Soil Quality as a Key Factor in Producing Vegetables for Home Consumption—A Case Study of Urban Allotments in Gorzów Wielkopolski (Poland)

The aim of the study was to analyse quality soil in urban allotment gardens context production home-grown vegetables. conducted on six (31 individual plots) Gorzów Wielkopolski, a medium-sized Polish city with an average level industrialisation. following characteristics were analysed: pH, electric conductivity, organic matter, carbon, humus, total nitrogen, C:N ratio, NH4+-N, NO3-N?, P, K, Ca, Mg, SO4?-S, Cl, Na, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, Ni, Cr, Cd, Pb. analyses showed that soils abundant necessary nutrients for vegetable growing. They had high content calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. However, pH areas cropping too high. toxic heavy metals—cadmium (0.22–0.59 mg?kg?1 d.m.) lead (3.46–16.89 d.m.)—was within acceptable limits. Nevertheless, chemical analysis carrots used as test vegetables permissible limits cadmium their roots exceeded. excessive uptake these metals can be reduced by lowering applying carbon soil.