Ken-n-Nancy Soil Test - Spring 2017

Learn how improving your soil can lead to a better looking lawn
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ken-n-nancy
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Ken-n-Nancy Soil Test - Spring 2017

Post by ken-n-nancy » May 15th, 2017, 11:50 pm

Below are the results of ken-n-nancy's Spring 2017 soil test. This is our fourth year since becoming members of the BL/ATY site. We're looking for ST6 recommendations, including the application of micronutrients. We still have all of the "fearsome foursome" left over from last year.

There are three distinct areas in our lawn, each having a different soil history, so we've tested them independently. We're also willing to treat them each separately, including application of micronutrients. However, it appears that the soil in each area is getting quite similar, so maybe we should just mix all the samples together into one to save money on lab testing in the future.

1 - Front Yard - 6700sqft, KBG/PRG/FF mix, renovated fall 2013 on new topsoil, plan for 2017 is to maintain / improve. Main battle here is poa annua patches. May consider a Bewitched renovation in late summer if our side yard recovers well from last fall's fungal damage.

2 - Side Yard - 3300 sqft, renovated in fall 2015 to Bewitched KBG. This was looking pretty good by mid-summer 2016, but then got devastated by a fungus in late summer / early fall. Managed to save enough of it last fall that we're hoping it will come back this spring. We're planning to make use of a proactive biofungicide regimen this year to prevent fungus this time!

3 - Back Yard - 2500 sqft, renovated in fall 2014 with Fine Fescue for shady conditions, with 2" of new topsoil. The areas that get at least a few hours of sun each day look pretty good, but the shadiest areas have continued to decline. Not sure what to do about the sparse, thin grass in the shadiest areas - even fine fescue needs a fair bit of sun. Kind of wish we'd seeded Bewitched instead. Maybe we'll try overseeding Bewitched in late summer or next spring?

Images for the soil tests are in the next posting below. (Not included in this post due to the limit of only 4 URLs in each posting.)

Below is the link to last year's soil test thread (which has links to the prior year's soil tests, too):
Spring 2016 soil test thread

Looking at the 2017 soil test results, it seems like organic matter has mostly stabilized; we still want to continue to improve this. Phosphorus level is still excellent. Calcium has reached the target levels; magnesium seems real close, and potassium is just kind of holding steady despite our amendments. Our sandy soil probably continuously leaches nutrients, so it seems like we may need perpetual potassium supplements just to maintain the status quo. It's nice to see that our sodium numbers in the front are less stratospheric than in the 2015 test (for us the winter of 2014-2015 was a banner snow year (and thus road salt)). In the micros, we're finally getting there; boron is showing slow, steady progress; iron isn't bad but could use some gains in side and back; manganese, copper, and zinc seem to be getting close to where they should be. Aluminum still too high, but at our pH, we hope we don't need to worry about that (as if there were anything we could do about it anyway...)

For reference, here are the soil test related applications since the 2016 tests:

Front:
6 May 2016 - SOP at 1#K/K
18 May 2016 - Calcitic lime at 9.0#/K, Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulfate) at 1#/K
3 June 2016 - Bay State at 0.64#N/K with micros (Boron, Copper, and Manganese at 2T/K)
19 June 2016 - SOP at 1#K/K
23 July 2016 - SOP at 1#K/K
19 August 2016 - Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulfate) at 1#/K
19 August 2016 - Bay State at 0.64#N/K with micros (Boron, Copper, and Manganese at 2T/K)
3 September 2016 - SOP at 1#K/K


Side:
6 May 2016 - SOP at 1#K/K
18 May 2016 - Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulfate) at 1#/K
3 June 2016 - Bay State at 0.64#N/K with micros (Boron, Copper, and Zinc at 2T/K)
19 June 2016 - SOP at 1#K/K
23 July 2016 - SOP at 1#K/K
19 August 2016 - Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulfate) at 1#/K
19 August 2016 - Bay State at 0.64#N/K with micros (Boron, Copper, and Zinc at 2T/K)
3 September 2016 - SOP at 1#K/K


Back:
6 May 2016 - SOP at 1#K/K
18 May 2016 - Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulfate) at 1#/K
3 June 2016 - Bay State at 0.64#N/K with micros (Boron and Zinc at 2T/K)
19 June 2016 - SOP at 1#K/K
23 July 2016 - SOP at 1#K/K
19 August 2016 - Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulfate) at 1#/K
19 August 2016 - Bay State at 0.64#N/K with micros (Boron and Zinc at 2T/K)
3 September 2016 - SOP at 1#K/K

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ken-n-nancy
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Re: Ken-n-Nancy Soil Test - Spring 2017

Post by ken-n-nancy » May 15th, 2017, 11:54 pm

Spring 2017 Soil Test Results:

Image
(enlarge)


For prior year soil tests, see our Spring 2016 soil test thread

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andy10917
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Re: Ken-n-Nancy Soil Test - Spring 2017

Post by andy10917 » May 21st, 2017, 10:18 pm

OK, we're going to stall this right onto settling on the runway. Most other people I'd go one more year, but you can handle it.

We're tweaking, even though everything isn't lined up.

Stay on the SOP. It should do a little better with Ca and Mg competition, which we're discontinuing.

The P is at luxury levels - leave it alone.

I'd like to see you putting down 3 lbs/K of Ferrous Sulfate every 60 days in the Side and Back.

The Boron needs to go to 3 tablespoons/K every 60 days. Stay on it.

Please don't take this as the shortest interpretation you've gotten -- it's much more that you don't require the amount of explanation. You know what you're doing -- do it!!

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ken-n-nancy
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Re: Ken-n-Nancy Soil Test - Spring 2017

Post by ken-n-nancy » May 22nd, 2017, 11:10 am

Thanks, Andy! We've never applied Ferrous Sulfate before -- we'll have to read up on how to apply it and specific products.

Glad that Boron is the only one of the micronutrients we'll need to apply this year -- it's by far the easiest to source!

The big issue is that our stock of Bay State Fertilizer from last year is gone! Need to make another trip to Quincy...

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ken-n-nancy
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Re: Ken-n-Nancy Soil Test - Spring 2017

Post by ken-n-nancy » June 10th, 2017, 11:19 am

Today was the 1st "soil improvement" treatment for the year. It's nice to have the same application plan for the entire lawn for micronutrients -- simplifies keeping track of which micros get applied where in which amounts!

In any case, applied the following:

Boron (as Borax) at 3T / Ksqft, and Sulfate of Potash at 2# / Ksqft using Bay State Fertilizer as the carrier at "bag rate" of 5 bags (200#) on 12,500sqft = 0.64#N / 1Ksqft.


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ken-n-nancy
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Re: Ken-n-Nancy Soil Test - Spring 2017

Post by ken-n-nancy » July 4th, 2017, 11:00 pm

Today was the 2nd "soil improvement" treatment for the year. This application was even easier than the June one, as no micronutrients this month. Still haven't sourced the Ferrous Sulfate to help out with iron in the side and back. Maybe the monthly apps of Bay State Fertilizer will provide the needed iron instead?

Applied the following:

Sulfate of Potash at 2# / Ksqft using Bay State Fertilizer as the carrier at "bag rate" of 5 bags (200#) on 12,500sqft = 0.64#N / 1Ksqft.

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andy10917
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Re: Ken-n-Nancy Soil Test - Spring 2017

Post by andy10917 » July 5th, 2017, 8:54 am

Maybe the monthly apps of Bay State Fertilizer will provide the needed iron instead?
Maybe - the gap isn't enormous.

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ken-n-nancy
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Re: Ken-n-Nancy Soil Test - Spring 2017

Post by ken-n-nancy » July 5th, 2017, 9:51 am

andy10917 wrote:
July 5th, 2017, 8:54 am
Maybe the monthly apps of Bay State Fertilizer will provide the needed iron instead?
Maybe - the gap isn't enormous.
Thanks, Andy. We'll keep up with the Bay State Fertilizer and see how it goes -- color is doing pretty well in the side and the back; oddly enough, it's the front which shows the poorest color, but I think that's mostly genetic, rather than being driven by an iron deficiency.

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ken-n-nancy
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Re: Ken-n-Nancy Soil Test - Spring 2017

Post by ken-n-nancy » July 30th, 2017, 7:45 pm

Today was the 3rd "soil improvement" treatment for the year. It's a few days less than 1 month since the prior application, but I'm compressing the entire schedule by a couple weeks over the course of the growing season in order to get a total of four applications of sulfate of potash (SOP) and three applications of Boron down without applying SOP in September or Bay State after "the pause."

In any case, applied the following:

Boron (as Borax) at 3T / Ksqft, and Sulfate of Potash at 2# / Ksqft using Bay State Fertilizer as the carrier at "bag rate" of 5 bags (200#) on 12,500sqft = 0.64#N / 1Ksqft.

