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Denver, CO

I have a favor to ask:

Would people from different areas of the country take some measurements and tell me what their soil temps are right now. I am wondering about areas like Iowa, the east coast, upper & lower west coast, upper mid-west states and the coinciding provinces.

On a lark, while slaving over the BBQ, I stopped to measure spots in my patches. I was shocked to see temps in just the upper 60’s in many spots were the shade of the leaves dominated. Full sun areas were only about 74-75 as well. I would have never guessed the soil would be that cold this time of year. (Temps taken at 4 to 6 inch depths)

Thanks in advance. It will be intresting to see the differneces.

8/14/2009 11:33:33 AM

Annapolis Valley Nova Scotia

@ 4 inch depth with a digital probe type thermometer
Here in Nova Scotia my soil temps are 68.9 in full sun and 66.7 in shade.

8/14/2009 12:18:00 PM

Saskatchewan Fosston Canada

5 inch dept with a garden thermometer,here in mid central Saskatchewan is 70,0 in sun & 64,0 in the shade just now.

8/14/2009 2:16:50 PM

Wi

64 under my plant canopy at last check in WI. I check in the AM. 5" deep.

8/14/2009 2:22:23 PM

Colorado Springs, CO

The darker brown and black the soil surface might be, due to enrichment by aged-mulches and/or compost/mulches, the better chances for creating warmer surface temperatures. Solar absorption by those materials is uniqely different from ambient air temperatures that are wafting over the patch. The more wind.....the more removal of accumulating heat at the surface too.

Greg, there may be some benefit to the solid-plastic sheeting that Gary S has around his patch their in Littleton. It will reduce the influence of blowing breezes taking away accumulating warmth at and slightly above the soil surface. Likewise, too, whatever abundance of vine leaf canopy that shades the soil below also robs that soil of direct sun contact. Could be why we heard Jos S saying that "next year" he is going to thin out the total secondary and tertiary vine content better as to create less shading upon leaves below as well as shading over the soil.

Soil warmth is critical to keeping the microbes active and facilitating the mineralelemental-gaseous exchanges occurring in the soil.

Greg......I have some additional product to share with you and the others who hosted last weekend's patch tours. If you want a gallon of our concentrate foliar and drench fertilizing product please phone me at that number on back of catalog you got last Saturday ! I will be coming up to Denver again on Monday and could leave some at your home around noon-time. - - You can also post an "affirmative" here and I will likely see that reply as well.

8/15/2009 11:05:13 AM

milford, CT,

I have left a soil thermometer under my canopy all season...this morning at 9:00 am it read 71 degrees...

Mark

8/16/2009 9:20:38 AM

Denver, CO

Thanks everyone! Looks like my patch's soil is not so far off after all.

I would think there could be a substantial benefit to rasing these temps to 75-80 degrees. But doing that might not be possible. Somthing to think about next year.

Tomato man, the drench sounds good. Email me with the cost as [email protected]

Thanks everyone!

8/16/2009 12:23:39 PM

Bloomington, IN

I measured mine a couple days ago around 3:30 in the afternoon on a hot sunny day and it measured at 4 inches deep 87 in the sun, 76 in the shade. But that was right before I watered so it probably got cooler afterward.

8/16/2009 12:58:02 PM

Colorado Springs, CO

G H,......Check your home email for message sent a half-hour ago. Will stop by your home tomorrow around mid-day.

8/16/2009 4:32:47 PM