Negan's Soil Test Results

Learn how improving your soil can lead to a better looking lawn
Post Reply
Negan247
Posts: 6
Joined: July 22nd, 2019, 3:59 pm
Location: South of Boston, MA
Grass Type: sunny Mix: KBG, Fescu, Rye Grass
Lawn Size: 1000-3000
Level: Some Experience

Negan's Soil Test Results

Post by Negan247 » July 22nd, 2019, 6:16 pm

Hi,

Big fan of this forum! I've been following it for years, trying to use some of the advice. I was able to raise the PH of my soil from low 5s to 6.7. I thought it would lower the metal content in the soil but doesn't seem to of worked. Here is my test results. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thanks a lot!

-Negan247


Image

User avatar
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: Negan's Soil Test Results

Post by andy10917 » July 22nd, 2019, 7:58 pm

Make sure to put a linked to this into the Soil Test Interpretation Queue, so you don't get lost!

User avatar
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: Negan's Soil Test Results

Post by andy10917 » July 23rd, 2019, 5:10 pm

OK, please try to remember to use the 4" depth for testing on any follow-up tests next year - many of the values require conversion for us to interpret the results. The 6" depth is appropriate for crops, but the 4" depth is better for grasses.

The soil is a moderately sandy soil at the TEC of just under 6. It's probably even sandier than that, but is being boosted by the 4.64% organic matter (nice!) level. Even more organic matter would be a good idea since sandy soil leach nutrients easily.

In the cations, yeah you got to a pH of 6.7, but it's through the side door. I'm guessing that you used dolomitic lime to get there, and the Magnesium is twice what it should be, while the Calcium is pretty short. We can't just switch Lime products now as the pH would rise out of the sweet spot. Has the soil gotten tougher to work with or seeming hard or "tight"? At under a 4:1 Ca:Mg ratio, that wouldn't be a big surprise. I'll wait for your answer before offering a corrective action.

The Potassium is low and the Phosphorus is sky-high. This eliminates "balanced fertilizers" as a solution - you'll need to get Sulfate of Potash ("SOP"), which isn't easy to find. Don't even bother thinking about big-box stores. The SOP goes down at 2 lbs/K monthly until October 1st.

The Iron levels in the soil are good, and available at your pH.

In the micro's, only Boron is short, although Manganese is borderline. Do you wish to address those this year?

Note: this does not include a Nitrogen recommendation - that's up to you unless you request one...

Negan247
Posts: 6
Joined: July 22nd, 2019, 3:59 pm
Location: South of Boston, MA
Grass Type: sunny Mix: KBG, Fescu, Rye Grass
Lawn Size: 1000-3000
Level: Some Experience

Re: Negan's Soil Test Results

Post by Negan247 » July 24th, 2019, 6:28 pm

andy10917 wrote:
July 23rd, 2019, 5:10 pm
OK, please try to remember to use the 4" depth for testing on any follow-up tests next year - many of the values require conversion for us to interpret the results. The 6" depth is appropriate for crops, but the 4" depth is better for grasses.

The soil is a moderately sandy soil at the TEC of just under 6. It's probably even sandier than that, but is being boosted by the 4.64% organic matter (nice!) level. Even more organic matter would be a good idea since sandy soil leach nutrients easily.

In the cations, yeah you got to a pH of 6.7, but it's through the side door. I'm guessing that you used dolomitic lime to get there, and the Magnesium is twice what it should be, while the Calcium is pretty short. We can't just switch Lime products now as the pH would rise out of the sweet spot. Has the soil gotten tougher to work with or seeming hard or "tight"? At under a 4:1 Ca:Mg ratio, that wouldn't be a big surprise. I'll wait for your answer before offering a corrective action.

The Potassium is low and the Phosphorus is sky-high. This eliminates "balanced fertilizers" as a solution - you'll need to get Sulfate of Potash ("SOP"), which isn't easy to find. Don't even bother thinking about big-box stores. The SOP goes down at 2 lbs/K monthly until October 1st.

The Iron levels in the soil are good, and available at your pH.

