pw405 - Spring 2019 Test Results

[PW405]

Below are my spring 2019 results. I combined front & back samples this year. I feel that these results may be a bit more "baseline" than than my prior test due to having applied general fertilizers relatively recently to when the 2017 samples were taken.

2017 Thread for reference:
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=23015&hilit=pw405+soil#p312089

I've followed the instructions from 2017's test through the entire 2018 growing season (March-Nov, generally). EXCEPT the calcitic lime. I did apply a single 40lb bag during this time, however it was not a rapid release lime.

Thank you & let me know if I can provide more info.

Info:

Dimensions (revised): Front - 2700ft Back - 500 sqft.
Grass - Blend of TTTF & KBG
Watering - deep and & infrequent
Mowing - 1/week
Disease - relatively little
Weed pressure - relatively little

Goals:

Improve soil as much as possible (advanced approaches if needed) to support healthy cool-season turf in the western Transition Zone.

[HoosierLawnGnome]

Wow that is much improved! Crazy they left off Mg on your previous test.

I see the OM is better, Ca is better, and K and Mg look fine now. As a result your pH is at 6.2. Fantastic. Time to bring her home gently.

So naturally HLG is swooping in here when Andy is the one that set you on the right course.

OM and Ca are still the weak spots as I look at this. So do two apps of lime again this year, same way you did in the past.

Keep piling on the OM.

The other thing you can do is step up your nitrogen game. Make sure to winterize properly if your area in the transition zone merits winterizing. Take on the fall intensive nitrogen program too. If you dont get a real winter where things go dormant treat winter as the pause and skip winterizing.

An example in a non winterized situation using urea 46 0 0.
2 lbs per k early May
When the weather breaks in end of August or early September start in at 1 lb per k weekly until time to pause. Watch you dont exceed the max for non KBG cultivars and stop beforehand.

Always water urea in afterwards.

Consider mowing more frequently during flushes.

[PW405]

Wow that is much improved! Crazy they left off Mg on your previous test.

I see the OM is better, Ca is better, and K and Mg look fine now. As a result your pH is at 6.2. Fantastic. Time to bring her home gently.

So naturally HLG is swooping in here when Andy is the one that set you on the right course.

OM and Ca are still the weak spots as I look at this. So do two apps of lime again this year, same way you did in the past.

Keep piling on the OM.

The other thing you can do is step up your nitrogen game. Make sure to winterize properly if your area in the transition zone merits winterizing. Take on the fall intensive nitrogen program too. If you dont get a real winter where things go dormant treat winter as the pause and skip winterizing.

An example in a non winterized situation using urea 46 0 0.
2 lbs per k early May
When the weather breaks in end of August or early September start in at 1 lb per k weekly until time to pause. Watch you dont exceed the max for non KBG cultivars and stop beforehand.

Always water urea in afterwards.

Consider mowing more frequently during flushes.

Good to hear we're heading in the right direction! The magnesium should be on a later post in my 2017 thread, the app I used to screen capture got confused because I did a scrolling capture and it cut it off, apparently.

OM - I'm doing everything I can, mulching practically all year, heck.. I may even have saved a few giant trashbags of dry leaves to spread around and mulch in. I understand this will take years to really move the needle. Perhaps I should obtain some sawdust? Would adding earthworms help to move things along any quicker? I seem to have an abundance of pill bugs (roly-poly's) the likes of which I've never seen. They are everywhere!

I have been following the Fall N regimen the past two years. I ultimately decided against winterizing this year though. I was still observing growth in early Jan, and growth has really picked up around Mid-March. Further puzzling is that last year when I made the winterizing app, I noted on 4-20-18 that "Fescue growth rates seem slow". Certainly not the case this year, so I'm kinna torn on what is the best path with the winterizing N app. More data needed for sure. The end of winter this year was very, very nice. Tons of sun, decent rain, and no crazy April sleet storms like last year. I think we're right on the edge here were the cool season turf never actually goes dormant. Perhaps it depends on the severity of the winter.

Any work needed on the micro's?

[HoosierLawnGnome]

Yeah I saw the updated test later.

Andy is your micro answer man.

Sawdust is helpful, sure. Maybe there are free sources somewhere?

Earthworms are really helpful, but I wouldn't spend money buying more unless you have none. Feed the turf and they will explode. I swear milorganite is like playing Barry White and setting out candle lit picnics for them.

I had a bunch of pill bugs in a renovation once that I think feasted on some seedlings in areas, but let mother nature balance it out. I dont like killing insects if I dont have to.

[andy10917]

Any work needed on the micro's?

Yes, Boron and Manganese are short. Get Twenty Mule Team laundry soap from the grocery, and Manganese Sulfate from EBAY or Amazon. Apply both at 3 tablespoons/K as outlined in the Micronutrient Application Guide. Apply every 60 days of the growing season.

[PW405]

Any work needed on the micro's?

Yes, Boron and Manganese are short. Get Twenty Mule Team laundry soap from the grocery, and Manganese Sulfate from EBAY or Amazon. Apply both at 3 tablespoons/K as outlined in the Micronutrient Application Guide. Apply every 60 days of the growing season.

Thanks again Andy & HLG! Will keep on the Micro's throughout the season.