PS: Our side lawn Bewitched monostand, renovated in Fall 2015, is looking the best it has so far this year. I tried to push it too hard last summer and nearly lost it all to disease in August / September 2016. This year, we've been more conservative on fertilization and watering, as well making regular applications of Serenade, although we started later than we should (in mid-June). The more conservative approach has it looking pretty good now. There's still some disease present in spots, but it seems to be held in check by the Serenade applications.

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ken-n-nancy
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Re: Ken-n-Nancy Soil Test - Spring 2017

Post by ken-n-nancy » August 20th, 2017, 2:26 pm

Yesterday, I noticed this first red leaf from one of our maple trees had fallen on the side lawn which we renovated in the fall of 2015. I couldn't resist capturing a pic, especially as it fell on the best part of the lawn -- it doesn't all look this good!

19 August 2017 - Fall Approaching!
Image(enlarge)

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Re: Ken-n-Nancy Soil Test - Spring 2017

Post by Marinegrunt » August 20th, 2017, 6:00 pm

Wonderful picture! Kind of makes me think of Christmas. As fast as this year has went I'm sure it'll be here in a blink of the eye.

Your lawn looks very nice!

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ken-n-nancy
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Re: Ken-n-Nancy Soil Test - Spring 2017

Post by ken-n-nancy » August 21st, 2017, 7:33 pm

Today was the 4th "soil improvement" treatment for the year. This application is about a week earlier than the typical 1-month interval, but there's a method to our madness.

Today's application is the "end of summer" application of Bay State Fertilizer (Boston's Milorganite-equivalent for you non New Englanders) to ease the lawn back into the fall growth spurt. Today's fertilization is also our last application of sulfate of potash (SOP) for the year, in order to have the potassium applications complete even before September starts to try to avoid an increased risk of snow mold due to late potassium applications.

We have just one more "soil improvement" treatment planned for about three weeks from now to provide a final application of micronutrients (it's just Boron for us this year).

Today we applied the following:

Sulfate of Potash at 2# / Ksqft using Bay State Fertilizer as the carrier at "bag rate" of 5 bags (200#) on 12,500sqft = 0.64#N / 1Ksqft.

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andy10917
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Re: Ken-n-Nancy Soil Test - Spring 2017

Post by andy10917 » August 21st, 2017, 8:04 pm

And? Is your effort being rewarded?

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ken-n-nancy
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Re: Ken-n-Nancy Soil Test - Spring 2017

Post by ken-n-nancy » August 27th, 2017, 8:36 pm

andy10917 wrote:
August 21st, 2017, 8:04 pm
And? Is your effort being rewarded?
Yes, generally, the lawn is doing pretty well.

Although with each year that goes by with this lawn care hobby, our goals and objectives keep increasing...

Before our front lawn renovation in 2013, we just wanted some green grass. Then, our lawn went from an eyesore to the best on the street in one year, so our goals jumped way up!

Right now, I see all the blemishes and shortcomings in the lawn - front, side, and back. The neighbors all still think it's the best on the street. They don't really even notice the poa trivialis patches in the front, or the fact that the PRG and fine fescue in the front lawn's northern mix are really suffering right now. They can't see the thin spots here and there in the side lawn or the side lawn areas where I'm fearful that some sort of lawn disease is getting a foothold again this fall. Plus, even though the back lawn is doing pretty well, the moles and chipmunks are wreaking havoc back there and making plenty of dead spots which will surely frustrate me in the future if the fine fescue doesn't close those little gaps.

The good spots, though, like the one shown in the "red leaf" picture above are awesome!

Very much wondering if I should drop to just one soil test next year or stick with separate tests for each primary soil area -- they're getting pretty similar now...

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andy10917
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Re: Ken-n-Nancy Soil Test - Spring 2017

Post by andy10917 » August 27th, 2017, 8:47 pm

One will do just fine.

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ken-n-nancy
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Re: Ken-n-Nancy Soil Test - Spring 2017

Post by ken-n-nancy » September 16th, 2017, 11:28 am

Today was the 5th and final "soil improvement" treatment for the year, which is just a micronutrient application. Can't believe fall is approaching rapidly!

Boron (as Borax) at 3T / Ksqft using Bay State Fertilizer as the carrier at "bag rate" of 5 bags (200#) on 12,500sqft = 0.64#N / 1Ksqft.

This is also our last Bay State Fertilizer application for the year -- regular urea treatments are the rule of the day for the next couple weeks until average first frost.

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