Fort Worth Soil Test - Renovation

Learn how improving your soil can lead to a better looking lawn
Post Reply
GregGeis
Posts: 53
Joined: April 2nd, 2016, 11:24 pm
Location: Fort Worth, Tx
Grass Type: St. Augustine
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Fort Worth Soil Test - Renovation

Post by GregGeis » May 28th, 2017, 12:51 pm

I bought a new house this year and the yard has been ignored for years. The yard is about 7,000 sq ft and I got samples from the front and the back yard to see if I need to treat them differently. I

I have a few challenges to overcome. First, we have large oak trees through the yard, I'm not going to remove any, so I've just got to do the best I can with them. I'm planning to lift the canopy some this winter when it's safe to prune them, but it's never going to be a beautifully thick lawn and I'm ok with that. The grass base is Saint Augustine, which is new for me. I was just getting the hang of my Bermuda lawn from the Bermuda guidelines. I have lots of bare spots, and lots of area where the Saint Augustine has lost all ground to some other grass types to me. I'm planning on supplementing with some new sod next year, I'm trying to get the conditions favorable so that it hopefully sticks.

I've read lawn management 101, but haven't done the composition or drainage tests yet, but I can if that is important. I need to put down my next fertilizer treatment soon, so I'll be looking forward to seeing what treatments I should follow. Thanks in advance for the help and let me know if there's any other information I need to add.

Thanks,
Greg


Image

User avatar
andy10917
Posts: 29739
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: Fort Worth Soil Test - Renovation

Post by andy10917 » May 28th, 2017, 4:03 pm

Make sure to make an entry with a link to you thread in the Soil Test Interpretation Queue, so you have a place in the waiting line

User avatar
andy10917
Posts: 29739
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: Fort Worth Soil Test - Renovation

Post by andy10917 » June 10th, 2017, 9:10 pm

First things first - the lawns do not need to be treated (or tested) differently. The soils are heavy, and high in OM (good) .

Typical of your area, the soil is quite alkaline from a high (possibly calcareous) Calcium level. But the Magnesium and Potassium shortages are not real. You aren't going to fix that.

The Phosphorus and Iron need work. If the budget permits, this is a good soil for regular Milorganite apps. Bag rate monthly would address Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Iron. If you need a different solution, let me know.

In the micro’s, it’s Boron and Copper. Get Twenty Mule Team Laundry Soap (grocery) and Copper Sulfate (Amazon/EBay), and apply each at three tablespoons/K every 60 days. Read the Micronutrient Application Guide for application specifics.

GregGeis
Posts: 53
Joined: April 2nd, 2016, 11:24 pm
Location: Fort Worth, Tx
Grass Type: St. Augustine
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: Fort Worth Soil Test - Renovation

Post by GregGeis » June 11th, 2017, 9:33 pm

Awesome, thanks a lot. I already have a stash of Milo for the year so I'm good to go there. Is there anything I should/can do about the alkalinity?

User avatar
andy10917
Posts: 29739
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: Fort Worth Soil Test - Renovation

Post by andy10917 » June 11th, 2017, 9:39 pm

No. You live in an area with known abundances of Calcium. There is no practical solution, and even if there were, there is more Calcium waiting to join the party. It should not harm your chances for a good Bermuda lawn. Just know that "normal" Iron techniques will not work for improving color.


GregGeis
Posts: 53
Joined: April 2nd, 2016, 11:24 pm
Location: Fort Worth, Tx
Grass Type: St. Augustine
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: Fort Worth Soil Test - Renovation

Post by GregGeis » June 13th, 2017, 8:42 am

This lawn is Saint Augustine. Do I still give it as many applications of Milorganite at 1#/k N? I also have a lot of shade, which I've read should decrease your application rate. Then again Milorganite shouldn't burn it so it may be fine.

Thanks a lot for your help. I really appreciate it.

GregGeis
Posts: 53
Joined: April 2nd, 2016, 11:24 pm
Location: Fort Worth, Tx
Grass Type: St. Augustine
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: Fort Worth Soil Test - Renovation

Post by GregGeis » June 13th, 2017, 9:00 am

Oh yeah and one more question. I have huge live oaks through my lawn. Is the Cooper fine for the trees at the recommended application rate or should I try to give them a little buffer?

User avatar
andy10917
Posts: 29739
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: Fort Worth Soil Test - Renovation

Post by andy10917 » June 13th, 2017, 9:14 am

You're not going to be applying Copper at the (crazy) rates used as fungicidal apps. This is just bringing the soil to where it SHOULD be.

User avatar
Dchall_San_Antonio
Posts: 3341
Joined: December 17th, 2008, 1:53 am
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Grass Type: St Augustine
Lawn Size: 5000-10000
Level: Advanced

Re: Fort Worth Soil Test - Renovation

Post by Dchall_San_Antonio » June 14th, 2017, 1:27 pm

Much of Texas has been blessed with a buildup of at least 1,000 feet of seashells that have morphed into limestone over the eons. As Andy said, there is no practical way to adjust that away. What can happen is the soil microbes can acidify the soil in their immediate area. One of the exudates from biological activity is carbon dioxide. When combined with water it forms carbonic acid. It is a weak acid, but we need every bit we can get. If you do nothing, when the grass awakens in the spring it will have the benefit of the soil microbes working all winter to adjust the pH. Something else you can try if you are not committed to an organic fertilizer regimen is to use ammonium sulfate fertilizer. It looks like rock salt and costs a pittance. At least it used to be something like $3 for 20 pounds. The sulfate seems to acidify the soil temporarily. But if you have St Augustine, it grows just fine in our soils.

