Didn't even know about Logan Labs. i can definitely send one now. Is there any issue being too early in the season, or lots of rain? My yard is either muddy, or rock hard. I had one done last year and according to the Lawn Service it was "lost" at their office.

Do you prefer Barricade or Dimension? Barricade was recommended from Reinders.

I know it is too early for Nitrogen but it can't hurt anything, just giving food to a dormant grass.

A dominant grass is needed, I have a couple areas of quack grass that I want to kill and re-sod to prevent coming back.

The reason you get tested at Logan Labs is they give you specifics of micronutrients. A salt imbalance can cause soil to act like clay. Rebalancing the salts can eliminate that problem...unless you really do have clay. Most people don't, though. Get the LL $25 test and post results here on this forum.

Something else you can do to help now is to apply any organic fertilizer. Many of us use animal feeds from the feed store instead of paying extra for the organic fertilizer label. What this stuff does is feed the soil microbes and restores the health to your soil. The application rate is 15 pounds per 1,000 square feet. I would also spray the yard with any clear shampoo at a rate of 3 ounces per 1,000 square feet. Shampoo is a surfactant that allows water to penetrate much deeper.

Another way to help yourself prevent summer weeds is to go to deep and infrequent watering. Deep means 1 inch all at one time. Infrequent means once a month when temps are below 70, once very 3 weeks when temps are in the 70s, once every 2 weeks when temps are in the 80s, and once a week with temps in the 90s. By allowing the soil to dry completely between watering, the weed seeds cannot germinate.

Your lawn service likely mowed lower than the highest setting. When you mow raise your deck all the way. Tall grass provides more shade to the soil and weed seeds helping in many way. It also grows deeper roots to take advantage of the deep watering you're going to be doing.

You don't need to fertilize until Memorial Day. Don't listen to the Scott's commercials on TV.

Weed n Feed does neither one very well. If you need to fertilize, use a fertilizer. If you need to kill weeds, spot spray individual weeds with something like Weed b Gon or Weed b Gon Chickweed, Clover, and Oxalis Killer.

The 2nd year of a lawn seems to be it's teenage years--My favorite metaphor anyway. It gets all spotty & doesn't respond well to anything you do. Keep working at it & build your soil though, it'll look great soon!

I will dig up a few samples and get it sent off tomorrow. Appreciate the help. I am going to lay down some Barricade solution late next week as a preventative, then after the results I will fertilize around Labor Day with some organic material throughout the year. I'ts a start.

Does it matter when and how often I use organic material and soap?

I should also add that using compost by bag is going to be painful since I have 10,000 square ft of grass. Don't know if that weighs in on the help.

I am stopping at Reinder in the morning to get Milorganite and Barricade, can anyone comment on the products? Or what animal feed?

Those are both good products that come highly recommended on this site. As far as animal feed, I think alfalfa is sold as rabbit feed & corn meal is maybe chicken feed?

If you use organic fertilizer, you need to have healthy soil. If you apply chemical herbicides, you will kill the microbiology in the soil and the fertilizer will do nothing. The only way to build up the organic matter content in the soil is by either top-dressing the lawn with compost (1/4" of compost at a time), or just by following an organic approach to lawn care (soil testing, organic fertilizer, re-seeding, compost tea, mowing hight at 3", leaving the grass clippings on the lawn), doing the proper cultural practices. My experience tells me you either go all organic, or all chemical. There is no bridge products, since the only purpose of chemical fertilizer is to feed the plant, and not the soil.

I hope this helps.

Javi

Great post J Gil. That's what Reinders said to the T.

I got organic 12-0-6 for the first application with a soil test dropped off, and Barricade for the pre-emergent.

I plan to aerate twice a year and after those spread compost to top dress. It's a start!

Below is a link to the soil test. Can anyone interpret the results and tell me what they recommend for organic fertilizer?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B27Jb3rNq-iUNk4wQjhYZTdFcXM/view?usp=sharing

Start a new thread title "Soil Test need help Morpheus!" and reference this thread, reattach link for test results. Experts will help you.

i know enough to say do NOT apply lime or lime with calcium, and do start mulch mowing at highest cut length mulch all leaves too.

And don't aerate anything at least until you've had a chat with morpheus!

Too late. Aerated last week and spread a little dose of compost on top. Then did a barricade pre-emergent this weekend.