Finally! Thank you all, especially Ron Schmid, for your comments. Because I am salicylate sensitive I cannot have any palm oil or cottonseed oil or anything made from either, hydrogenated or not. I am very thankful to have found this forum because now I know why I cough up green phlegm even though I have absolutely no reason for sudden congestion except that I have ingested supplements with magnesium stearate, stearic acid or calcium stearate. Now I can get the methyl folate, essential electrolytes, and amino acids that I need to improve my health. They are the only ones I have left that have magnesium stearate and stearic acid in them. Thanks Everyone!

I'm also growing in containers and in the ground. About half of my container tomatoes show similar signs of mg deficiency (least that's what I assume it is, the bottom leaves are exactly like your final photo). Many of my tops are more purple with rolled over leaves and purple veins. So I'd be curious to hear other suggestions. I've been spraying with epsom salt and liquid worm casing for a couple weeks. It hasn't seemed to help. *shrug* Of course, maybe it'd be worse now without. Next year I'll be adding some Epsom salt to the soil mix. Wish Raybo was still posting. I believe he has an ongoing experiment with this? Strangely, it does seem to depend on the plant. Anna's Russian, Black Krim, Krijna Oxheart, and Knin have it bad. Stupice, Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Persimmon, Sungold, and Coustralee have little or no sign. All are in SWCs with identical soil and additives.

