joethebanker soil test 2019

[joethebanker]

Please see attached my 2019 soil test. I live on the MA/NH border, 30 miles due north of Boston. I have 15,000 square feet of lawn, a mix of PRG/KBG and an assortment of fescues. My lawn gets full sun 80% of the day, except for a small area in the back (1000 sq. feet) that only gets about 3 hours per day. That area is primarily fine fescue.

I have always done my own lawn care and discovered this forum about 3 years ago. I converted from the 4 step programs to many of the suggestions here such as mulching all leaves, switching to milorganite and watering deeply rather than several times a week. The lawn looks better than 80% of the neighbors, most who subscribe to the same lawn care company that cuts the lawn at 2 inches or less all season.

I've recently retired and have more time to devote to trying to make the yard look even better. I've followed the UMASS soil test recommendations in the past, so this is my first go round with Logan.

Interested for your suggestions as to what I need at this point. Looking at stocking up on what I need for next spring as opposed to trying to do a lot in the next couple of weeks.

[andy10917]

Ummm, wow. That is very good soil for the area you are in!

The basic soil structure is a Loam, and the TEC is considerably higher than eastern MA soils tend to be. That probably is coming from the OM level, which at 6.66 is into the extremely good neighborhood.

In the cations, Calcium is a little low, Magnesium somewhat high and Potassium is significantly low. That combination is generating a pH of 6.6. That's a nice pH, but the Base Saturation numbers could be tweaked to come in the front door instead of the side door, while fixing the Potassium shortage. The use of a fast-acting Gypsum will bring the Calcium up while displacing the Magnesium. Apply a product like Sta-Green Rapid Gypsum (Lowe's carries it at many stores) or equivalent at bag rate every 60 days. Gypsum raises the Calcium level without raising the pH materially. At a pH of 6.6, we don't want to raise the pH the way Lime would.

You will have to locate Sulfate of Potash ("SOP", 0-0-50), and it is not the easiest thing to find. Apply it at 2 lbs/K monthly April - September next year.

Phosphorus is at luxury levels.

For Nitrogen, you can apply Milorganite or make the journey to Quincy, MA to get Bay State fertilizer at a much lower cost.

Iron levels are excellent, as long as we don't raise the pH any higher, which would make the Iron unavailable to the lawn.

In the micronutrients, only Boron needs attention. Get Twenty Mule Team laundry soap from the grocery and apply it at 3 tablespoons/K, as outlined in the Micronutrient Application Guide. Make the application every 60 days.

Retest in a year or at the beginning of the 2021 season.

You've got a very good starting point for making a great soil, even in an area with many challenges typically. Good luck and I'll be interested in how this one turns out...

[joethebanker]

Andy,

Thank you very much for your analysis. I have used the Sta-Green in the past based upon the UMASS recommendations and it is carried at my local Lowe's. I probably should have mentioned that I have top dressed with some local farm compost the past couple of years in addition to mulching all leaves and grass clippings. I know the risk of bringing in weed seed, but wanted to increase the organic matter and felt I would deal with weeds later. Fortunately, I haven't seen an increase in the weed population. But that probably has helped the organic percentage. One question. I know you say to start the SOP next April, but when is it too late in the season to add the Sta-Green Rapid Gypsum. Can I get an application in now before the end of this season?

I have an ag store nearby. I've been able to source urea and dimension there in the past, so I'll see if they carry or can get the SOP.

I bought some Bay State this year from a guy that bought a full pallet and didn't need it all, so my Milorganite expenditure was minimal this year. As the Milorganite price continues to rise, it makes the trade-off of renting a truck to go down and pick it up a no brainer. My only issue is storage. I don't have a shed and my garage is under the family room of the house. Don't know how keeping that much of that lovely aroma right under us will go over with the other family members. I see the big box stores leave product outside over the winter, so maybe a pallet covered in a tarp would get me through the season.

I did add boron this past year and will continue to do so. I'm sure if I had done a soil test last fall my levels would have been even lower.

Thanks again for your help, and I'll keep you posted as to my results.

[TimmyG]

Ummm, wow. That is very good soil for the area you are in!

Yeah, tell me about it.

You will have to locate Sulfate of Potash ("SOP", 0-0-50), and it is not the easiest thing to find. Apply it at 2 lbs/K monthly April - September next year.

Try Valley Green in Wilmington, MA. Dodge Grain in Salem, NH, for urea...and chickens.

In the micronutrients, only Boron needs attention.

Pffft. I yearn for the day that I can get my boron up to 0.44. (Okay, to be fair, micronutrient applications have taken a backseat to kids, but still. I started at <0.2 on both Dracut properties.)

[andy10917]

. Can I get an application in now before the end of this season?

Yes!

[TimmyG]

joethebanker, your post before mine above certainly wasn't visible to me when I wrote that, otherwise, rather than suggesting where to buy urea, I would have asked: at what ag store have you sourced urea and dimension and think might carry SOP?