You need a lot of lime! Did they give any recommendations?

Usually the numbers are pounds per acre for P (phosphate--P2O3), K (Potash--K2O), Calcium & Magnesium.

Here's mine from my pumpkin patch:

Phosphate: 1855 lbs/a
Potash: 1320 lbs/a
Magnesium: 3682 lbs/a
Calcium: 18689 lbs/a

They recommended to me:
Calcitic Limestone (calcium carbonate equivalent) 2000 lbs/a
Nitrogen 75 lbs/a
Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphate & Potash: NONE recommended.

Did you get just the basic test? Mine also had CEC #'s & Organic Matter (36%.)

You do need a lot of lime but the other numbers
should come with some recommendations if not
context at the very least. You paid these people
for the test so if you don't understand it then
thats their problem not yours. Call 'em up and
ask them what it all means.

It's tough to make a call without any context. Does it say anything on the test regarding half saturation percentage, texture, TEC, or CEC? Those nutrient values are all pretty subjective. For example, if that is a sandy loam with a half saturation percentage of 13, phosphorus would be a little on the high side but not problematic. I just wouldn't add any more for a while. I'd call potassium optimum to high-optimum. Calcium is a little low in the back and right about where it should be in the front. I'd say that magnesium is high in, but not excessive. You just wouldn't want to choose dolomitic lime for your liming material.

On the other hand everything, with the possible exception of magnesium, would be considered low if that's a clay we're looking at. Liming requirements also need to be based on the soil type. A lot more lime is required for a clay than a soil of a coarser texture.

Does it include sodium on there anywhere (Na)? I'm a little curious about the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) in the back yard.

I'm dumb.
You said heavy clay right at the top there. Yeah, you look a little low in everything except possibly magnesium for a clay. I'd use about 250 lbs. of oyster shell lime per 1000 sq. ft. That should help make an upward adjustment of the pH to somewhere in the preferred slightly acidic range (A more precise estimate would need to be based on the actual clay particle percentage compared to silt and sand). It should also take care of the calcium levels. You can then use about 8 lbs. of 15-15-15 per 1000 sq. ft. for N, P, and K. In fact potassium is down at a level for a clay that in addition to the 15-15-15, I would also add another 5 lbs. of 0-0-50. Everything should be incorporated to 6 to 8 inches and followed with a thorough irrigation.

What do you plan to grow in those areas?
For grass, and most flowers and vegetables, the soil pH should be in the range of 6.2 to 6.8 and there should have been something about how much lime to add.
Your Phosphorus (P) is low while the Potash (K) is above optimal.
What is the humus level, amount of organic matter in the soil?

I believe the numbers are in parts per million (ppm). This being the case your fertility is rather moderate and you could use a garden variety fertilizer blend. As was said above your pH is very low and you will need to lime. This will bump your calcium up to where it should be. How much depends on several factors, but 150 lbs of ag lime would be a good guess. Wait a year and test again to see how things look. I would get your pH right before you plant perenials because you will want to till the lime in.

Did you send your sample to WVU or one of the nearby states? Each state lab has a set of interpretations as well as recommendations for their soil test reports. Interpretations are dependent upon the soil test methods that were used to run your soil test.

Contact your county agent or the lab directly and ask for assistance with understanding your soil test report. They should be willing to help you understand what you received. I work in a university lab myself and do this for clients on a regular basis.

This was a free test that I sent in to Morgantown, WV. I am going to scan the actual document they sent me and post it later today. It's all greek to me.

My builder will be levelling out my lot next Monday and Tuesday as all the outside construction work is complete on my new house. So I'm wondering if I can go ahead and get any amendments right away and have them tilled into the ground right after the builder levels everything with the dozer.

My intentions are to plant a lawn and some climbing roses. I'll also be planting several flower beds with things like lavender, mexican bush sage, clematis, a dogwood tree, canterbury bells, delphinium, gladiolas, foxglove and hydrangea. I would also like to plant a couple raspberry bushes and a couple blueberry bushes.

Well, my scanner is down so I couldn't scan the actual document that has my soil results on it. Here is what it says though:

RECOMMENDATIONS TO LANDOWNER FOR AGLIME AND FERTILIZER:
Aglime
180 lbs/1000 Sq ft

Nitrogen
2 lbs/1000 Sq ft

Phosphate (P205)
3 lbs/1000 Sq ft

Potash (K20)
3 lbs/1000 Sq ft

Available -----K----CA-----MG----H----CEC&BS
Meq/100 G---0.1---3.3-----1.3----8.4---13
% Sat.--------1-----25------10----64----36
L.R. 4.2

I haven't had time to try to track down a county extension agent yet to try to explain this to me. Can anyone else tell me what all these numbers mean? And what do I need to do at this point to improve this nasty, sticky clay soil?

My builder is supposed to do the final land leveling soon. Do I wait for him to level the front and back yards and then I can go back and add some amendments and then have those amendments tilled in? Or should I add whatever amendments I need before the builder starts pushing all the dirt around and leveling it all out? And how much of which amendments do I need?

One more note: My local nursery has some stuff called Posey Power (or something like that). They highly recommend it for helping to break up clay soil. Is that something I should consider using?

Lime works best, and fastest, if in the soil rather than on so it would be a good idea to apply any lime as soon as possible. What the lab recommended for Nitrogen is very common and 2 pounds of N per 1,000 square feet is pretty negligable so I woild not concern myself about that now, especially with nothing in the soil to use that N. The same can be said for the recommendations for the Phopsphorus and Potash,don't worry about that. But the lime is needed.

"just me 6" ... I agree with Kimmsr that you want to get the lime in there to start working, BUT I don't know that I think doing so before the builder levels things out makes sense. I just picture you distributing the lime well across the top of the soil, and the bulldozer coming and scraping the top 3 inches away here and filling in a dip there ... resulting in a really uneven distribution of the lime. If I were you I'd wait. If I read you right, we're just talking about waiting until Tuesday or Wednesday; I think waiting a few days is worthwhile to increase the chances you get your lime distributed pretty evenly.

As to improving your "nasty sticky clay soil" ... lime will fix the pH, but I don't think it will affect the texture. You want better "tilth" ... not sure if a search on that word here will bring up articles that will help. Adding lots of organic material is the single best way to improve your tilth, for a variety of reasons. First, just mechanically, having lots of bits of organic stuff in between the sticky bits separates them and lets air and water in. Next, the soil beasties that are going to eat that organic stuff will, in the process, glue some of the clay particles together into aggregates (bigger bits), which tend to permit air and water to penetrate around/between them.

Do you have a source of free municipal mulch? By that, I mean ground up leaves that a nearby city collected in the fall, let sit over the winter, and puts out for you to take the following year? That can be good stuff or it can be garbage-y. I have a couple of cities around me to choose from, and have a clear preference for one over another.... Alternately, if you're willing and able to spend, get a truckload of compost from a local nursery. Go there first to see what they'll sell you. My nursery sells it for $35/yard, and they're selling pretty nice stuff (ground a lot finer than the municipal free stuff, looks more decomposed, maybe is in a more managed pile over the winter?). Till it in to your soil after the builder and before you first plant. Then add more to the perennial beds. And keep adding more to any plants that can be mulched (nearly everything except grass) forever more. (Wood and bark mulches last longer, but ground up leaves feed the soil better.)

By the way, don't let anyone sell you topsoil. You have plenty of the mineral component of soil already. You want more of the organic component, and that's the only part it makes any sense to pay anyone to haul to you. Don't let them talk you into a mix of compost and topsoil either ... that would be better for their profit, but not better for you. (UNLESS you have a shallow area you want to fill ... but then, the builder should fix that, right?)

I know, I'm not giving a lot of advice on the soil test. But you asked how to make sticky clay better, and in my flower beds, compost and leaf mulch are what does it.

- LCPW

p.s. On the "posey power" ... hard to say without knowing what it is, and some facts about what KIND of clay you have. I have learned here that one kind of clay actually can be broken up well by a chemical additive that nurseries sell. But many many folks have asked about it and knowledgeable folks here have said, "you're in a part of the country with clay that won't be helped by that in the least". I'd say don't do it until you know more.

Wow! This is great advice! I will print out this post and keep all this info.

The builder WILL be filling in shallow spots and, after reading this, I'll definitely wait until he levels my lot before doing anything (LCPW, you explained that very well). Normally I wouldn't pay to have a load of soil amendments brought in but I think I'm going to bite the bullet this time and spend the money to do it since I have this good window of opportunity during the building process.

I just called my local nursery and this is what they told me. It costs $35 for 20 cubic feet of 'Posey Power'. 100 cubic feet (delivered) would be $212.

Posey power consists of: Steamed/sterilized horse manure, spaghum peat, brewer's grain, gypsum, and lime. So do you think I'd be better off to just till some lime into my soil or to try this combination of stuff that seems to be very popular in my area?