LawnCT 2021 soil test

Learn how improving your soil can lead to a better looking lawn
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Lawnct
Posts: 25
Joined: May 9th, 2017, 10:59 pm
Location: Hartford, CT suburb
Grass Type: Typical northern mix but overseeded in 2016 with TTTF.
Lawn Size: 10000-20000
Level: Some Experience

LawnCT 2021 soil test

Post by Lawnct » April 18th, 2021, 1:54 pm

Combined 2021 results with the 2017-2020 results.

I usually take soil samples in mid March before anything goes down but life got in the way and I put down Dimension 0-0-7 on March 31st and then took the soil sample on April 8th. I mention because the Potassium numbers are higher than usual and I am thinking I didn't wait long enough to take sample after application of Dimension.

I also noticed that I put down 3 inches of sample depth whereas past years show 4 inches. Not sure that effects anything on Logan Labs figures. I always take the inch between 3-4 inches.

Lawn is 12,500 sq ft of northern mix.

Last year 0-0-50 @ 2lbs/K
April, May June, July, August, September
Used Milorganite as a carrier.

2 Borax applications last year.

I use Milorganite as my nitrogen source.

SOP 0-0-50 easy for me to get.

Looking to get my lawn the best it can be. I do not have irrigation, just sprinkler use if needed. Willing to put the work in that is needed.
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MorpheusPA
Posts: 18136
Joined: March 5th, 2009, 7:32 pm
Location: Zone 6 (Eastern PA)
Grass Type: Elite KBG
Lawn Size: 10000-20000
Level: Advanced

Re: LawnCT 2021 soil test

Post by MorpheusPA » April 18th, 2021, 6:58 pm

Thank you for the yearly roll-up, it made it effortless to cross-read several years of soil tests!

I'm seeing some sampling variance (or I presume that's what's happening, you may have different soil on your property, so if you noticed during sampling that soils in areas of your property seemed different, they're probably actually different). If they seem the same, I'm calling it sample variance. Next year, try taking 20 different samples, with far more soil than you need, combining it all together, and trimming it down to what Logan needs. Just toss the rest back in the lawn. Let's see if we can get more regular sampling over the next few years. Or not.

So, phosphorus is showing a drop that I'm calling sample variance (you probably got soil from deeper down). But OM went up, which is usually in shallower soil. In either case, P is just fine and you don't need any, while OM is still good in either case. :-) But you can see the confusion. I'm being kind of conservative on my read here.

Potassium went way over the top, but that's not a problem and won't cause any issues. Don't worry about it. I actually like and approve of a high potassium level, and this isn't excessive by any means. It'll probably drop over the next year or three.

What you need to do: Nothing. Sit on your butt this year. Enjoy the lawn. Everything is in optimal range. Boron is gorgeously perfect. Your other minors are good. That pH of 7 is a little high, but it's not of concern and won't damage a lawn, which will be entirely happy in it (I've had a pH of 7.2 when I overshot and it was just perfect).

Optionally...well, the iron levels aren't going to give you optimal color at that pH, so maybe, if you want, feed with Milorganite this year to slowly nudge them up over a course of years. It'll be a slow greening effect at a pH of 7, but it'll work--again, over years. I pushed the rate high because bag rate on Miloganite slightly underfeeds the lawn. That's OK in May. It's not good in fall. If you'd rather use a local product with iron instead, I'm fine with that.

Recommendations (all optional):

May 15: Feed with Milorganite at bag rate to 1.5x bag rate.

August 15: Feed with Milorganite at 1.5x bag rate.

September 15: Feed with Milorganite at 1.5x bag rate.

October 15: In CT, it's probably time to winterize around here. If so, feed with any high-nitrogen synthetic at bag rate.

Lawnct
Posts: 25
Joined: May 9th, 2017, 10:59 pm
Location: Hartford, CT suburb
Grass Type: Typical northern mix but overseeded in 2016 with TTTF.
Lawn Size: 10000-20000
Level: Some Experience

Re: LawnCT 2021 soil test

Post by Lawnct » April 20th, 2021, 12:44 pm

Thank you so very much Morpheus. Glad I can give my mixing tub a rest this season.

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