NutterButter 2021 Soil Test

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NutterButter
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NutterButter 2021 Soil Test

Post by NutterButter » April 12th, 2021, 12:21 pm

Hello,

Here's last year's test: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=26120&p=343897&hil ... er#p343897.

As advised, just went with the one test for the front and added a new test for the back. Followed all the suggestions from last year in addition to 3 applications of KH/BLSC and 1 application of compost tea. Looking at the new soil test for the front, I have no idea where that OM reading came from. I dropped a bunch, probably a foot, of leaves on there in the fall. Haven't fertilized yet, but like last year, looking for the best approach, so please let me know the cations, micros and nitrogen. I plan to continue with KH/BLSC shortly.

Image

Thank you for all the help

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andy10917
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Location: NY (Lower Hudson Valley)
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Re: NutterButter 2021 Soil Test

Post by andy10917 » April 14th, 2021, 11:06 pm

NutterButter:

This is the busiest time of the year, and your Front and Back ARE significantly different. I'm going to have to interpret the Front now, and you'll have to resubmit the Back when things quiet a bit. When you see "the queue is empty", submit the Back again and I'll look at it...

FRONT

Listen, I'm not sure about the OM% number either, I'm going to assume the Front and use the OM% number from last year. You weren't too far from a TEC of 8 (Loam). Keep up what you're doing for OM%.

In the cations, things are mostly stable - I;m going to recommend leaving them alone for 2021. This yields a pH in the Sweet Spot, but we don't want it any higher.

Phosphorus is OK, and Iron just a little low. Give it ferrous Sulfate at 2-3 lbs/K twice this season, at 60 day intervals.

In the micro's, only Boron is low. Get Twenty Mule Team laundry soap at the grocery and apply at 3 tablespoons/K every 60 days, as outlined in the Micronutrient Application Guide.

For Nitrogen, Urea would be a good source. 2 lbs/K monthly except July and August.

NutterButter
Posts: 44
Joined: June 30th, 2020, 10:11 pm
Location: Northern New Jersey
Grass Type: Rye grass
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Re: NutterButter 2021 Soil Test

Post by NutterButter » April 15th, 2021, 8:41 pm

Sounds good about the back.

This is my 1st time applying ferrous sulfate. How does this stuff look? That should cover the first application on my 10k front at a 2.5lb/k rate.

Would this be a foliar application or the same as the micro's are applied in the guide?

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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: NutterButter 2021 Soil Test

Post by andy10917 » April 15th, 2021, 9:15 pm

This is my 1st time applying ferrous sulfate. How does this stuff look?
It looks, ummmm, expensive (but OK). You may be able to get a better price at Lowes/HD looking for "Moss Killer Granules" - just make sure that the active ingredient is Ferrous Sulfate (also known as Iron Sulfate).
Would this be a foliar application or the same as the micro's are applied in the guide?
No. This is like a fertilizer application. Too much Iron in a foliar app will blacken the grass (hopefully temporary).

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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: NutterButter 2021 Soil Test

Post by andy10917 » April 18th, 2021, 8:21 am

BACK

The Back Yard is has significantly lower nutrient levels, and these are manifest themselves as lower TEC numbers, and a lower pH (driven by the cation levels). While the OM% level is great on the report, I'm not going to trust it any more than I believe the 0.72% number in the Front. I'll go by the TEC, which is moderately sandy and aligns with the cation numbers.

In the cations, the Calcium is pretty low. The Magnesium level on the test is OK, but it's against a bar that is the absolute lowest minimum level. The Potassium level also looks OK, but again the bar that they're measuring with is too low. Get a good calcitic lime (Encap/Mag-I-Cal/SoluCal) and apply 9 lbs/K mixed with 2 lbs/K of Epsom Salts, every 90 days.

Get a balanced fertilizer like 10-10-10, 19-19-19, etc and post the NPK for rates and frequency. This will raise the Potassium and Phosphorus with a Nitrogen application going along for the ride.

In the micro's, Boron is a bit low for our target nutrient levels, but we'll hold off on nudging it until the Calcium levels that support it come up to better levels.

Iron levels are marginally low, but again we'll hold until we're done lathering the Calcium levels, as Calcium can make Iron become unavailable to the grass.


NutterButter
Posts: 44
Joined: June 30th, 2020, 10:11 pm
Location: Northern New Jersey
Grass Type: Rye grass
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Re: NutterButter 2021 Soil Test

Post by NutterButter » April 20th, 2021, 8:07 am

For the ferrous sulfate, saw HD has moss out which has the following label. Does that work?
Image

The fertilizer for the back is 10-10-10. Please provide rate and frequency.

For the lime, does dolomitic lime work or does it need to be calcitic?

In the fall, should I just keep applying the urea, boron and ferrous sulfate in the front and the lime and 10-10-10 in the back or should I retest so that adjustments can be made?

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Apologies if I exceeded my limit :)

NutterButter
Posts: 44
Joined: June 30th, 2020, 10:11 pm
Location: Northern New Jersey
Grass Type: Rye grass
Lawn Size: 10000-20000
Level: Some Experience

Re: NutterButter 2021 Soil Test

Post by NutterButter » May 2nd, 2021, 7:43 am

Could someone please post the rate and frequency for the 10-10-10 for the back? Thanks a bunch.

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andy10917
Posts: 29739
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Location: NY (Lower Hudson Valley)
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Re: NutterButter 2021 Soil Test

Post by andy10917 » May 2nd, 2021, 8:27 am

10-10-10 goes down at 10 lbs/K. Apply it monthly except July and the first half of August.

As your label says for Iron, the Iron is derived from Ferrous Sulfate (good).
For the lime, does dolomitic lime work or does it need to be calcitic?
The difference between calcitic and dolomitic lime is the amount of Magnesium. You don't need more Magnesium - use Calcitic lime.

NutterButter
Posts: 44
Joined: June 30th, 2020, 10:11 pm
Location: Northern New Jersey
Grass Type: Rye grass
Lawn Size: 10000-20000
Level: Some Experience

Re: NutterButter 2021 Soil Test

Post by NutterButter » July 7th, 2021, 8:38 am

Ok to apply ferrous sulfate and lime in july? You didn't say otherwise, but figured let's be safe and ask. Thanks.

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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: NutterButter 2021 Soil Test

Post by andy10917 » July 7th, 2021, 9:14 am

Just check that the bag doesn't indicate any temperature limitations.

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