Do another test this year or wait until next year?

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Cole
Posts: 40
Joined: May 23rd, 2019, 2:53 pm
Location: Central Minnesota
Grass Type: KBG, Rye, Fescue blend
Lawn Size: 5000-10000
Level: Some Experience

Do another test this year or wait until next year?

Post by Cole » June 7th, 2019, 2:35 pm

Hey guys,

Right before I joined the forum I went to a local lab and got a soil test for my lawn. Since then, i have put down an application of synthetic fert and an application of milorganite. All I really understood from the test was the ph, but the rest seemed to contradict itself. i.e. graphs showed excessively high for phosphorus, but ppm was 50, which from my understanding is in the optimum range?

I'd like to get advice for what to do to make sure I'm putting the right products down, but I don't know if I should still go ahead and get the test from Logan Labs as suggested or if the fertilizer I have put down will make a difference and I should wait until next year.

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andy10917
Posts: 29739
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 10:48 pm
Location: NY (Lower Hudson Valley)
Grass Type: Emblem KBG (Front); Blueberry KBG Monostand (Back)
Lawn Size: 1 acre-2 acre
Level: Advanced

Re: Do another test this year or wait until next year?

Post by andy10917 » June 7th, 2019, 9:07 pm

Up to you!
All I really understood from the test was the ph, but the rest seemed to contradict itself. i.e. graphs showed excessively high for phosphorus, but ppm was 50, which from my understanding is in the optimum range?
Now you understand why we can't take lab tests from any random lab and interpret them for you - you have to know what test suites were performed and how they interact with each other to paint a picture of your soil. It's just not feasible for volunteers to do that. On a Logan Labs test, a 50 PPM of Phosphorus would badly deficient - we want to see that in the 160 - 200 lbs/acre level. See - even the measurement scale is "PPM" on one and "lbs/acre" on another. That's conversion math time...

Cole
Posts: 40
Joined: May 23rd, 2019, 2:53 pm
Location: Central Minnesota
Grass Type: KBG, Rye, Fescue blend
Lawn Size: 5000-10000
Level: Some Experience

Re: Do another test this year or wait until next year?

Post by Cole » June 7th, 2019, 10:46 pm

Thanks Andy, yeah I didn't realize they were so different. They didn't give me all the micro nutrients I was hoping for anyway. I will go ahead and post my test in a new thread if I get one this year from Logan Labs.

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