Darin Brown - 2017 soil testing

[darinbrown]

some background.. had a pool put in last summer/fall so we're needing to re-sod the backyard. We're looking at around 3500 sqft behind the pool and had planned on putting in Zeon Zoysia. We had St. Augustine back there for about 2.5 years (new construction in Feb/March of 2014) but it struggled and wife wants a fine-bladed Zoysia on the re-sod.

Will be laying down new sod and not seed. hopefully in the next 2-3 weeks before the heat of the summer gets here in DFW but sod farm is running a bit behind at the moment.

Sent the sample off to Logan Labs with the 'Ammonium Acetate extraction of cations' option since we're in the DFW area (Roanoke to be precise).

Have applied a round of BLSC (baby shampoo option) and BLKH (a week apart as I waited for BLKH supplies) shortly after the sample was taken.

[darinbrown]

getting ready to lay down the new sod in short order.. anything (stater fertilizer?) that should be put down now before digging into the detailed soil analysis to follow?

[andy10917]

It may be a bit challenging to get Zoysia to be happy in pH 8.6 soil -- I don't know how far you can push the zone, but I think 8.6 is a tie for the high pH this year. The soil is also pretty lacking in organic matter. Tough soil, and almost impossible to fix that amount of alkalinity.

With both Phosphorus and Potassium lacking, we've got a recipe for balanced fertilizers. Locate one and post the NPK for rates and frequency.

Iron is very weak, and you may want to use chelated Iron or FAS foliar applications. See articles in the Articles area to help you with a decision there.

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

[darinbrown]

I'm assuming laying 2-3" of compost down as a temporary help for the pH before the sod goes in would be a very short term 'fix'.. am I just better off letting the grass try and adapt to the high pH from the onset and perhaps top-dress with some compost and add as much organic matter as possible throughout the year to begin to slowly move the needle in the right direction?

[darinbrown]

looks like I can pick up some 10-10-10 for $13.99/40 lbs or 13-13-13 for $19.49/40 lbs..

sod farm recommends one application directly to soil prior to laying down the sod but I'll take the advice of the experts here.

[andy10917]

10-10-10 goes down at 10 lbs/K monthly and 13-13-13 goes down at 7.5 lbs/K. Pick your poison.

No problem with following the sod farm's advice.

[andy10917]

I see nothing in the posted test that changes anything that I recommended. Stay the plan, and do what you can (FAS?) to keep some Iron getting to the grass regularly.

[darinbrown]

good stuff... I didn't figure it would change the recommendations. milorganite a possibility if I wanted to drop some down given my high soil pH?

[andy10917]

Milorganite is a reasonably priced natural fertilizer that delivers Iron to the grass in a naturally-chelated form. That means that the Iron is available at a higher pH level.

[darinbrown]

came across some 10-10-10 for $2.50/40lb.. had planned on another soil test next March/April but guessing I'm looking at regular/monthly applications of 10-10-10 during the growing season next year in all likelihood?

[andy10917]

Yup, that is pretty likely.

[darinbrown]

figured (though correct me if wrong) that the fertilizer would go down monthly at the rates above from March/April until September/October here in the DFW area.. as for getting iron to the grass regularly, looks like similar time frame for that application as well? Zoysia has taken well so far.. we've had a pretty mild summer here in DFW and I imagine that's helped some.

[andy10917]

Keep going as long as the lawn is actively growing in the DFW area.

[darinbrown]

Zoysia beginning to green up again here in DFW. likely will be laying down Zoysia in the front yard this year but will order up another soil test to see what I'm dealing with in the front yard first.. as for the existing sod in the back, planning on monthly applications of 10-10-10 at bag rate as well as milorganite at bag rate in addition to BLSC/KH to slowly up the OM.

[HoosierLawnGnome]

posted to wrong thread!