Josh's 2018 soil test

[southern-ct-4]

My first soil test post so hopefully I do this right!

I'd greatly appreciate any help in getting my soil to where it needs to be. Lawn is pretty good overall, a decent green (could always be darker), have some issues with poa annua/triv, and lawn could be thicker/stand up taller.

I have 20,000 sq ft so its a bit hard to maintain. About half of this is in the front, and about 3/4 of of that (so about 7,500 sq ft) is the portion directly in front of my house that I try to maintain the best. I probably should have done separate soil samples but I didn't...

I have no irrigation, but I do drag out hoses (and have a 4-prong wifi timer) and put down 1"/week during the peak of summer.

Most of the yard is full sun with some partly shaded. Just a small portion is full shade. This sample does not include anything from the full shade.

I have a mix of PR/FF/KBG

I mow at 3-4" every week or sooner (when it rains, the lawn grows fast).

What I put down this year (not including weed/insect control as I assume those don't affect soil results):

- Prodiamine on 4/9 at, I believe, 4 lbs/1k sq ft
- Greenview Fairway Formula Spring Fertilizer Weed and Feed and Crabgrass Preventer on 5/17 (bag rate which is 2 bags at 10k sf per bag)
- Sol-u-Cal w/humic on 5/31, 3 bags
- Milorganite on 6/27, 9 bags
- Milorganite on 8/21, 6 bags
- Scott's Starter fert with Tenacity on 9/8, 4 bags at 5k sf/bag.
- Ringer on 9/8, 2 bags

Thanks for any/all suggestions!


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[southern-ct-4]

Hi. Sorry, just wanted to make sure I did everything correctly, and also to mention that I did the sample before I did the fert on 9/8 (so it didn't affect the results).

Thanks again!

[andy10917]

Oops!! I must have missed the fact that you put your test into the Soil Test Interpretation Queue. Sorry! I'll try to get to it this evening...

[southern-ct-4]

Oops!! I must have missed the fact that you put your test into the Soil Test Interpretation Queue. Sorry! I'll try to get to it this evening...

Thanks so much!!

[southern-ct-4]

Sorry, just wanted to ask if/when you think you might be able to take a look and advise.

I'm hoping to spend this weekend working on the yard, so if there's something specific you recommend I put down asap, I'll want to pick it up and put it down in a few days.

Thanks again!!

[andy10917]

I'm so sorry - things have been crazy. I'll get it done in the next few hours.

[southern-ct-4]

Please don't apologize, I greatly appreciate that you are taking your own time to do this (for free nonetheless!).

[andy10917]

That's not a terrible soil, but it's a little short in numerous areas. It might be very nice with some effort!

The TEC shows a slightly sandy soil just short of a Loam, and you've got a great OM number at 7+. We can work with that combo.

In the cations, you're short on Calcium and Magnesium, and fine on the Potassium. That's a bit unusual, but the easiest scenario to fix. You need to get and apply a good Calcitic Lime (Encap/Mag-I-Cal/Solu-Cal) and mix the "heavy rate" on the bag with 2 lbs/K of Epsom Salts. Apply it at 2lbs/K over the printed bag rate for "heavy rate") for the Lime every 90 days.

Phosphorus is good.

The Iron is low. You can use Milorganite at bag rate monthly (not after first frost) for Iron (and Nitrogen), or we can use monthly Urea for Nitrogen at 2 lbs/K and apply Ferrous Sulfate at 2-3 lbs/K every 60 days. Your choice. Urea and Lime apps should be separated from each other by 2 weeks where possible.

In the micro's, I'm recommending Boron, Manganese and Zinc. The Boron is so low that it can't be measured. Get Twenty Mule Team Laundry Soap from the grocery and Manganese Sulfate and Zinc Sulfate from Amazon or EBAY. Apply each of them at 3 tablespoons/K as outlined in the Micronutrient Application Guide every 60 days.

That wasn't so bad, was it?

[southern-ct-4]

Awesome, thanks! I'll read it in more detail tonight and follow-up with any questions, but at quick glance it seems pretty straightforward. Thanks again!

