not in any of the food groups (protein, vitamins, minerals, or carbohydrates)." This isnÂt true either. The minerals in fertilizers are minerals and are used by plants to make proteins, vitamins, and carbohydrates. As I said above, microbes use them as well. The deleterious effects of chemical fertilizers are way way overblown. Yes, if you inject anhydrous ammonia into the plow layer of your soil you are going to wipe out the microbe population and essentially sterilize the soil for a couple of weeks. If on the other hand you spray your yard with miracle grow in solution you are only going to stimulate microbes that will use the available nitrogen to burn carbon (organic matter) for fuel. " "Salts" defined in simplest terms, simply means that it dissolves in water." That is not a good definition. Many salts are considered insoluble such as phosphate rocks. A better definition is that a salt is a cation (positive charge because it is missing an electron) and an anion (negative charge because it has an extra electron) joined together (the positive and negative charges being drawn together). Table salt for example is a sodium cation bound with a chloride anion. Potassium sulfate, ammonium nitrate, etc are soluble salts that are used for fertilizers because they are composed of elements that plants use as nutrients.

I read once that fresh turkeys are kept at 28 degrees in storage, and that is very cold and arrests decomposition. You refrigerator at home is probably at 45 degrees. Keep in mind that it is WATER that freezes at 32 degrees. Fat freezes at a much lower temperature as do other things like alcohols. So, sticking a fresh turkey in storage at 28 degrees won't freeze it solid, but you may get some water crystals on and within it. Makes Sense?

First off,I like Watco and use it from time to time. In the hands of all but the most highly skilled it out performs more expensive oils hands down. With that out of the way,a rant and some insight about Watco. Watco was bankrupted and forced out of the marketplace for a few years until Min-Wax as I recall reformulated and resurected the brand. The brew ha was over spontanious combustion of rags used to apply the oil. The instructions on container instructed user to dispose of rags in covered metal container filled with water or spread on concrete to dry. Some lawyer convinced a jury that warning was insuffecient and Watco was held liable for millions in damages to a damn fool that burnt his family up in their home because he disposed of rags in his household trash. Personaly,i think they should have thrown him in jail instead of making him wealthy.