Lab results are back, could use some help getting lawn into shape.
gtemplet11
8 years ago
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My Logan Labs results. Need help.
Comments (3)Your front and back tests are more than close enough that you can fold them together in the future and just do one. The numbers are all in range of sampling differences. As such, I'm using the front numbers. I'm going to guess from your locale that you have a southern grass (Bermuda, St. Aug, or the like) but please let me know. You only implied you were in Texas, and even so, extreme north Texas is compatible with some northern grasses. Also, something like centipede has entirely different requirements than the other two. EC 12.9: Both of these are probably a little inflated by the excess calcium, but we'll run with it. Your soil is more likely silt than not, with possibly some sand, but you'd have to do the jar test (probably with some vinegar) to be sure. pH 8.2: Always the symptom, never the disease, although this is quite high. It's no barrier to a great lawn, which is good because we aren't going to bring it down much, if at all. Sulfur is not very effective at altering soil pH when surface applied, and I doubt you want to till the whole soil to a depth of eight inches, mix in sulfur, and till again. Then replant. Besides, there's no need to do so. OM 0.9%: Very poor, almost the lowest number I've ever seen, but not quite. Always mulch mow. Throw any organic you can get at this soil. Mulch all fall leaves. Steal your neighbors' fall leaves and mulch them. That sort of thing. Sulfur 24: Good. We have some margin to work with, and I've got several recommendations. Phosphorus 27: Off the charts low. Starter fertilizer is any fertilizer with a high second number, like 18-24-6 or 20-27-5. Purchase whatever's cheapest and my recommendations are below. My normal target is 200, but due to your high pH I'm trying to decide between 300 and 350 here. Your pH is binding up a lot of phosphorus. Application of starter fertilizer will nudge your pH down a hair. We won't finish the adjustment this year, but re-test your soil next spring for a new baseline. Calcium 80%: Extremely high. Certainly never lime. Calcium isn't toxic at any level, so this isn't causing any problems except that the pH is high. Magnesium 15%: Although this looks optimal, my bet is that it's actually extremely high due to the calcium inflating the EC calculation. Never lime, never use a magnesium source. This is unlikely to be a problem as the calcium competes with it. Potassium 1.0%: Very low, just not quite as low as it looks due to the probably-inflated EC. Still, you need potassium. You can order potassium sulfate online (with shipping, it's expensive) or get it from most local landscapers or garden shops, who will order it for you (cheaper). Recommendations are below. We probably won't finish this year due to the high calcium, which competes with the potassium trying to bind up. Sodium 1%: Completely normal. High Na is a toxin. Most Minor Elements: Fine. Boron is a hair low, but I'm not inclined to adjust it this year (application of organic material will also raise this a touch). Copper could use a fair-sized tap, but ditto (and organics are usually copper-rich, relatively speaking). I've discussed iron and zinc below. Zinc 0.9: Low, particularly for your pH. We use Milorganite as a carrier, just as we do with boron. In a wheelbarrow or the like, dump the Milo. Spraying very, very lightly with water (I use a spray bottle like the kind people use to damp their clothes when they iron) will help the zinc sulfate stick. Add the recommended amount of zinc and stir, spraying occasionally to get the stuff to stick to the Milo. Then apply over the recommended area. So for a touch over 5,000 square feet, you'd use 1 bag of Milo per 2,500 square feet, and 6.0 tablespoons of zinc sulfate per 2,500 square feet. You can get zinc sulfate here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Zinc-Sulfate-Monohydrate-Powder-35-5-Zn-2-Pounds/370418311221 Iron 101: Very low for your pH. You can apply Milorganite to the lawn at bag rate pretty much whenever you want (monthly or every other month is great) to slowly raise this. I have no target in mind, it's whenever the lawn holds a good green color without repeated applications of Milorganite. That depends on soil pH, grass type, grass cultivar, organic matter levels, and a ton of other things. You'll know when it's time to stop, the lawn will be a great color with or without the Milo. Recommendations (for Bermuda or St. Aug): Whenever you want: Apply organic fertilizer or grain meals at 10-20 pounds per thousand square feet. This includes Milorganite. April 15, give or take: Apply 4 tablespoons of zinc sulfate per thousand square feet. May 1: Feed with starter fertilizer at bag rate. May 15: Apply 2 pounds of potassium sulfate per thousand square feet. June 1: Feed with starter fertilizer at bag rate. June 15: Apply 2 pounds of potassium sulfate per thousand square feet. July 1: Feed with starter fertilizer at bag rate. August 1: Use a high nitrogen, slow-release fertilizer at bag rate. September 1: Feed with starter fertilizer at bag rate. September 15: Apply 2 pounds of potassium sulfate per thousand square feet....See MoreLogan Labs test results - could use some assistance reading results
Comments (24)SOP's fine to go down on damp grass, and you can do it now if you want. Really, you're barely off-cycle for an app I scheduled for October 15th. Always read my dates as "somewhere kind of around this date if that's convenient for you." We can always revise the schedule if things really get off-track. Bermuda doesn't require heavy synthetic winterization and the process can actually cause damage the following spring and summer. Greening's unlikely at this point if growth has slowed significantly. However, I don't recommend keeping soybean meal (or any grain) around over the winter as the stuff is a beacon to mice and other less-pleasant rodents. Lighter organic winterization practices won't harm Bermuda, so I'd put it down. If you have shrubs, gardens, or trees, this stuff would also be very good for them at this point in the season as well. I dropped my last organics on October first (in Pennsylvania), being very certain to strike the Thuja, lilacs, trees, and other shrubs with the stuff pretty heavily....See MoreSoil Test Results - Front Lawn (LoganLabs)
Comments (11)It is a very nice initial test! The full read is below. ME 13.8: Probably silt with some sand and possibly a little clay. It's a nice soil, holds plenty of resources, and will easily support anything you want to throw at it. pH 6.6: On the nose. Although on the nose does vary from 6.2 to 6.8, you're at a good balance point for your soil. OM 5.7%: In the Good range, so no special effort needs to be made. Certainly I'd mulch mow, mow all fall leaves, and that kind of stuff, but wouldn't add anything to the regimen specifically. Sulfur 8: While technically a tad trim, it's not a problem. Most methods of raising this are ineffective anyway. Phosphorus 205: The target is 200, so this is perfect. Calcium 72%: A touch high, but not a problem in any sense. Grasses (and most plants) don't care about a little extra calcium. Magnesium 11%: Perfect. Potassium 5%: On the high side, but that's a good thing. I'm a fan of having a little extra K. Minor Elements: Boron could use a minor kick, but it's so marginal I'm calling this optional. Boron 0.56: A tad trim, the target is 0.70. We use Milorganite as a carrier and 20 Mule Team Borax as the boron source. You can purchase 20 Mules at the grocery store in the laundry section. In a wheelbarrow or the like, dump the Milo. Spraying very, very lightly with water (I use a spray bottle like the kind people use to damp their clothes when they iron) will help the boron stick. Add the recommended amount of 20 Mule Team Borax and stir, spraying occasionally to get the stuff to stick to the Milo. Then apply over the recommended area. So if going for bag rate Milorganite (1 bag per 2,500 square feet), you'd add 5 tablespoons of 20 Mule Team Borax. Recommendations: May 15 (optional): Apply 2 tablespoons of 20 Mule Team Borax per thousand square feet....See MoreHelp with Logan labs soil test results.
Comments (9)Even if it's an acre, you can do it far cheaper yourself (if with a lot of work)... Your soil's actually in fairly good shape, although I do aim for perfection (you did, after all, pay for the test so I assume you want soil in the perfect groove). ME 5.1: Prob'ly a very sandy soil that doesn't hold a lot of resources. It'll drift pretty fast, so testing every other year once stabilized will be a good idea. pH 6.0: Textbook, a little low, but nothing severe and we'll fix this under calcium, magnesium, and (a little) potassium. OM 4.3%: Well into the Good range, although with your low ME soil, I'd always mulch mow, mow all fall leaves, steal neighbors' leaves who don't mulch them, and consider feeding organically. The higher this goes, the more water your soil will hold, and the higher the effective ME becomes. Sulfur 18: Optimal. Phosphorus 876: Extremely high. You don't need starter when you seed, and I'd avoid phosphorus sources as much as possible when feeding anything. This will support a tightly-packed annual garden easily, and that's saying something. Calcium 61.1%: A little low for a low-ME soil, and what's setting off your lower pH. Technically, it's just barely in the optimal range, but I'd raise this a bit. We use Encap, Mag-I-Cal, or Pennington Fast Lime to do this as these limes work faster, don't add elements I don't want or need to add, and tend to be cheaper per thousand square feet than supposedly "cheap" limes. Recommendations below. Magnesium 13.6%: It looks optimal, but your slightly low Ca levels are enhancing this. Still, let's ignore this for 2016, it certainly isn't a problem at this moment. Potassium 2.7%: Like magnesium, this is a little enhanced by lower Ca levels than I'd like to see. This is optional this year, but I'd do this if it were my soil. We use potassium sulfate (sulfate of potash) to fix this, which you can get from some garden or landscape stores, or they'll order it for you. Get the granular, it's easier to apply. Sodium 2.2%: Textbook, this is very high. However, your low ME soil won't hold much and total soil amounts are low. Calcium and potassium sulfate will dispel some of this, and one reason I don't want to put off the potassium application. Minor Elements: All are fine, except boron. Boron 0.21: This is borderline at the lowest level before deficiency. While not the most important element, I'll always work to move your lawn into the most optimal range on everything. Me? I'd fix this. We use Milorganite as a carrier and 20 Mule Team Borax as the boron source. You can purchase 20 Mules at the grocery store in the laundry section. In a wheelbarrow or the like, dump the Milo. Spraying very, very lightly with water (I use a spray bottle like the kind people use to damp their clothes when they iron) will help the boron stick. Add the recommended amount of 20 Mule Team Borax and stir, spraying occasionally to get the stuff to stick to the Milo. Then apply over the recommended area. So if going for bag rate Milorganite (1 bag per 2,500 square feet), you'd add 10 tablespoons of 20 Mule Team Borax. Recommendations: Now: Apply 3 pounds per thousand square feet of Encap, Mag-I-Cal, or Pennington Fast Lime. September 1: (Optional but Recommended) Apply 2 pounds of potassium sulfate per thousand square feet. September 15: Apply 4 tablespoons of 20 Mule Team Borax per thousand square feet. October 15: Apply 4 pounds per thousand square feet of Encap, Mag-I-Cal, or Pennington Fast Lime....See MoreUser
8 years agogtemplet11
8 years agoUser
8 years agodchall_san_antonio
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8 years ago
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