[southern-ct-4]

I often use Mag i Cal and/or Solu-Cal so I'll continue to do so (at a heavy rate as you've noted above), along with 40 lbs of epsom salt (for my 20k sq ft lawn). Is there anything special I need to know/do with the epsom salt (as I think I've read that salt can burn a lawn)? Or just be sure to apply before rain (as I don't have irrigation to water it in, and my current sprinkler setup won't hit it all)?

I'll use Milo at bag rate each month until first frost (so probably just 2 applications or so). Alternatively, I do have a bag of Urea, so perhaps I'll use that and add the Ferrous Sulfate (can you point me to a specific item to order somewhere?).

For the micro's how much should I be applying? The guide talks about how to apply them, but not how much.

Thanks again!

[andy10917]

For the micro's how much should I be applying?

I corrected my posting to specify 3 tablespoons/K.

I think I've read that salt can burn a lawn

Ah, Yes -- FINALLY. I've been expecting that question since the ATY site opened almost a decade ago...

You're amongst the 80% of the people that slept through your high school Chemistry class, aren't you?

The answer is simple, but the background more complex -- so I'll write a longer thread with a table that explains it all, and add a link from this thread to that one when I'm finished. Please read it...

Here's the Link: Salt Index Thread

[southern-ct-4]

Thanks Andy. I googled salt vs. epsom salt and I see that Epson doesn't burn... But I will read your post later once it's ready.

Thanks for the update on the micros. Follow-up question as I just want to make sure I'm doing this right; 3 tbs / 1k, I have 20k so I'd need 60 tablespoons for each application. 60 tbsp = 30 fluid ounces, but I'm not sure if fluid ounces is the same as 'powder' ounces, as I assume the micros are a powder, correct?

In fact, I found a 65 ounce box of 20 mule borax at walmart, so that one box would be perfect for 2 applications, correct (if liquid and powder ounces are the same)?

[andy10917]

Link posted, as promised: Salt Index Table

[southern-ct-4]

Link posted, as promised: Salt Index Table

Thanks!

[andy10917]

Follow-up question as I just want to make sure I'm doing this right; 3 tbs / 1k, I have 20k so I'd need 60 tablespoons for each application. 60 tbsp = 30 fluid ounces, but I'm not sure if fluid ounces is the same as 'powder' ounces, as I assume the micros are a powder, correct?

Yeah, that sounds right. Getting the Boron working permits Calcium added (mostly as Lime) to do it's job. They work synergistically, and no Boron means that the Lime doesn't seem to be working.

[southern-ct-4]

Follow-up question as I just want to make sure I'm doing this right; 3 tbs / 1k, I have 20k so I'd need 60 tablespoons for each application. 60 tbsp = 30 fluid ounces, but I'm not sure if fluid ounces is the same as 'powder' ounces, as I assume the micros are a powder, correct?

Yeah, that sounds right. Getting the Boron working permits Calcium added (mostly as Lime) to do it's job. They work synergistically, and no Boron means that the Lime doesn't seem to be working.

Awesome, thanks again!

[andy10917]

No problem!

The biggest challenge with micronutrients is that people get the idea that "if it's only three tablespoons, it can't be that important", but the keys that open the lock to your house are small compared to the size of the house too. Like I wrote, a major nutrient can be locked out of the lawn and soil by tiny amounts of micronutrients that are missing.

[southern-ct-4]

no Boron means that the Lime doesn't seem to be working ... a major nutrient can be locked out of the lawn and soil by tiny amounts of micronutrients that are missing.

Do I need to apply the micros before the mag-i-cal (and if so, how long before)? Or doesn't really matter, and I should just get everything down as soon as I can?

I have the mag-i-cal in-hand, and I have Milo in-hand (to mix with the micros), but the micros won't arrive for a couple of days. It's going to rain on Tuesday/Wednesday so I was thinking of getting the mag-i-cal down Sunday or Monday, and then the Milo/micros as soon as I get a chance (possibly even during the rain if it's not too bad out).

[andy10917]

It's better to keep Lime and micro's separate. While Lime and Boron are good together, other things are not. Keep them apart by two weeks if possible. Go ahead and do the Lime.

[southern-ct-4]

Understood, thanks. Lime now, micros/milo in 2 weeks.