REPPEND's 2020 Soil Test

Learn how improving your soil can lead to a better looking lawn
Post Reply
User avatar
reppend
Posts: 540
Joined: November 3rd, 2009, 8:13 am
Location: Hobart, Indiana
Grass Type: Front: KBG (Blueberry monostand) Rear: KBG (Prosperity, Brilliant, Midnight)
Lawn Size: 5000-10000
Level: Advanced

REPPEND's 2020 Soil Test

Post by reppend » March 6th, 2020, 2:24 pm

A brief dossier:
  • Lawn is 9100 sq ft
  • Blueberry KBG monostand
  • On what I consider a high maintenance level
  • lrrigated using inground system, deep and infrequent.
  • history of my tests have been low calcium and pH, and low phosphorus. This year's test appears to be showing some good progress in resolving those deficiencies! :yahoo:
My mission remains the same this year: get the soil tests consistently in a state that will give my lawn the best conditions possible to thrive! Simple, time/cost and/or cutting corners is not what I'm interested in. As always, all of your advice and expertise is greatly appreciated!!!

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: REPPEND's 2020 Soil Test

Post by andy10917 » March 6th, 2020, 5:10 pm

I'll get to spending time on this tonight, but how has the lawn responded to the change in soil conditions?

KnickLeDime
Posts: 134
Joined: October 24th, 2018, 2:59 pm
Location: Capital Region NY
Grass Type: 1/3 Kentucky Blue, 1/3 Fescue and 1/3 Perennial Rye
Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
Level: Novice

Re: REPPEND's 2020 Soil Test

Post by KnickLeDime » March 6th, 2020, 5:43 pm

reppend wrote:
March 6th, 2020, 2:24 pm
A brief dossier:
  • Lawn is 9100 sq ft
  • Blueberry KBG monostand
  • On what I consider a high maintenance level
  • lrrigated using inground system, deep and infrequent.
  • history of my tests have been low calcium and pH, and low phosphorus. This year's test appears to be showing some good progress in resolving those deficiencies! :yahoo:
My mission remains the same this year: get the soil tests consistently in a state that will give my lawn the best conditions possible to thrive! Simple, time/cost and/or cutting corners is not what I'm interested in. As always, all of your advice and expertise is greatly appreciated!!!

Image
I jacked your spreadsheet...I hope you don't mind. If you do I'll delete...beautiful work.

User avatar
reppend
Posts: 540
Joined: November 3rd, 2009, 8:13 am
Location: Hobart, Indiana
Grass Type: Front: KBG (Blueberry monostand) Rear: KBG (Prosperity, Brilliant, Midnight)
Lawn Size: 5000-10000
Level: Advanced

Re: REPPEND's 2020 Soil Test

Post by reppend » March 6th, 2020, 7:03 pm

To answer how the lawn has reacted to the soil changes, I’ll just say that this test proves my anecdotal evidence from last season. The reno was in its fourth full growing season last year, so some of the improvements are also attributed to the maturity of the grass. However, I’m absolutely convinced that the overall health, color, and vigor at the end of last year would never have occurred without the soil improvements that I’ve benefitted from by following the advice given here!

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: REPPEND's 2020 Soil Test

Post by andy10917 » March 6th, 2020, 11:05 pm

Doug:

This is the third test in 3 days from a long-term member (6-10 years) that is now reporting a soil so on-the-mark that I'm having trouble finding them anything to work upon. I'm really quite thrilled that we have people that are committed enough to cross the "finish line" and require only maintenance amounts of nutrients other than Nitrogen.

You now have a soil that is structurally excellent with a OM level that is just below the 5% OM level of "excellent" and a TEC that bends ever-so-slightly to the "Heavy Side" of perfection (for the right reasons).

Chemically, the cations are almost right where I'd like to see them. You are 2 lbs short of Potassium ant the magic 4% base saturation. Tsk, tsk. Throw a handfull of SOP in the general direction of the lawn and then go have an adult beverage and complain about yardwork being tough. You are a 0.04% from right on the target.

Sulfur is good and Iron is excellent.

All of the micro's are fine with the exception of (you guessed it) Boron, which is prone to leaching. You know the drill -- 3 tablespoons/K of Twenty Mules every 60 days, as defined in the Micronutrient Application Guide.

That's it!! You've done it, and are in maintenance/tweaking mode -- and you did it in a measured, responsible way that doesn't pollute or run off.

Congratulations!!


User avatar
reppend
Posts: 540
Joined: November 3rd, 2009, 8:13 am
Location: Hobart, Indiana
Grass Type: Front: KBG (Blueberry monostand) Rear: KBG (Prosperity, Brilliant, Midnight)
Lawn Size: 5000-10000
Level: Advanced

Re: REPPEND's 2020 Soil Test

Post by reppend » March 6th, 2020, 11:21 pm

KnickLeDime wrote:
March 6th, 2020, 5:43 pm
[
I jacked your spreadsheet...I hope you don't mind. If you do I'll delete...beautiful work.
No worries at all! :clapping: Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and so I thank you and wish you the best of luck!

User avatar
reppend
Posts: 540
Joined: November 3rd, 2009, 8:13 am
Location: Hobart, Indiana
Grass Type: Front: KBG (Blueberry monostand) Rear: KBG (Prosperity, Brilliant, Midnight)
Lawn Size: 5000-10000
Level: Advanced

Re: REPPEND's 2020 Soil Test

Post by reppend » March 7th, 2020, 12:06 am

andy10917 wrote:
March 6th, 2020, 11:05 pm
Doug:
...

That's it!! You've done it, and are in maintenance/tweaking mode -- and you did it in a measured, responsible way that doesn't pollute or run off.

Congratulations!!
So, you’re saying I can finally crack open the special bottle of JW Blue that I’ve been keeping locked away, in anticipation of this very day?!?! Wooohoo :yahoo: :drool:

Seriously though. Cheers to everyone who has lent a helping hand for the past 10+ years, but especially you, Andy! The knowledge you’ve provided here is priceless, and yet you do it freely. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this journey in soil — a true labor of love. The path doesn’t end here for me, of course. Maintenance mode it is, throttling down to tweak mode. And tweaking we will do! OM, handfuls of SOP, Twenty Mules, and lest we forget the vitamin M! :)

I do believe I will now be able to shift more of my energy towards pinpointing the small remaining spots of Triv, once and for all.

When the weather turns for the better here, I’ll be sure to update with some good pics of the lawn.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests