Dargin's Home 2019 Soil Test
Posted: June 4th, 2019, 8:41 pm
I started working on this lawn 3 years ago. It's approximately 2.3k. Northern mix. Nothing elite.
Up until last summer I was blindly amending the soil with dolimitic lime, calcitic lime, and 10-10-10. I realize I'm very lucky if I didnt cause any major soil problems in that time.
I -manually- core aerated and dethatched when I first started. I wouldn't do either again even if I weren't now aware of the potential drawbacks to both. It was...a workout.
I've also overseeded a couple times and done some spot seeding in areas where poa annua and nimblewill were a problem. Tenacity got those under control.
With the exception of a small area that took winter damage, the rest of the lawn is on a proper preemergent routine for the first time. I consider that a small victory in itself.
I top dressed it twice with compost/humus and once with peat during those first couple years.
Since last summer I nixed the balanced fertilizers and got my N primarily from milo. I haven't applied any forms of P, K, or micros since. I did apply some ferrous sulfate via MossEX this May just to test it out.
Plenty of KH/BLSC apps, extra molasses apps, and a couple light apps of corn meal. Mulched a lot of leaves last fall.
Winterized with a last second urea app, after some snow came and went. It really seemed to lead to a nice and speedy spring greenup. The lawn's never looked healthier, despite myself.
I've been mowing twice a week; occasionally 3 if it calls for it and the weather permits. Trying to get things to thicken up and fill in, and it looks like it's been working. Keeping the blades razor sharp (bought a cheap bench grinder) and keeping it at about 3.5 inches going into summer.
I took my samples with a bulb planter and sampled at the 3-4 inch range.
I think that's about it.
Thank you very much.
Up until last summer I was blindly amending the soil with dolimitic lime, calcitic lime, and 10-10-10. I realize I'm very lucky if I didnt cause any major soil problems in that time.
I -manually- core aerated and dethatched when I first started. I wouldn't do either again even if I weren't now aware of the potential drawbacks to both. It was...a workout.
I've also overseeded a couple times and done some spot seeding in areas where poa annua and nimblewill were a problem. Tenacity got those under control.
With the exception of a small area that took winter damage, the rest of the lawn is on a proper preemergent routine for the first time. I consider that a small victory in itself.
I top dressed it twice with compost/humus and once with peat during those first couple years.
Since last summer I nixed the balanced fertilizers and got my N primarily from milo. I haven't applied any forms of P, K, or micros since. I did apply some ferrous sulfate via MossEX this May just to test it out.
Plenty of KH/BLSC apps, extra molasses apps, and a couple light apps of corn meal. Mulched a lot of leaves last fall.
Winterized with a last second urea app, after some snow came and went. It really seemed to lead to a nice and speedy spring greenup. The lawn's never looked healthier, despite myself.
I've been mowing twice a week; occasionally 3 if it calls for it and the weather permits. Trying to get things to thicken up and fill in, and it looks like it's been working. Keeping the blades razor sharp (bought a cheap bench grinder) and keeping it at about 3.5 inches going into summer.
I took my samples with a bulb planter and sampled at the 3-4 inch range.
I think that's about it.
Thank you very much.