Green: 2018 Soil Tests

[Green]

Andy, et. al.:

Here are my 2018 results:
(OK...I've tried to upload the results 4 times, and the link isn't being pasted into the message. Is Post Image not working?)

Here is a link to last year's thread, in which the front was tested:
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=22415

2016 was the last time the back and low-input areas were tested.

For the front this past year, I did the one Lime application, down from the normal 3 per year, as directed, since we were getting close to balancing Calcium. Looks like we're even closer now. All P apps this past year were either from Milorganite or Starter fertilizer. I did not go nuts applying P. Likewise, I don't believe I applied more than 2 or possibly 3 full apps of Potassium last year, either, considering all K sources.

As far as OM, I continue to mulch mow almost all the time, including leaves. I convinced a neighbor not to cut down a perfectly fine tree on our border this past week!. I used peat moss in the front last Fall for overseeding. I did not do many micro apps last year, but did a couple.

I find it interesting that the Sodium numbers are up across the board this year. I have no idea why. Why do you think this is? At least there is some sort of a pattern with the bigger picture.

I recently applied the heavy bag rate of Solu-Cal/Encap Lime (around 12 lbs/K) to the low-input area, with around 7 lbs of Epsom salt. Let me know if you think I need any further apps on that area this year, and what the rates should be, or if that was enough. This might be the last year I get to do a lot of lawn amendments and herbicides for several years, as I'm looking to pursue an advanced degree in the medical field that will take 4 years (after 2 BS degrees that took 7 years). I plan to outsource the basic (4 per year) fertilizer apps to a trusted local lawn care company that I've used before and have a good relationship with. Since I'm particular about what I use, the owner said I could buy the fertilizer I want, and have them apply it. So, I will not be doing many amendments after this year for a little bit most likely. Let's make this a productive year!

[Green]

Trying again to post the link to the 2018 soil tests:

[Green]

Oh, forgot to mention...in places, there are pockets of orange to red colored, sandy-looking soil that tend to get hard. What might those be?

And we're definitely doing the micros this year.

Thanks!

[andy10917]

Structurally, those are interesting results - the lowest TEC has the highest OM%. You don't see that all that often...

The soils vary from a pretty sandy soil (Low Input) to almost a medium loam (Back). The Low Input area has the highest OM%, and even thought the OM% numbers are OK to very good, more OM helps across the board.

I'd stay on the lime/epsom in the low input area, but I certainly hope the Epsom was 7 lbs total and not 7 lbs/K!! Don't apply Epsom Salts above 2 lbs/K in a single app.

Phosphorus numbers are fine, and I'd take a breather on the Potassium.

Iron numbers are marginally weak - Ferrous Sulfate or FAS might be a consideration.

I see nothing that hints at a reason for the Sodium numbers - if there is any evidence of stunting or burning tips, hit the area with 30 lbs/K of Gypsum, and then flush the soil a month later.

In the micro's, the Boron is the only one that needs attention - 3 tablespoons/K of Twenty Mule Team Laundry Soap every 60 days. Read the Micronutrient Application Guide.

About the red/orange soil: dig it up a bit and study it - I had a small patch the was sort of a fully eroded red shale, and not much grew well on it. I dug it up and replaced it, and voila - no more problem.

[Green]

Thank you, Andy!

To answer a few of your questions and ask a few more...

I know the OM numbers have bounced around a bit over the years in testing. The low-input area might not have always had the highest OM results. I can tell you, the low-input area itself has a few different soil subtypes even though it's a defined area, so my sampling is an average of those. I think the reason it's like that is because of how the soil changed over time in response to the conditions in various parts of the area over the last 50+ years. Apparently, part of the area was basically a pond at one point. When it floods, it causes issues, so I'm planning to do a soil structure jar test, as well as percolation test in the coming weeks. I'll post the results in this thread.

Yes, the Epsom salt in the low-input area was 7-7.5 lbs total, over ~6.5K of area. I've always stayed on the lower side of your recommendations for Epsom salt, because the soil is always tighter in the other half of the area that is more sandy, drains better, has less shade, etc. I didn't want to make it worse.

As far as Potassium goes...honestly, I may have only done the equivalent of less than 2 full apps (assuming 1 lb/K of K2O equivalent per app) last year...somewhere between 1 and 3 apps for sure. I finally sourced some SOP again this year, so do you think I'd be hurting anything by putting down a little bit this year, even though you said take a breather from it? So far this year, all the SOP or MOP has been from my control products...I've put down 0.25 lb/K K2O equivalent so far this year, on all lawn areas. I will be putting down another 0.15 or so, without the help of SOP. Is that more than enough, or can I put down another 2 lbs/K once in June before the heat stress kicks in and get away with it without overdoing the Potassium levels?

I'll have to research the type of tip burn that is caused by Sodium. I do know there is always something "off" about the grass in the low-input area, but I'm not sure it's that.

