March 26 – April 8, 2018
Mount Washington — When the snow melts and the earth thaws, I’ll pull the mulch blanket away and pry overwintered parsnips from the friable ground, then collect soil samples for fertility testing. Every year, my gardening season begins and concludes with a parsnip crescendo; I dig the bulk of the harvest as soon as the earth thaws in spring and, in late fall, after hauling a bucket of the great white roots to the kitchen, I bed down most of the summer crop with leaves or spoiled hay. As fall turned toward winter, preparations for the frigid months ahead were as complete as could be, though my final goal – to collect soil samples to send out for testing – was thwarted when my trowel hit solid, frozen ground. As of this writing, deep snow covers the mulch that covers the parsnips and the entire expanse of the raised bed garden is a field of white.
Looking at the qualities of the previous year’s harvest informs my selection of seed for the new season. Turga parsnips often grow to be huge as well as tender and delicious. Many penetrate nearly the depth of my 18-inches-deep beds and have over-3-inch shoulders. Following my discovery of the spectacular Turga, I’d be disappointed to produce small roots like those that are pictured with other varieties and show up in markets, so I’ll sow Turga again this spring. On second thought, I’m curious to learn whether another variety offered by Turtle Tree Seed, Cobham Improved Marrow, might grow large in my soil. In November, just before the ground froze, I dug about 10 pounds of robust roots to keep in the refrigerator for braising and adding to soups. I expect a 20-pound spring harvest.
Even when there are no apparent problem areas in our gardens, soil testing contributes to our awareness of the physical, chemical and organic constituents that create healthy soil. I haven’t submitted to chemical analysis since I received an initial profile a few years after creating my main garden. Ten years later, about a decade ago, a soil scientist processed the soil in his lab to create a chromatogram, which he interpreted to evidence optimum health. Last summer, the Northeast Organic Farming Association examined many parameters of my garden soil that have focused my attention on creating better conditions for micro- and macro-organisms that make nutrients available to plants (see description at NOFA link below). This spring my samples will go to the UMass Soil Lab or Logan Labs specifically for quantifying chemical constituents. I am also exploring the work of Will Brinton’s Woods End Lab (for links, refer to the Resources section below).
Resources
Turga and Cobham Improved Marrow biodynamic seed –Â http://turtletreeseed.org/product/267-turga/
Parsnips –Â https://garden.org/learn/articles/view/609/
UMASS Soil Lab –Â https://ag.umass.edu/services/soil-plant-nutrient-testing-laboratory
Sampling Instructions –Â http://ag.umass.edu/soil-plant-nutrient-testing-laboratory/fact-sheets/sampling-instructions-for-routine-soil-analysis
$15 standard fertility test, add $6 for organic matter, includes recommendations.
Logan Labs –Â http://loganlabs.com/
$25 includes organic matter
Woods End Laboratories –Â https://woodsend.com/soil-health-test/#