GregGeis
Posts: 53
Joined: April 2nd, 2016, 11:24 pm
Location: Fort Worth, Tx
Grass Type: St. Augustine
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: Fort Worth Soil Test - Renovation

Post by GregGeis » June 14th, 2017, 9:55 pm

Thanks I have one more question. I have live oaks through my lawn. Is the Cooper fine for the trees at the recommended application rate or should I try to give them a little buffer? The crystals are quite large, maybe half the size of a corn kernel. With the relatively low concentration over the lawn do I need to grind it first to keep from overtreating?

TimmyG
Posts: 2244
Joined: May 15th, 2012, 6:04 pm
Location: Dracut, MA
Grass Type: Northern Mix
Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
Level: Experienced

Re: Fort Worth Soil Test - Renovation

Post by TimmyG » June 14th, 2017, 11:05 pm

GregGeis wrote:
June 14th, 2017, 9:55 pm
Thanks I have one more question. I have live oaks through my lawn. Is the Cooper fine for the trees at the recommended application rate or should I try to give them a little buffer? The crystals are quite large, maybe half the size of a corn kernel. With the relatively low concentration over the lawn do I need to grind it first to keep from overtreating?
That's two questions, the first of which you already asked and had answered. As for the copper being crystals, you typically want to buy and apply copper sulfate in a powder form. That said, here's your answer: Copper Sulfate Spreading. Search copper+crystals for more advice.

GregGeis
Posts: 53
Joined: April 2nd, 2016, 11:24 pm
Location: Fort Worth, Tx
Grass Type: St. Augustine
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: Fort Worth Soil Test - Renovation

Post by GregGeis » June 15th, 2017, 12:44 am

Thanks. My page hadn't reloaded properly and it looked like my last post hadn't gone through and it was still typed in. I saw it right after I posted but couldn't modify it. Thanks for the reference.

GregGeis
Posts: 53
Joined: April 2nd, 2016, 11:24 pm
Location: Fort Worth, Tx
Grass Type: St. Augustine
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: Fort Worth Soil Test - Renovation

Post by GregGeis » October 2nd, 2018, 9:42 am

Dchall_San_Antonio wrote:
June 14th, 2017, 1:27 pm
Much of Texas has been blessed with a buildup of at least 1,000 feet of seashells that have morphed into limestone over the eons. As Andy said, there is no practical way to adjust that away. What can happen is the soil microbes can acidify the soil in their immediate area. One of the exudates from biological activity is carbon dioxide. When combined with water it forms carbonic acid. It is a weak acid, but we need every bit we can get. If you do nothing, when the grass awakens in the spring it will have the benefit of the soil microbes working all winter to adjust the pH. Something else you can try if you are not committed to an organic fertilizer regimen is to use ammonium sulfate fertilizer. It looks like rock salt and costs a pittance. At least it used to be something like $3 for 20 pounds. The sulfate seems to acidify the soil temporarily. But if you have St Augustine, it grows just fine in our soils.
I apologize for bringing up an old thread but I am having a hard time getting Milorganite these days. Do you guys have a recommendation for an alternative? It doesn’t have to be an organic fertilizer.

gardenpants
Posts: 140
Joined: September 15th, 2016, 5:16 pm
Location: Dallas, TX
Grass Type: Southern mix
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: Fort Worth Soil Test - Renovation

Post by gardenpants » October 2nd, 2018, 2:09 pm

If you're looking at big box stores for organic options, the Lowe's in our area sells Jobe's Organics Lawn Food. For organic lawn fertilizers at local garden centers, there is Maestro-Gro's "Texas Tee" and Good Natured "Texas 2-Step".

GregGeis
Posts: 53
Joined: April 2nd, 2016, 11:24 pm
Location: Fort Worth, Tx
Grass Type: St. Augustine
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: Fort Worth Soil Test - Renovation

Post by GregGeis » October 2nd, 2018, 2:42 pm

Thanks, I’m not looking for organic options, I was Judy using it because Andy recommended it based on my soul results. It would be great to use another cheaper option if a conventional would get the job done. I just wanted to see what balance I should get for my yard and if I need to add anything else if Im not using Milo.

User avatar
Dchall_San_Antonio
Posts: 3341
Joined: December 17th, 2008, 1:53 am
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Grass Type: St Augustine
Lawn Size: 5000-10000
Level: Advanced

Re: Fort Worth Soil Test - Renovation

Post by Dchall_San_Antonio » January 8th, 2019, 12:16 pm

There are many other organic choices besides milorganite. I use alfalfa pellets because they are higher in protein than corn meal and they are available year round in my area as wither alfalfa pellets or rabbit chow. Other choices include alfalfa meal, soybean meal, corn meal, cracked corn, corn gluten meal, or any other ground up nut, bean, seed, or grain you can find at your local feed store.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests