Soil Tests. Now What? Fescue Lawn

14 years ago

Trying to find information...and I've been everywhere or so it seems on the web...

The following conditions exist.

Ph level - low, overall average 5.0

Nitrogen - very low

Potassium - very high

Phospohrus - okay

Lawn mowed at 3 inches. Water intake 1 inch/week in areas that get more sun, less in areas that get less than 3 hours daily.

I'm in the northern part of Georgia. Lawn only gets about six hours direct sun and I'm constantly fighting bare spots after re-seeding. Yea you would think it's not the right time of the year, but semi shady areas are taking the re-seeding very well...not so well with areas that get more.

After finding the ph levels are quite low I've been adding lime. So far 160 lbs over a 2400 square foot area. According to information I see it says it should require another 160 +- lbs to get the Ph up to the 6 range, but the question is when? Wait a few weeks and re-apply...a month?

Lawn has done reasonably well after being planted last fall, but it's those bare spots and some browning. More questions to follow. Pics and more information on my blog. Pics included.

Thanks in advance.

http://cabininthemountains.blogspot.com/2009/07/picnic-nope-yard-soil-tests.html

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Comments (5)

tiemco
14 years ago
OK, well your pH is low, but that's easier to fix than high pH, and I would wait a month between lime applications, longer if you don't get much rain. Nitrogen is an easy fix with fertilizer, but I would definitely wait till early fall, when it is cooler, because adding a lot of nitrogen now can increase fungal disease incidence. I used the Scott's fungal control and I still got brown patch, but only on my spring seeded tall fescue. Don't do any seeding until late summer or early fall. I know Georgia is a lot hotter than CT, but you are in the mountains, so I assume your climate is cooler than say Atlanta. Regardless, seeding in the summer is a losing proposition, get your lawn in the best possible shape to seed in the early fall. When you do overseed, pick the cultivars that do the best in your area, check the ntep trials for this info.
gamountains
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks for the reply tiemco. Trust me I know it's a bad time of the year to plant but I have all sorts of free time and if it doesn't grow I'll just try again. This area has done quite well but we've been lucky on weather. No temps over 85 since late June.The small triangled area was practically all soil four weeks ago.

{{gwi:107344}}

You mention that fungus control. Will it actually work with the Ph being out of whack? I read that here I did apply some two weeks ago trying to help a really bad area. Doesn't seem to be any improvement.
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tiemco
14 years ago
Hey it's your time and money so you can do what you want. It can be done, but don't get your hopes up. Tall fescue germinates in about 9-14 days, so your new grass will be sprouting at the beginning of August. I hope it is cool in the mountains, as hot humid conditions are perfect for fungal blights. My new grass was planted on 5/20 and was perfect till July 7, then it all went south fast, and it was dry and not too hot here. Hopefully some of it will come back, but I will reseed/overseed in late August/early Sept anyway. I am not sure that link regarding soil pH/fungicide effectiveness is all that reliable, looks like they are just trying to sell products, but I guess there could be some validity to it.
gamountains
Original Author
14 years ago
I've been getting germination times in about five to six days. "Re-seeding"/bare spots completed two weeks ago. Weather has been wonderful the last month...touching 50 at night the last 3-4 days...low 60's most of the other nights. Mid June was the high humid nights that started the fungus, and then again we had a very rainy period in early May.

I'm very new to lawn care. Never had a lawn of my own before. Trial and error I suppose. Plenty of patience and not expecting miracles. Just hoping to have a nice appearance in late October and next year.

"but I guess there could be some validity to it..."

The article made the most sense to me (partcularily Ph levels) over others I've dug through on the web, and it didn't stear me into considering buying anything.
tiemco
14 years ago
I am not a fungicide expert, but it is true that water that is too basic or acidic can reduce fungicide effectiveness. Since the scotts is granular, it dissolves with dew, rain, irrigation, and since you had a lot of lime down it stands to reason that might have affected your fungicide. I am not sure about soil pH, but I think it is less of an issue. I think liquid fungicides are foliarly absorbed, so soil pH is even less of an issue with those types, but the water it is mixed in is important.

Soil Tests. Now What? Fescue Lawn

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Soil Tests. Now What? Fescue Lawn

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tiemco

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