A friend's soil test

[snachs]

An NYC buddy of mine was here a few times this summer and was impressed with my lawn. His parents own a nice home in the Hamptons (Sagaponick, 11962) and he asked me if I could advise on getting their lawn into shape. He didn't have the answers to all my cultural practice questions but I did convince him to get a soil test.




I would say micro adjustment is out of the question at this point. I did manage to find out from my friend that his father's biggest concern is crabgrass. I'm thinking cultural practices are off as they use a cutting service and I would guess they are watering too much. I will address those issues with them. I also found out that last week they put down Scotts winter seed which looks like a combo fert, seed, filler so I have some work ahead of me on breaking their current conceptions of proper lawn care.

I see Ph needs adjusting and know that the UMASS recommendation is not the way to go. Calcitic, Dolmitic or a combo for them? They do still have time to do it this year, right? What else is this soil test indicating?

Thanks!

[Seven333]

I'm no expert and that calcium level definitely needs to come up but UMASS' recommendation of 80#/K in a split application in just insane. The most generally recommended by our resident calcium expert, andy, is 9#/K. I applied 10 per a few months back with no ill effects and plan on another 10/k shortly. Keep in mind that lime and N applications need to be spaced 2 weeks apart.

[MorpheusPA]

+1 Seven. The pH (and hence the calcium) need adjustment. So, actually, does the magnesium. Phosphorus. Potassium. For a good-CEC soil, it's desperately low in resources--when I saw the initial numbers, I expected a sandy soil with a CEC around 6.

On the up side, OM is good. The one micro that really should be adjusted is boron--that's in the deficient range. Although zinc doesn't make me happy, exactly, I guess we'll have to live with it. Manganese, ditto.

The pH is the critical bit, and I'm sure Andy will be along to make a recommendation. However, Seven's right, their recommended app is way too high.

Honestly, I think I'd recommend 10-10-10 fertilizer at 10 pounds per thousand in May, June, September, October and then re-test. That'll pull up the P and K, although more K will be necessary after P is done. Once P reaches 20 PPM or a bit higher, switch to using sulfate of potash at 2 pounds per thousand per month, skipping July and August if they're dry.

[snachs]

I had some chlorosis on my lawn with 9lbs/K calcitic. I can't imagine what 40lbs would do. I'm not even sure my friend's father knows the sq footage so this might be quite a battle I agreed to fight. I guess I can just advise and they do what they do.

Andy- heavy rate calcitic? Also, since I probably won't convince them to soil test again in the spring, should I tell them to hit it again then? With the current ph, and buffer at 6.3, I'm thinking it's safe but want to confirm.

Morph- I'll create a schedule for them using the 10-10-10. Otherwise it'll be harping on cultural practices. I'm just not sure if they want to pay the LCO to cut 2 X week when it's needed. Well, I'll see what happens.

I would love that OM, darn it! I do know that they have managed to produce a fantastic vegetable garden the last decade on the native soil so I think if they just adapt to the right habits, they'll be in pretty good shape.

[andy10917]

Sagaponack, eh? Pretty posh digs. I'm actually a little surprised that the CEC was almost 15.

Heavy-rate Calcitic. 9 lbs/1000. Twice, three months apart. Then we'll see about some dolomitic.

I can't even dream of what a lawn would look like with 80 lbs of Calcitic in split-applications. Lemon-yellow, if it survived.

I don't like the Boron, Manganese or Zinc, but if they're off-the-table as you say, then "oh, well".

[snachs]

It's a real nice place but a slum compared to some of their neighbors. Down the road, the home owner has a 5 hole par three course. His parents got the place in the 70s and make back a good portion of their expenses back buy renting it 2 weeks every summer.

I'll talk to them about
micros but I'm not hopeful as I'd pass along info to them and then they would pass it to whomever cuts etc.. I just don't see them mixing tbs in milorganite and I'd bet on them messing it up. I'll see how they respond to cultural things before I push for more.

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