JohnP's Soil Results 2017

[JohnP]

In July I put down some Milorganite, but otherwise haven't done much but spray for weeds. Pulled soil samples on 9/4 and sent them in. Did an overseed on 9/4 as well as peat moss and have been watering regularly. Pulled the samples before the peat moss/overseed.

Square Footage: Roughly 2700 combined. KBG/Fescue...maybe some PRG...it's a hot mess.

Looking for BEST approach. The sample results below have for back and front yard.

[HoosierLawnGnome]

Okey dokey - the best approach it is

Not a bad soil at all to work with. Still work to do though.

At a high level it's a heavier loam with the TEC of 16-18, the front a bit heavier than the back.

OM levels in both are good. Nonetheless, mulch all leaves and keep mulch mowing when you don't have disease.

The major cations we see slightly different profiles. The ratios in both aren't bad. Your pH is maybe every-so-slightly lower-than-optimal in the back @ 6.1. Probably due to slightly lower levels of some major cations there. The front is spot on in terms of pH, but the ratios is a bit off. We'll do slightly different things to address this. In the front you have excess Mg and low K, in the back, slightly low Ca and K with Mg pretty close.

Phosphorus levels are ok in back, slightly low from where I like it in front - but not bad in either. We'll adjust for each accordingly.

Iron is good in both zones.

For the micronutrients, you'll need andy to chime in. I don't see anything crazy re: sulfur, sodium, aluminum etc

So - here's what I want you to source:

Sulfate of Potash (0-0-50) - NOT Muriate of Potash (MOP 0-0-60)
Triple Superphosphate (TSP 0-46-0)
A good, calcitic lime such as encap or mag-i-cal
Urea 0-46-0

Once you find the SOP or TSP, you'll probably find the urea.

I prefer TSP and SOP because they are more friendly to your excellent OM level.

Da Plan
Front:

Fall-
1 lb / K SOP, 2 lbs / K TSP, 1 lb / K urea now, watered in directly afterwards
1 lbs / K urea weekly thereafter until first frost, watered in directly afterwards
Winterize with 2 lbs / K urea, watered in afterwards - read up on timing

Spring (after turf has greened up on it's own)
1 lb / K SOP monthly until September, mixed with 1/2 lb TSP. Yes, I know this is more frequent applications but you wanted the best plan and this is more work, but gradually feeds nutrients to your lawn throughout the season and applies some K over the summer to help with stress
2 lb / K urea around Memorial Day, watered in directly afterwards

Back:
Fall
1 lb / K SOP mixed with 1 lbs / K urea now, watered in directly afterwards
1 lb / K urea weekly thereafter until first frost, watered in directly afterwards
2 weeks after the SOP and 3-4 days from the urea - 9 lbs / K of a good calcitic lime.
Winterize with 2 lbs / K urea, watered in afterwards - read up on timing

Spring (after turf has greened up on it's own)

1 lb / K SOP every other month until September.
9 lbs / K of the good, calcitic lime when the ground is workable, 2 weeks from the SOP and other fertilizer
2 lb / K urea around Memorial Day, watered in directly afterwards

Now, this is a minimal N approach in the spring - keep in mind you have a mix so all your grass doesn't require the N many all-kbg lawn owners on this site give theirs. You can add some milorganite in there too if you want, just watch how much N you put down and keep in mind excessive spring N encouarges fungus, so don't push it. The goal is to fill your lawn in with the recent overseed.

[HoosierLawnGnome]

My apologies, the NPK for urea is 46-0-0, not 0-46-0. That will save you some strange looks and an impossibly difficult search

[JohnP]

Thanks HLG! I did pick up Urea yesterday in prep to put down today now that the heat wave broke. I will swing out there and get SOP/TSP and put that down yet this week.

If I could send you a bag of Urea I would!

[JohnP]

HLG, the TSP I can get my hands on is an 11-48-0 and the SOP is 0-0-50-1-17.

They're closed now, and I didn't think to ask what the 1-17 would be, and admittedly haven't googled it either...but my concern is on the TSP. If I'm doing Urea as well (1#/1K per week) should I look elsewhere or just space the TSP out?

Thanks!

[TimmyG]

11-48-0 is monoammonium phosphate (MAP), a good option when you can't source TSP. MAP ranges from 11-48-0 to 11-52-0. The latter is what I can source and use.