How do I lower phosphorous levels in my garden soil?

Question:

How do I lower phosphorous levels in my garden soil?

Answer:

The results of your soil test are in and the results... phosphorus is "High" or "Excessively High."  

Excess phosphorus comes from several sources.  Fertilizers, compost, manure, and bone meal, among other sources.  Additionally, phosphorus is very immobile in the soil, so any excess does not leach out readily. 

Here are some things you can do to lower phosphorus levels in your soil.

• Stop using fertilizers that contain phosphorous.  The middle number of the fertilizer analysis is phosphorous, and it should be zero. (i.e., 20-0-08, 15-0-15, or 36-0-6).  Learn more in this article: Fertilizing in the Home Garden. 
• Plant and remove a cover crop. Planting a cover crop in fall to overwinter or skipping a year in the vegetable garden and growing a cover crop instead can help mine phosphorus and lower P levels. Remove and compost the cover crop rather than use more traditional termination methods.  Do not turn the crop back into the soil, or you will be returning some of that phosphorus back to where it came from. Learn more in this article: Cover Crops for Home Vegetable Gardens.
• Limit compost and manure applications (at least for a couple of years).  Compost, manure, bone meal, and mushroom compost are common garden amendments that are often high in phosphorus. Learn more in this article: Composting FAQs.
• Replace the soil. This is only practical for smaller raised beds. Learn more in this article: Creating Raised Bed Planters.
• Keep testing the soil to see how your efforts are working and make adjustments as needed.  Learn more in this article: Soil Testing Resources for Home Gardeners.