mrprecon19 - Soils Test '22

Learn how improving your soil can lead to a better looking lawn
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mrprecon19
Posts: 2
Joined: May 3rd, 2022, 7:31 pm
Location: Cleveland, OH
Grass Type: KBG
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

mrprecon19 - Soils Test '22

Post by mrprecon19 » May 4th, 2022, 8:47 am

First time posting. Long time reader of this forum and want to thank everyone involved.

I'm in Cleveland, OH and have an 1-1/4 acre with about 25,000sf of lawn split 50/50 between front and side/back. There is another 5,000sf in the back and was the end of an old tributary through the area. Suburban area and older houses. I've had this house for roughly 5 years and over this time my yard has become more saturated including my neighbors. Also, less trees in the area from cut downs or bad weather.

The side/back stays unmowable until sometime in May due to saturated soils/poor drainage and has weak grass coverage. it's an older KBG mix and I have moss, bare spots due to cleanup from trees / leaves, some weeds, and moisture. The front I mowed a couple weeks ago and it's decent shape. I've been rather inactive the last year and would like to fix the problems I have with the side/back.

I am looking for help starting a yearly plan and can be rather active outside. I am hoping to fix the poor drainage through amendments as opposed to drainage tile. I have irrigation, tow-behind sprayer and aerator, etc. My neighbor said many moons ago it was a meticulously maintained lawn and I'm hoping to bring back some of the glory.

I also sampled to 5-6". I corrected that next time. Any help is appreciated.

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MorpheusPA
Posts: 18129
Joined: March 5th, 2009, 7:32 pm
Location: Zone 6 (Eastern PA)
Grass Type: Elite KBG
Lawn Size: 10000-20000
Level: Advanced

Re: mrprecon19 - Soils Test '22

Post by MorpheusPA » May 4th, 2022, 12:52 pm

That's a nice silty loam. You're right that your front and side have different personalities, but they're not incredibly different. I'll read them separately, but treatment actually isn't going to differ too much.

ME 10-12: Consistent with silty loam, and a nice place to be. It doesn't move fast, holds good resources, and tends to stay where you put it for a while.

OM 6.7-ish: Excellent. This tends to happen to wetter soils where the decay process isn't as fast (see Peat Bog). Certainly mow all your fall leaves, mulch mow, and so on, but you don't need to make any special effort.

pH 7.6, 6.8: High and OK. While pH follows and doesn't lead, it does tell us something, which we'll discuss lower down. Higher pH doesn't present a problem for grasses, which don't care, but they may not show the best color at these pH regimens.

Sulfur 10-ish: Normal.

Phosphorus 147, 104: Low and Low. Respective targets are 300 and 200 (pH and calcium levels directly influence this). Due to other considerations, we'll want balanced fertilizer, so something like 10-10-10, 19-19-19, 20-20-20, or the like.

Calcium 75%-ish: High, but that's fine. You really won't change this easily, and there's no reason to try.

Magnesium 16%, 14%: Toward the high end of normal. Again, that's fine, and this may slowly leach out due to the fertilizer recommended above (which is acidic and will preferentially leach magnesium a little more than calcium). I actually tend to prefer magnesium slightly toward the low end of normal, but that's just me.

Potassium 2%: On the low end, hence the balanced fertilizer above as the soil shows a shortage. It's not much (and arguably not really necessary), but more potassium will assist with disease resistance, heat and cold resistance, and general plant health. I try to balance mine closer to the 5% end of the scale. I fail miserably, but...

Minor Elements: Boron is low, which is fairly normal for many soils that see good rainfall. Copper is a bit low in front and somewhat low on the side. If you're ever short on cash, you could probably mine manganese from your soil. :-)

Read the Micronutrient Application Guide. If you're comfortable following it, I've given the instructions in terms of tablespoons per thousand square feet of 20 Mule Team Borax (boron source, grocery store) and copper sulfate (copper, eBay or pool store) in the Recommendations below.

Recommendations:

May: Apply 5 tablespoons of 20 Mule Team Borax and 3 tablespoons of copper sulfate per thousand square feet to the entire lawn.

Memorial Day: Feed with a balanced fertilizer (10-10-10, 19-19-19, or 20-20-20 for example) at the bag rate--or ask if unsure.

September 1: Apply 5 tablespoons of 20 Mule Team Borax to the entire lawn. Apply 3 tablespoons copper sulfate to the side and back only (the front won't need this). Feed with a balanced fertilizer (10-10-10, 19-19-19, or 20-20-20 for example) at the bag rate--or ask if unsure.

October 1: Apply 5 tablespoons of 20 Mule Team Borax and 3 tablespoons of copper sulfate per thousand square feet to the entire lawn. Feed with a balanced fertilizer (10-10-10, 19-19-19, or 20-20-20 for example) at the bag rate--or ask if unsure.

Winterization: Feed with a high-nitrogen, low-everything-else fertilizer (high first number, low second and third) when growth stops, if after October 20th, at bag rate.

mrprecon19
Posts: 2
Joined: May 3rd, 2022, 7:31 pm
Location: Cleveland, OH
Grass Type: KBG
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: mrprecon19 - Soils Test '22

Post by mrprecon19 » May 4th, 2022, 9:01 pm

Thank you for the review and response, Morpheus. I will follow your instructions and report back.

I am considering a gypsum treatment for the side/back to help with drainage and firm up the soil. Any thoughts? Not sure how this soil type would react and if it will have any negative affects to your recommendations.

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MorpheusPA
Posts: 18129
Joined: March 5th, 2009, 7:32 pm
Location: Zone 6 (Eastern PA)
Grass Type: Elite KBG
Lawn Size: 10000-20000
Level: Advanced

Re: mrprecon19 - Soils Test '22

Post by MorpheusPA » May 5th, 2022, 7:01 am

Don't bother. Gypsum is calcium sulfate, and won't really do anything significant here. While it would get rid of the sodium that's in your soil (and that is a little high), the fertilizer I recommended will help with that as well, just in a slightly different way.

Honestly, I might look into the Soil Conditioner around here. It's cheap, easy to apply, you can get shampoo anywhere, and works pretty well.

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