[Vicmeister]

Hoping someone has some good ground advice for me.

I received the results from my soil test today, and I was a bit shocked. I was expecting to have no nutrients in the ground....and found out I'm way high. To do the test, you dig down a foot into the soil in five separate places, dig out dirt and mix it in a bucket, then send in two cups of that to the lab.

The ground I have does not drain well, but it has a big mix of St. Helens ash in it. The area I live in received the largest amount of ash from the fallout in 1980, so it is actually layered in the ground and you can see it if you dig in spots that have not been torn up yet.

This area was only touched last year for the first time in at least 10 years, possibly more. I bought the house from an older lady who no longer took care of the yard. So last year was the first time of using any kind of fertilizer, which I planted tomatoes, peppers, carrots and cucumbers and used the miracle grow liquafeed for veggies.

Since my results were complete opposite of what I was expecting....what do I need to do, if anything, to lower the levels? PH is at 7.7, I have quite a bit of organic material compared to other people's tests I've seen in the area....and that's as far as I know. Do I mess with the soil at all, do I just forego fertilizer this year?

Any and all help is MUCH APPRECIATED!