I'd like to take a step back. It has struck me that we really haven't known much about your lawn and may not be seeing the forest for the trees. (pun intended) I've pulled some of your statements of and highlighted relevant portions and added what I hope you will find as useful comments and questions: >>>My understanding is that my area is known for "tight" clay soils and magnesium is the culprit. Comment: Have you verified this as applicable to your lawn or are you just passing on what others have told you is the likely issue? This is the reason I asked my recent follow up questions about what you have observed. >>>It looks like my Ca and Mg are nothing to fret about. I do note that my K is low. I'd be interested in any fall fertilizer recs to help my mostly fescue lawn with that? It does make me feel good about my purchase of a quad-blade Honda mower, I think mulching in place my massive quality of autumn leaves should help conserve K. Comment: Soil chemistry has an influence on plant/turf health and soil structure. There are a number of "guidelines available for making determinations for the purposes of turf health: ---- Minimum Levels of Sufficient Nutrients (MLSN). This is a bare-bones guideline, but it is based on findings from over 17,000 soil tests land imited to stands of turf, so a rather high expectation of accuracy in regard to grass. Their standard is "not poorly performing turf." Nutrient levels that fall below these levels (deficient) will result in poor preforming turf. At these levels, turf is expected to be "meh", just "Ok", nothing to write home about, but not exhibiting poor color, density, or disease issues. Addition of nutrients is likely to result in observable improved quality, growth and appearance. MLSN Guidelines (numbers rounded off) are for soils with a CEC <6 (sandy soils). (Note: The authors of the MLSN have not reported findings for other CEC soils. However. based on review of the correlations of recommended nutrient levels for a range of CECs from a number of published guidlines, they can be roughly adjusted for >6 CEC soils by multiplying by 1.5. Numbers are reported as ppm: Ca: 350 Mg: 50 K: 40 P: 25 S: 7 pH >5.5 ---- Sufficient Levels of Available Nutrients (SLAN) These tests are based on studies of crops and although not turf specific, still valuable. They are expressed as a range, a continuum, from minimum/low where the standard is: "additions of nutrients are likely to improve plant harvest quality and quantity", to high where the standard is: "additions of nutrients are expected to have little or no effect on harvest quality and quantity." Levels above the maximum are considered excessive as the excesses (or any additions) do not improve harvest quality or quantity. Numbers are reported as ppm: Ca: 500-750 Mg: 70-140, 60-120 K: 90-200, 50-100 P: 26-54 S: 15-40 Ranges are for all soil types unless a second range is displayed. The second range applies to sands. Other versions exist with slight differences. ---- Basic Cation Saturation Ratio (BCSR) This guideline is based on testing of (7-10?) of what were considered the most productive soils world-wide. BCSR recommendations are based on the base cation ratios for soil balancing, a recommended quantity of nutrient to achieve a desired percentage of total base saturation weight (the weight of all the base cations combine) : Ca: 60-70% Mg: 10-20% K: 3-5% Na: 0.5-3% Exchangeable H: 10-15% For other nutrients, BCSR recommendations are made based on a SLAN guideline. ---------------- So, what about all the other nutrients or cations that a guideline didn't address? What follow is my touchstone guideline that I stole from a site. I use it as a starting point when initially analyzing a test and before employing the others. It is a combined guideline with some tweaks (very few) and notes by me and comports with everything I've read for the micro-nutrients and other soil properties. Numbers are ppm: pH: 6-7.5 (6.5-7.0 is most conducive "balanced sweet spot" to greatest nutrient availability and micro-organism health) Ca: >750, 60-80% (No known detrimental/toxic max. level. High Ca conducive to good soil structure/tilth, loosening soils) Mg: >140, 10-20% (Important to micro aggregation, but the chemical bonding can create tighter soils as Mg levels increase, can aggravate compaction, >600lbs/300ppm and/or >15% will likely create very detrimental soil conditions. Toxic levels (unknown) are possible but unusual.) K: >110, >2% but <7% (No known detrimental max. level for plant/turf. Can adversely effect soil structure through increased particle dispersion. Very high P soils have powdery character. Important plant cold and heat tolerance. Promotes for root growth.) P: >50 (Unknown maximum level detrimental to plants. Adverse environmental aspect. Initiates root growth) S: 15-40 (No reported/known detrimental/toxic max level. Can result in lower pH-Elemental sulfur can acidify soil.) B: 0.5-1.5 (Turf safe upper range may be as high as 2, but levels above 5 are toxic to all plants) Cu: 0.1-2.5 (Unknown detrimental/toxic max. levels- Possible that levels up to double digits are not adverse.) Na: <110 (Unknown detrimental/toxic levels. Can adversely effect soil structure through increased particle dispersion. Much greater dispersion impact than K.) Zn: 1-4 (Unknown toxicity max levels) Mn: >30 (Unknown toxicity max levels) Fe: > 90 (No known toxicity max levels) OM: >3, <3 for sands (Effects CEC, soil structure- peds, micro and macro aggregates, moisture and drainage. >3 in sands can create drainage issues. >12, organic soils can create undesirable soil issues.) _____ In regards to soil structure: Mg, Ca, Na, pH, and OM can all have significant effects on structure. K has less, but is not insignificant. See the notes above for specifics. ---- >>>I've been running into a problem where fall and spring were great and winter was Ok, but in Summer the heat and humidity combined with the extra shade that time of year was really thinning the lawn. Comment: See below. >>>I'll consider that I just need to some aeration before my overseeding and that the weird weather pattern this year has left the soil a bit too crusty. With the next overseeding I'll shift my selection of varieties from most shade tolerant to most heat/humidity tolerant. As I told morpheuspa, the lawn was lovely going into May, but once the dog days set in the it was obviously hurting under the stress. Comment: See below. >>>I'm also receptive to K being an issue since yellowing has been a part of the lawn's stress. Comment: Unless the turf is suffering from severe K deficiency and yours isn't, K additions will not effect color like Fe or Mg. >>>The lawn is ringed by enormous trees, including maples and poplars, and for years the tons of autumn leaves have been carted away, possibly creation a K depletion dynamic in soil. I got a quad-blade honda and hopefully this fall I've save K and time by mulching the leaves in place. Comment: See below. >>>I made a half successful attempt at dormant overseeding and early in the season I added a few things to increase moisture retention/germination. Comment: Dormant seeding is next best to Fall, but although not as bad as Spring/Summer, seeding it still leaves the young turf susceptible to summer hat and drought. I lost all my dormant seeded turf this Summer and it looked great this last June. >>>This included about half a cubic yard of leaf compost/1k sqft, 20-30lbs. alfalfa/1k sqft, and (my goodness I sound over enthusiastic) 10lbs humates/1k sqft. Overkill and probably mis-directed, but it explains the tests, I think. Comment: It may if the carbon material from the compost and humates (was that brown coal or something else?) leached into the sample, not so likely with the alfalfa in that short time. >>>This has been a lawn for over 100 years and it has seen many feet and other activity in that time. I think I have made some gains, both with last year's aeration and a schedule of shampoo/soil conditioner applications. This year areas that had suffered from heavy moss appearance in the past are now a fescue/triv blend. My hope is that by raking up the stolon carpet and overseeding I can give the fescue on edge. I'll try another round of aeration and a few more of the soil conditioner applications to further ameliorate compaction. Comment: I think I've already adequately addressed compaction and mechanical aeration as a procedure to employ to alleviate compaction. It is possible that the soil could be compacted Mother nature and physics alone will compact soil. That it is a 100y.o. lawn with bare spots and areas of moss devoid of rooting plants, and foot traffic, would be conditions conducive to compaction, However has it created detrimental compaction? See below. >>>I'm selecting varieties more for humidity resistance and less for shade, given that those are the most severe stresses. Comment: Humidity problems will raise its ugly head in the form of disease, If you are seeing disease, you can select turf that are more resistant to specific diseases. LGW, 90% of lawn issues are related to shade and water. Address those and you're almost home. You have some conditions and traits that might indicate some compaction, but I'm not inclined to think that you have a significant compaction issue. At least not yet. Normally, I might say aerate and see if that helps, but considering that you are able to get a good stand of grass from Fall through Spring, that your soil needs no amendment to incorporate, and that you have trivialis (that I assume you do not desire), I don't see where the benefit would outweigh the downside or the money or the labor. Although surfactants do nothing to aerate the soil (rather, they create an environment more conducive to compaction), they can be a useful aid in hydrophobic soils or local dry spots. On those crusty areas (which may be hydrophobic due to Mg influences or otherwise), spray them with a surfactant anytime that crusting condition appears. Don't overdo it, just enough so they will readily accept water when irrigated. Eventually the turf will integrate those areas into the lawn. If not, we can revisit aeration. I think your problems are not soil related, but are turf type (although it's possible the shade is so great that even fine fescue cannot thrive) and irrigation issues. I know, it was a long way to go for such simple advice. Sorry that this post is so long. You indicated an interested and I spent most of the day giving chapter and verse. I hope y'all aren't celebrating Christmas by the time I hit "submit." Edit: hope the edits and corrections make for an easier read.

5.2 isn't that bad. I mean, yeah, it's bad, but... :-) Personally, I'd drop 9 pounds per thousand square feet when you can (assuming you don't end up seeding, which is quite likely to fail this year without supplementary irrigation). Use Encap or Mag-I-Cal in this particular instance--for other lime types, let me know what brand and we'll adjust if necessary. I very much doubt it'll take 250# to do the job, actually, not if 1340 pounds of Ca and 350 pounds of Mg are creating a pH of 5.3. Why? Because more than 9 pounds of fast acting at any one time will end up yellowing out the lawn a little bit (very much more can render it a cheerful chartreuse). It also bollixes the soil biology if you go overboard and creates zones of high/low pH. Then, in spring, hit it with 9 more pounds per thousand square feet. Late next summer, test the soil again (via Logan or UMass by preference).