The red rock is what a lot of totally untrained people would think was red clay, but it's not clay, because the particles are too large for clay. I think I'm stuck with it mixed into the back lawn's soil.

I may get aggressive with the Boron finally...let's see if I can do it every 2 months as you said to.

Thanks again!

[Green]

Also...

So, 3 full apps of Lime at up to 12 lbs/K mixed with 1-2 lbs/K of Epsom Salt for the low-input area this year, right? But not even a single partial Lime and/or Epsom salt app on any other areas this year??

[andy10917]

About the Potassium: sneak it in if you'd like -- Potassium actually HELPS with the handling of stress, including heat stress.

About the Sodium: compared to many places in the country, CT is quite wet. It is unusual to find Sodium levels being high from snow control products still by late Spring. You haven't used anything like mushroom compost this Spring, have you?

About the Lime: Don't flash the rookie mistakes - that soil is settling in to its own "sweet spot". Stop looking at the little minus signs and look at the Base Saturation numbers and how they're settling in nicely. This is when you put away the Big Sticks and tweak the soil ever so gently. It's doing well - don't try to micromanage tiny differences. Your soil is going to settle in somewhere between pH 6.3 and 6.5. I have no problem with that.

[Green]

I figured you say that about the Potassium.

Yeah, CT is *supposed to be* a fairly wet area...the town next to mine (52 inches per year rainfall) is very close in average rainfall to Miami...within about 5-8 inches a year. Problem is, as you know, the past 4 or so years have not been that way, with the past 3 having some form of drought, including severe drought. That sprinkler system (going on almost 3 years with it now) has been very worthwhile. The low-input area does not have irrigation; I do it manually if needed and if I have time. It does go into dormancy if we don't get rain.

My gut feeling based on seeing the numbers change over the past few years tells me to sneak in no more than one more Lime app at 9 lbs/K on the low-input area this year...or possibly two at 4.5 lbs/K. is that more along what you meant as far as continuing the Lime program for that area?

I think a pH of 6.4 sounds good. I looked at a nutrient availability chart, as well as what my grass mixes prefer for pH, and that seems to be the sweet spot, all things considered. The difference in grass performance in the front versus 5 years ago is huge. it's so much easier to maintain it now.

[Green]

As far as Sodium, no mushroom compost. Only peat moss. And not in the low-input area, just the front basically. The only control products I've used are the pro form of Grubex (0-0-7 with Potassium (MOP)) so far. That's where the 0.25 lb of K came from. The Dimension I bought this year has SOP...I spent extra for it to get SOP instead of MOP this year. I have been using a blend of AS/urea (with 4% K from MOP in it too) in the Fall semi-aggressively. I see Chlorine numbers on those, but not so much sodium from those. I'm trying to think about anything else that I might have used that could cause high sodium...

[Green]

....runoff from the yard behind me from Winter road salt??? That might be a stretch...

And those grub control products were AFTER my soil test. Last year, I used a similar one, though. No way a couple of 0-0-7 or X-X-4 MOP products could raise sodium like that...?

[andy10917]

Doubt it. Sodium washes out pretty quickly unless held by compost or something similar.

[Green]

Yeah.

So, just a touch more Lime/Epsom salt in the low-input area this year should be enough, I guess...
How would you handle it if you had already dropped a 12 lb/K app just now? Would you just do a second app at 4.5 lbs/K app in say, October, and then call it done?

[andy10917]

Nope - I'd make sure to avoid lime apps screwing up the Fall Nitrogen regimen. I'd get that second lime app down as soon as the 90 day alarm clock rings.

[Green]

Cool. I wasn't sure if it should be spread out at a greater time interval. You answered that.

Btw, you know me...I would never chance Lime getting in the way of a Fall N application! (Been there, done that several years ago, and wished I didn't have to lose 4 weeks of N apps, but felt the Lime was more important than the Nitrogen and lived with the choice.)

Also, I think with any future Lime apps I ever do on any yard, I'm actually going to try to avoid doing them late in the season (i.e. during the pause). A couple of years ago, I talked with someone local in the fertilizer business who used to work with the company I mentioned in this thread, and he had some evidence that Lime late in the season might be inducing snow mold. He said something to the effect of, "I know you've told me about Potassium having a similar impact, but we think we've seen it happen from our Lime apps in November over the years." They were using the same brand of fast-acting Lime that I use.

[Green]

Doubt it. Sodium washes out pretty quickly unless held by compost or something similar.

One other thing just for the sake of being thorough...

Last year, I applied Hydretain ES Plus II (label: http://www.hydretain.com/resources/lite ... _label.jpg) on the low-input area and parts of the front.

The year before (as well as a tiny bit last year), I used Tricure Granular: http://www.tricure.com/wp-content/theme ... -label.pdf

I'm not seeing anything that contains sodium in either of them, nor would I expect them to...

[andy10917]

I'd ignor a one-time issue, unless there were symptoms