I Took A Soil Test, And The Readings For N, P, And K Show That All Are Deficient. I Was Surprised Because Plants In My Garden Grow

Question

and bloom like crazy. Are at-home soil tests accurate? Is it possible to have these deficiencies and still have healthy looking p lants? I put down an organic 5-5-5 fertilizer and fresh compost every spring. What else should I do to fix the deficiencies? Here’s a link to the product page for the soil test I used: https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lawn-and-garden/lawn-care/soil-conditioners/73750?store=16144&gclid=CjwKCAjw79iaBhAJEiwAPYwoCKR7JBeXRkO80_4Y2DltOoAfszAmOu_6T5AXDPG6IdLJMDUb1Mc2ShoCRwUQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds I decided to perform a test because my perennials and tomatoes have been growing extremely tall (much taller than the tags say the plants should grow) and have been flopping over as a result. Also, the tomatoes have not been producing much fruit. I figured I had too much nitrogen in the soil. However, the test results say that N, P, and K are all deficient or depleted. If that’s the case, I would’ve expected that I’d be seeing my plants struggle, not grow tall and bloom profusely! Besides my regular application of fertilizer in the spring, should I do anything else to fix the problem? Or should I change fertilizer? I use E.B. Stone organic all-purpose 5-5-5.

Answer 1

This does sound like nutrient deficiency, all around. It isn't the type of fertilizer, I don't think, but the frequency at which you feed. I would be fertilizing every few months, or with lighter doses every few weeks, pending your soil sample results. They tend to be, decently, accurate.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/tomato-fertilizer.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/growing-tomatoes-guide.htm