In the micro's, only Boron is short, although Manganese is borderline. Do you wish to address those this year?

Note: this does not include a Nitrogen recommendation - that's up to you unless you request one...
Thanks Andy!

Sorry about the 6 inch measurement. In actuality it was 4 inches but on the sheet it said 6 so I just went with that. Next time ill go with 4...

Yes, I added dolomitic over the years. In 2014 I got a soil test from UMASS the PH was 4.9 then. I may of been a little heavy handed with it and tried to stay bellow the UMASS recommendations of dolomitic lime. I did add a lot though. I got it from Siteone and hoped the calcium it had would have gone up too because in 2014 my magnesium was way lower then the calcium. Maybe I should have used both?

The soil is very tight/ hard. I thought about air-rating last fall but read on here that a lot of you aren't fans because of the "weed factor." I hoped the mulching I have done of leaves and grass would help. Any recommendation remedy would be greatly appreciated!

I will see if I can get the SOP from a feed store in the area. I know Agway had it in small bags, probably not ideal. I'll make some calls tomorrow.

For the Micros, I think I can handle it. Would you recommend that I use Milorganite as the carrier? I also have Mule soap stuff if that's Boron, Im not sure what to get for Manganese.

For the Nitrogen what would you recommend? 1 or 2 lbs spread out over the fall? Do you think I could get a fertilizer with Nitrogen and potassium only? Or would you recommend Urea and SOP separately?

Thanks again for your help Andy! Ive been reading a lot of your posts for years! You are a Pro for sure!

-Mike

User avatar
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: Negan's Soil Test Results

Post by andy10917 » July 25th, 2019, 2:28 pm

Yes, I added dolomitic over the years. In 2014 I got a soil test from UMASS the PH was 4.9 then. I may of been a little heavy handed with it and tried to stay bellow the UMASS recommendations of dolomitic lime. I did add a lot though. I got it from Siteone and hoped the calcium it had would have gone up too because in 2014 my magnesium was way lower then the calcium. Maybe I should have used both?
The Calcium *should* be far higher than the Magnesium - a ratio of Ca:Mg is best when the Calcium is 6:1 to 10:1 - anything lower than 6:1 can have "tightness" issues chemically and below 4:1 it will almost always show hard-to-work issues. You're at 3.62:1. The addition of Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) to the soil sometimes displaces excess Magnesium without causing a rise in pH.
The soil is very tight/ hard. I thought about air-rating last fall
It won't work - you can't fix a chemical issue with a mechanical process like aeration.
For the Micros, I think I can handle it. Would you recommend that I use Milorganite as the carrier? I also have Mule soap stuff if that's Boron, Im not sure what to get for Manganese.
Get and apply Twenty Mule Team laundry soap from the grocery, and Manganese Sulfate from EBAY/Amazon. Apply each at 3 tablespoons/K every 60 days, as outlined in the Micronutrient Application Guide.
For the Nitrogen what would you recommend? 1 or 2 lbs spread out over the fall? Do you think I could get a fertilizer with Nitrogen and potassium only? Or would you recommend Urea and SOP separately?
There are no fertilizers that have N and K at near equal levels, with no P. You can use something mild like Milorganite around 8/15 to get the lawn to wake up over the course of a few weeks, and then I'd follow the Fall Nitrogen Regimen article for the Fall (using Urea for N).


User avatar
ken-n-nancy
Posts: 2571
Joined: July 17th, 2014, 3:58 pm
Location: Bedford, NH
Grass Type: Front: KBG (Bewitched+Prosperity); Side: Bewitched KBG; Back: Fine Fescue Blend + Prosperity
Lawn Size: 10000-20000
Level: Experienced

Re: Negan's Soil Test Results

Post by ken-n-nancy » July 25th, 2019, 3:19 pm

andy10917 wrote:
July 25th, 2019, 2:28 pm
For the Nitrogen what would you recommend? 1 or 2 lbs spread out over the fall? Do you think I could get a fertilizer with Nitrogen and potassium only? Or would you recommend Urea and SOP separately?
There are no fertilizers that have N and K at near equal levels, with no P. You can use something mild like Milorganite around 8/15...
I'm not really looking to spread the news about Bay State Fertilizer any further, as both times I've tried to get some this year, they've been out. However, with a location of "South of Boston, MA" Negan247 can't be very far from Quincy, MA, the home of the best deal for bagged class A biosolid fertilizer on the planet -- Bay State Fertilizer from the MWRA -- $3.50 for a 40-pound bag.

