Florida · Soil test

Florida soil-test fertilizer recommendations

Zone Forge reads your Florida soil test in Florida's own calibrated language — the critical levels and rate logic come straight from UF/IFAS — Standardized Fertilization Recommendations for Agronomic Crops, not a national average. Lime has its own live calculator for Florida with method-specific lab inputs.

See Florida recommendations → Florida lime guide

Critical soil-test levels

  • P: critical 25 ppm (Mehlich-3 acid-mineral)
  • K: critical 35 ppm (Mehlich-3 acid-mineral)
  • Mg: critical 20 ppm (Mehlich-3 acid-mineral)

Per UF/IFAS — Standardized Fertilization Recommendations for Agronomic Crops — below the critical level, a yield response to the added nutrient is expected.

Crops covered

UF/IFAS — Standardized Fertilization Recommendations for Agronomic Crops rates these crops in Florida:

AlfalfaBahiagrass establishmentBahiagrass grazedBeetBroccoliCabbageCarrotsCeleryChile peppersCollardCornCottonCucumbersEggplantForage legumesGrass / forageGrass hayGreen beansHempLettuceLimpograssMuskmelonMustardOkraOnionsParsleyPeanutsPeasPotatoesRadishSmall grainsSorghumSoybeansSpinachSquashStrawberrySugarcaneTobaccoTomatoesTriticaleWatermelon

Published source: UF/IFAS — Standardized Fertilization Recommendations for Agronomic Crops

Frequently asked

What soil-test method does Florida use?

UF/IFAS — Standardized Fertilization Recommendations for Agronomic Crops. Zone Forge cites the publication on every recommendation.

Is the Florida soil-test calculator free?

Yes — the Florida soil-test recommendation calculator is free and needs no signup. Enter your lab values for source-cited P and K; Florida's live lime calculator is available separately with its own required lab inputs.

Can Zone Forge calculate a Florida lime rate?

Yes — the free soil-test calculator covers source-cited P and K. Florida also has a live lime calculator on Zone Forge that uses the state's published method. Open the Florida lime guide or lime calculator for tons of CaCO3-equivalent per acre.

Zone Forge reads every Florida soil test in its own state's language, then builds source-cited fertilizer and a live lime calculator and full variable-rate prescriptions. See the science →