Soil Lab Report

Purpose: By testing the soil's components; macronutrients and pH, we will be able to determine the yield of the species of plants we plan on putting in our garden such as the birds eye gilia, blue eyed grass, and tidy-tips.

Hypothesis: If we test our soil for macronutrient levels using the LaMotte Soil Test Kit AM-31, then we will be able to see if our plants will be suited for our crop of garden land because of the acceptable ranges that the levels fall into.

Protocol: For the soil experiment we used the Lamott AM-31 soil test kit to assess the acid level and nutrient levels (pounds per) of the soil in our garden plot of land. Our group of scientists each tested a nutrient in the soil; one technician tested the pH levels, and the rest of the technicians in the group tested the nutrients of the soil; nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. In the group, I tested potassium; again the whole lab used the Lamott AM-31 soil kit, following the directions very carefully as there were harmful materials used. After testing all of the soils, our lab technicians put our information together gathering the recorded data for all three nutrients.

Analysis: Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium are very important components pertaining to plants. They are all nutrients necessary for the plants to grow. Compiled below are the results for the lab with comparison to what is desirable to grow our garden.

Our plants needs seem like they would need the soil to have only a fraction more acidity, which would require adding ammonium sulfate, which will lower soil pH immediately and also boost available nitrogen at the same time.pH is the amount of acid in the soil, for this experiment. The pH was a very important part of the lab; pH helps a plant grow, and flourish healthily. Our soil from the garden had an average pH of 6.92, which is slightly acidic in make-up. Of our three plant averages; including 7 for bird's eye gilla, 6.5 for blue-eyed grass, and 6.25 for tidy-tips, our soil's pH lends itself to be an ideal texture for the bird's eye giili.

For plants, Phosphorus helps in the cell division as well as the production of new tissues; it also helps the roots grow efficiently. Phosphorous assists plants during photosynthesis and helps them "breath". Plant and seedling production is increased when they get enough phosphorous to grow. Our plants need a of Phosphorus in them.

Potassium in plants is to help in the growth of leaves, control when new cells should be created. Potassium assists plants by turning their food into energy. It helps control the water and other chemicals inside the plants so they can function as well as possible. we need a rate of Potassium.

Nitrogen in plants is used to make amino acids, DNA and proteins. Nitrogen also assists the plants in using carbohydrates to help them gain