If I lived "South of Boston, MA" I know what I'd use for my source of nitrogen fertilizer for the lawn! ;)

Negan247
Posts: 6
Joined: July 22nd, 2019, 3:59 pm
Location: South of Boston, MA
Grass Type: sunny Mix: KBG, Fescu, Rye Grass
Lawn Size: 1000-3000
Level: Some Experience

Re: Negan's Soil Test Results

Post by Negan247 » July 25th, 2019, 10:32 pm

ken-n-nancy wrote:
July 25th, 2019, 3:19 pm
andy10917 wrote:
July 25th, 2019, 2:28 pm
For the Nitrogen what would you recommend? 1 or 2 lbs spread out over the fall? Do you think I could get a fertilizer with Nitrogen and potassium only? Or would you recommend Urea and SOP separately?
There are no fertilizers that have N and K at near equal levels, with no P. You can use something mild like Milorganite around 8/15...
I'm not really looking to spread the news about Bay State Fertilizer any further, as both times I've tried to get some this year, they've been out. However, with a location of "South of Boston, MA" Negan247 can't be very far from Quincy, MA, the home of the best deal for bagged class A biosolid fertilizer on the planet -- Bay State Fertilizer from the MWRA -- $3.50 for a 40-pound bag.

If I lived "South of Boston, MA" I know what I'd use for my source of nitrogen fertilizer for the lawn! ;)
Great thanks! I live next to Quincy. I'll stop by and get some bay state. It certainly is cheaper than $14 for Milo!
andy10917 wrote:
July 25th, 2019, 2:28 pm
Yes, I added dolomitic over the years. In 2014 I got a soil test from UMASS the PH was 4.9 then. I may of been a little heavy handed with it and tried to stay bellow the UMASS recommendations of dolomitic lime. I did add a lot though. I got it from Siteone and hoped the calcium it had would have gone up too because in 2014 my magnesium was way lower then the calcium. Maybe I should have used both?
The Calcium *should* be far higher than the Magnesium - a ratio of Ca:Mg is best when the Calcium is 6:1 to 10:1 - anything lower than 6:1 can have "tightness" issues chemically and below 4:1 it will almost always show hard-to-work issues. You're at 3.62:1. The addition of Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) to the soil sometimes displaces excess Magnesium without causing a rise in pH.
The soil is very tight/ hard. I thought about air-rating last fall
It won't work - you can't fix a chemical issue with a mechanical process like aeration.
For the Micros, I think I can handle it. Would you recommend that I use Milorganite as the carrier? I also have Mule soap stuff if that's Boron, Im not sure what to get for Manganese.
Get and apply Twenty Mule Team laundry soap from the grocery, and Manganese Sulfate from EBAY/Amazon. Apply each at 3 tablespoons/K every 60 days, as outlined in the Micronutrient Application Guide.
For the Nitrogen what would you recommend? 1 or 2 lbs spread out over the fall? Do you think I could get a fertilizer with Nitrogen and potassium only? Or would you recommend Urea and SOP separately?
There are no fertilizers that have N and K at near equal levels, with no P. You can use something mild like Milorganite around 8/15 to get the lawn to wake up over the course of a few weeks, and then I'd follow the Fall Nitrogen Regimen article for the Fall (using Urea for N).
Why would UMASS recommend me to put down 225lbs of dolomitic lime? I'd say I put down maybe 150lbs over the the past couple years spread out. Is it possible that the lime I put down in March altered my sample making it seem more high? I know you guys don't use UMASS anymore... I will definitely put down some gypsum.

I will put down the Micros and get my hands on the sulfate of Potash this weekend. Thanks again for your help Andy!

Have a great weekend everyone,

-Negan247

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 10 guests