BrianSoilTest 2020

[Brian M]

Hello aroundtheyard pros! This is my first post but I have been reading through the forums all summer now. I hope I list all necessary info for you, apologies if I don’t.

First off I’m totally new at lawn care. I bought the house about 18 months ago and was very busy with inside work. Now I have time to address the lawn.

There has been some work done in the front yard that required contractors to bring in some fill. My soil sample for front yard was a mix of old and new soil. I hope that was the correct thing to do.

The front yard is going to be my project this fall. I will do the side and back next year. I took samples of them just to get a overall picture of my soil.

The side and back yards are each approx 2000sqft. They are not however my priority at the moment. I want to focus on the front yard.

So the front yard is approx 7000 sqft. Most of this is full sun. It appears to be a combination of fescue and rye (i think) but mostly crab grass. The grass that is there just looks old and unhealthy. Light in color and turns brown fast in the summer. I put down approx 4lbs p/k of 10-10-10 back in June. I also did a blanket spray of tenacity last week to do what I can to the crabgrass.

I plan on doing an aggressive over seed in august/September on the front yard. I bought Jonathan Greene black beauty ultra for this project. This seed was the highest rated I could find locally. I hope it is ok.

I have plenty of time to dedicate to the lawn, as for budget I’m sure I can afford all the basic stuff(fert/seed etc)

I do not have an irrigation system and my hose bibs are on a bad well, so I’ll be competing with my wife’s flowers for water. Not sure how much she will allow me to have!

As I have no experience, I’d appreciate the advice to be basic in nature. Again, the front yard is my main focus this year. I would also appreciate any simple advice for the side and back to get them ready for next year

I live in southern NY

I hope that is all the info you need to help me out.

Thanks in advance,

Brian

[andy10917]

Where do you live in "Southern NY" - NY has everything from Zone 7B to Zone 3. A town or nearby city is needed.

I'm ready to do this one - sorry for the delay, I've been doing home construction nightly and all-day weekends recently...

[Brian M]

Town is Thornwood NY. A map I found has me pretty much on the boarder of 7a and 6b

[andy10917]

Oh, I know it - over by the cemetery. Nice quiet neighborhood

[Brian M]

Babe Ruth is in that cemetery, he’s my neighbor

[andy10917]

OK, Brian - I want to set your expectations properly. With the constraints you've set, (basic components, no irrigation, fill (not topsoil) and big-box store seed), you're probably targeting a nice, acceptable lawn but not a stellar end-result. If that's what you expect, then here we go...

You have a sandy soil with nice amounts of organic matter holding down the fort.

In the cations, everything is short. The items with a "134" for desired values are the bare minimums, and you are below them in several areas. This results in a pH of 5.9 and 5.4 in the Back and Side. Apply a good calcitic lime (Encap/Mag-I-Cal/SoluCal) at the heavy rate list on the bag, mixed with 2 lbs/K of Epsom Salts (available at CVS/Rite-Aid/Walmart/etc). Apply at the rate of the two items added together per 1000 sq ft.

Your Phosphorus is OK in the Front and Side, and high in the Back.

When Phosphorus is OK but Potassium is not (your scenario), then we're stuck with trying to locate Sulfate of Potash (0-0-50, "SOP"). It's not easy to find. Apply at 2 lbs/K, monthly.

Iron is OK in all areas, and available at your pH.

Let's hold off until next year on the micronutrients.

You'll need a Nitrogen source - Urea (46-0-0) or Milorganite. Apply monthly at 2 lbs/K for Urea, or bag rate for Milorganite. Do not apply Urea between July 1st and August 15th. Read up and consider the Fall Nitrogen regimens.

Retest in April and let's work from what we see then.

[Brian M]

Thanks Andy, I’m on it!

Just one more question, does any of your recommendations effect my fall overseed?

[andy10917]

Hopefully, all effects are positive.