Cptcameron soil test
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- Posts: 29
- Joined: May 7th, 2017, 9:39 pm
- Location: Eastern North Carolina
- Grass Type: Bermuda
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Cptcameron soil test
Here are the results to my soil test. I am new here and I am still working through the site. I sent my Grass to the coop extension. I thought I had Bermuda, but they are telling me I have st Augustine. So, now I am adjusting everything, and trying to learn about the new grass type. I have several questions, but was told here to do a soil test 1st. So here it is, please, any help is greatly appreciated. I have about 20,000sq feet and the grass is really sporadic as I have killed all the weeds. I am cutting the grass at 1 1/2 inches and watering 1 inch every week.
Please if I am not posting correctly, have patience with me,as I adjust to this site. If I am doing something wrong, it isn't on purpose..
Please if I am not posting correctly, have patience with me,as I adjust to this site. If I am doing something wrong, it isn't on purpose..
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- Posts: 483
- Joined: October 25th, 2016, 10:37 am
- Location: Central IL
- Grass Type: TTTF + 10% KBG
- Lawn Size: 10000-20000
- Level: Some Experience
Re: Cptcameron soil test
Just be sure to post a link back to this thread in the Soil Test Interpretation Queue thread. That gets you your place in line.
Welcome to the forum!
Welcome to the forum!
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- Posts: 29
- Joined: May 7th, 2017, 9:39 pm
- Location: Eastern North Carolina
- Grass Type: Bermuda
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Re: Cptcameron soil test
Well, after posting pictures on here of my grass, I am now told I have Bermuda.. haha.. Sorry, I forgot to add my location. I am in eastern NC, Greenville to be exact.
- HoosierLawnGnome
- Posts: 9591
- Joined: May 22nd, 2013, 5:59 pm
- Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
- Grass Type: Blueberry KBG
- Lawn Size: 1 acre-2 acre
- Level: Advanced
Re: Cptcameron soil test
Welcome to the site!
You have an acidic soil with pH of 5.6 that is sandy (TEC 4.45) and low in Organic Matter (OM)
So, you may need to adjust your watering habits for a sandy soil that doesn't hold onto water very long - play with it and see what works to keep it top notch. An inch a week is the general guideline - nice work there!
Organic matter will retain moisture and nutrients. On 20K that's a lot, but mulch mow, mulch leaves in the fall - add any free sources if you can. It takes many thousands of lbs to move this a little.
In the major cations, you are mostly low in Calcium (Ca). Magnesium (Mg) is slightly low, K maybe low.
Phosphorus is very good. Iron is good, and available to your plants.
So - the plan isn't too bad for you. Read the Bermuda Guide, live it, love it.
Apply a good calcitic lime (Mag-i-cal, encap, or solu-cal) every 90 days mixed with 2 lbs / K of epsom salts. Mag-i-cal and encap are applied at 9 lbs / K. Solu-cal is applied @ 12.5 lbs / K. That's 3 applications this year. This should bump up your Ca and Mg levels and elevate that pH over time.
Can you find a high N, with K, no-P fertilizer to use for your Bermuda Guide feedings? Something like this 32-0-10 https://www.lowes.com/pd/Sta-Green-15M- ... 1000140089. Basically a fertilizer with as low a middle number as possible with higher N than K value. We want to boost K while supplying N, but we don't need P. Brand doesn't matter. Whatever we use here will need spaced apart two weeks from the lime / epsom salts. We'll apply this monthly in place of the Bermuda Guide Nitrogen program.
Post the NPK of what you find for application rates and we'll finish this up:)
You have an acidic soil with pH of 5.6 that is sandy (TEC 4.45) and low in Organic Matter (OM)
So, you may need to adjust your watering habits for a sandy soil that doesn't hold onto water very long - play with it and see what works to keep it top notch. An inch a week is the general guideline - nice work there!
Organic matter will retain moisture and nutrients. On 20K that's a lot, but mulch mow, mulch leaves in the fall - add any free sources if you can. It takes many thousands of lbs to move this a little.
In the major cations, you are mostly low in Calcium (Ca). Magnesium (Mg) is slightly low, K maybe low.
Phosphorus is very good. Iron is good, and available to your plants.
So - the plan isn't too bad for you. Read the Bermuda Guide, live it, love it.
Apply a good calcitic lime (Mag-i-cal, encap, or solu-cal) every 90 days mixed with 2 lbs / K of epsom salts. Mag-i-cal and encap are applied at 9 lbs / K. Solu-cal is applied @ 12.5 lbs / K. That's 3 applications this year. This should bump up your Ca and Mg levels and elevate that pH over time.
Can you find a high N, with K, no-P fertilizer to use for your Bermuda Guide feedings? Something like this 32-0-10 https://www.lowes.com/pd/Sta-Green-15M- ... 1000140089. Basically a fertilizer with as low a middle number as possible with higher N than K value. We want to boost K while supplying N, but we don't need P. Brand doesn't matter. Whatever we use here will need spaced apart two weeks from the lime / epsom salts. We'll apply this monthly in place of the Bermuda Guide Nitrogen program.
Post the NPK of what you find for application rates and we'll finish this up:)
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- Posts: 29
- Joined: May 7th, 2017, 9:39 pm
- Location: Eastern North Carolina
- Grass Type: Bermuda
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Re: Cptcameron soil test
Thank you very much for this detailed analysis. I am still new and trying to translate what you wrote into layman's terms... lol. I was in a car accident today so I am going to take a better look at it tomorrow with fresh eyes and mind. Thank you again for your quick response!!
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- Posts: 29
- Joined: May 7th, 2017, 9:39 pm
- Location: Eastern North Carolina
- Grass Type: Bermuda
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
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- Posts: 29
- Joined: May 7th, 2017, 9:39 pm
- Location: Eastern North Carolina
- Grass Type: Bermuda
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
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- Posts: 29
- Joined: May 7th, 2017, 9:39 pm
- Location: Eastern North Carolina
- Grass Type: Bermuda
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Re: Cptcameron soil test
I am having a hard time finding the calcitic lime.. I read some mixed reviews on here about the Pennington fast acting lime. Would the Pennington be acceptable, or should I keep searching for the listed ones(encap, mag-I-cal, solu-cal)... I will try not to bother you all after this, I think I can stay to the plan listed and love, live the Bermuda bible..
- andy10917
- Posts: 29744
- Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 10:48 pm
- Location: NY (Lower Hudson Valley)
- Grass Type: Emblem KBG (Front); Blueberry KBG Monostand (Back)
- Lawn Size: 1 acre-2 acre
- Level: Advanced
Re: Cptcameron soil test
It appears from the more-recent analysis that the Pennington product has switched from a calcitic to a dolomitic source. In your case this might be OK, but we'd adjust the Epsom Salt amount to adjust for the Magnesium in the product. Let use know the percentages of Calcitic and Magnesium and we'll see what we can do.
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- Posts: 2244
- Joined: May 15th, 2012, 6:04 pm
- Location: Dracut, MA
- Grass Type: Northern Mix
- Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
- Level: Experienced
Re: Cptcameron soil test
Cptcameron, if your local Lowe's is out of stock of Sta-Green Rapid Lime, have it shipped for free!
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- Posts: 29
- Joined: May 7th, 2017, 9:39 pm
- Location: Eastern North Carolina
- Grass Type: Bermuda
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Re: Cptcameron soil test
This is what I was able to get. $20 a bag... I got 4 bags for 20,000sq. Should I add the epsom salt to this? Any help is greatly appreciated. And thank you again for all your help and advice. I bought some Celsius while I was there, sheew this is getting expensive, but I know it will pay off in the end!!
- andy10917
- Posts: 29744
- Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 10:48 pm
- Location: NY (Lower Hudson Valley)
- Grass Type: Emblem KBG (Front); Blueberry KBG Monostand (Back)
- Lawn Size: 1 acre-2 acre
- Level: Advanced
Re: Cptcameron soil test
Yes, add the Epsom to that.
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- Posts: 29
- Joined: May 7th, 2017, 9:39 pm
- Location: Eastern North Carolina
- Grass Type: Bermuda
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Re: Cptcameron soil test
I have applied the lime and the salt. Lightly watered and waiting on some rain. I just now remembered I have all this organically in my possession. We use to have a garden, and I have all this left over organic material. What to do with it?? I need organic matter on my yard from the analysis, should I mix this stuff all together and spread it on the yard? Sorry, I thought I was done with the questions, but it looks like I just struck some gold??
Looks like peat moss, mushroom compost, organic compost, black hen..
Looks like peat moss, mushroom compost, organic compost, black hen..
- andy10917
- Posts: 29744
- Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 10:48 pm
- Location: NY (Lower Hudson Valley)
- Grass Type: Emblem KBG (Front); Blueberry KBG Monostand (Back)
- Lawn Size: 1 acre-2 acre
- Level: Advanced
Re: Cptcameron soil test
No need to rush and try to apply it all at once - just try to apply it regularly when you find time.
Don't expect miracles in the short-term -- it takes 20,000 lbs of later-stage material to move an acre of soil by 1% of organic material. You'll be raising the level for a long, long time.
Don't expect miracles in the short-term -- it takes 20,000 lbs of later-stage material to move an acre of soil by 1% of organic material. You'll be raising the level for a long, long time.
- ken-n-nancy
- Posts: 2571
- Joined: July 17th, 2014, 3:58 pm
- Location: Bedford, NH
- Grass Type: Front: KBG (Bewitched+Prosperity); Side: Bewitched KBG; Back: Fine Fescue Blend + Prosperity
- Lawn Size: 10000-20000
- Level: Experienced
Re: Cptcameron soil test
You may want to keep the peat moss for if you ever do a lawn renovation from seed, although with Bermuda, that's unlikely to ever be needed! (Peat moss is regularly used by folks here as a top-dressing when seeding for a lawn renovation.)
Oh, and by the way, when you say you "applied the lime and the salt" I presume you mean the epsom salt.
It helps to always refer to "epsom salt" as "epsom salt" rather than just "salt" -- there's always a danger that somebody else will read it and think you put regular "salt" on your lawn - like table salt or rock salt or water softener salt. The latter types of salt would all be detrimental to your lawn...
(You'll note that when Andy abbreviated "epsom salt" he just called it "epsom" to prevent confusion with typical salt, aka. sodium chrloride.)
Oh, and by the way, when you say you "applied the lime and the salt" I presume you mean the epsom salt.
It helps to always refer to "epsom salt" as "epsom salt" rather than just "salt" -- there's always a danger that somebody else will read it and think you put regular "salt" on your lawn - like table salt or rock salt or water softener salt. The latter types of salt would all be detrimental to your lawn...
(You'll note that when Andy abbreviated "epsom salt" he just called it "epsom" to prevent confusion with typical salt, aka. sodium chrloride.)
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- Posts: 29
- Joined: May 7th, 2017, 9:39 pm
- Location: Eastern North Carolina
- Grass Type: Bermuda
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Re: Cptcameron soil test
Thanks Ken.. I will try to be more mindful of my posts in the future. Again, thank you all for the help.
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