Year 2 - Soil Test Results
coreman73
8 years ago
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8 years agocoreman73
8 years agoRelated Discussions
2nd property soil test results
Comments (19)I concur that compost can be laid on top of bermuda anytime, and the sooner the better, and as thick as you want (until the point it interferes with the mower blades). Bermuda wll simply take over the compost. It's a "weed" to some people, known as "devil's grass", because it takes over cropland, causing starvation throughout the world. However, it is but one of only two grasses (st. augustine being the other) that make a practical lawn in many hot summer locales in the U.S. After mowing, it makes for a good looking yard. I am trying to eliminate as much lawn as possible here in Texas with drought tolerant shrubs, plants and small trees, but other than native grasses, which do not stand up to foot-traffic well, it's the most drought/heat tolerant lawn grass available. It is superior in full sun compared to st. augustine, which is a better choice in yards with partly shaded areas. Contrary to what many people advise, professionals as well as homeowners, I mow it at a very high setting after temperatures regularly exceed 90 F. Avoid at all times ever cutting more than a fouth or a third of it's height, as you'll have to water it right away, becuase it will burn the turf, and you'll have to water more than would be otherwise necessary. Water deeply, and infrequently after it is established, which will encourage drought tolerance and deep roots. I encourage you to grow winter rye this fall as a cover crop, which will give you a green lawn throughout the winter, then cut it real low in the spring, in order to hasten the takeover of your bermuda as temperatures warm up. It' a very handsome winter grass with deep roots. M...See MoreQuantity of soil ammendments as per soil test results?
Comments (11)I also thought that lettuce was shallow rooted until I read this. LETTUCE < The development of the root system during the intervening period of 4 weeks was remarkable (Fig. 94). The taproots had extended their depths from about 3.5 feet to the 6- to 7.5-foot level. As before, however, relatively few long branches originated below the first 10 inches. The large laterals, which formerly had reached a depth of only about 2 feet, now extended well into the fourth foot of soil. Some occupied the fifth foot also, and a few of the longest reached a depthof over 6 feet. That growth was still occurring was shown by the long, unbranched, turgid root ends. The number of branches filling the soil was much greater than formerly and sublaterals were much more abundant. The total spread, however, had not been increased since the preceding examination. Thus a volume of soil, with a surface area of over 9 square feet and a depth of at least 5 feet-nearly 50 cubic feet-was thoroughly ramified by the roots of a single plant.> ROOT DEVELOPMENT OF VEGETABLE CROPS...See MoreStephen's 2016 Soil Test - Year 2
Comments (9)Sorry for the delay and thanks for nudging me via message! I always do a flat read, then go back and compare previous years. So let's begin... Exchange Capacity: 6. Compared to last year's 9, I'm going to say you've probably got some soil variances in your lawn. This one says sandy, the 2015 said sand-silt. We'll run with sand as it's safe to do so. OM 3.9: Up from 3.1. You're moving into the Good range, so keep doing what you're doing. 0.8 is a significant one year change. pH 5.8: It nudged a bit, but less than I would like. More down under Calcium. Phosphorus 179: Not appreciably different from last year, and still very close to the optimal 200 (there's a lot of give). I'm going to recommend ignoring this as it's not a problem, but if you accidentally slipped in an app of starter fertilizer around May 21st, I wouldn't object. It's not necessary, however. Calcium 51.2%: A little lower than optimal. I can't remember if we applied Ca last year, but we definitely need to again. We use calcitic lime to fix this, and I recommend Encap, Mir-A-Cal, or Pennington Fast Lime. Recommendations below. Magnesium 13.3%: Nose-on optimal. No Magnesium required or desired. Potassium 6.4%: Technically a bit high, but this is actually just where I like it. No potassium required or desired this year. Minor Elements: Most look fine, but boron and iron bear mentioning. Boron 0.22: Deficient, and it actually slipped from last year. We're still going to be gentle (boron gives us no choice), but this may become a habit in your soil, at least until the OM rises and helps us out. 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 12.5 tablespoons of 20 Mule Team Borax. Iron 177: This actually slipped a bit from last year, which is probably sampling differences. Milorganite, whenever you like, will slowly raise this, but it's not deficient. It's just a little low for optimal color. Recommendations: April 1: Apply 4 pounds per thousand square feet of calcitic lime. May 1: Apply 5 tablespoons per thousand square feet 20 Mule Team Borax in Milorganite carrier. October 1: Apply 4 pounds per thousand square feet of calcitic lime....See MoreSoil Test Results Are In...Opinions Appreciated
Comments (7)NJ fertilizer law applies to homeowners too: NJ fertilizer law. I expect that is why they recommend an April application: because the law has taken away the opportunity to do the late fall application, which is so beneficial to roots. I would tweak the amounts: 0.5 lb/k of nitrogen in early April and May, full 1 lb/k of nitrogen in late August and October. The May and August feedings are opportunities to do organic fertilizer. You should leave your clippings on the lawn and mulch your leaves. They provide organic matter and organic matter improves the soil. It gives the soil life something to eat. The more soil life, the better. I did not see a CEC number in the report but they do give an LRI number indicating buffering capacity. You're in the middle between low and high buffering, closer to high buffering. Clay soil is highly buffered. If your soil is clayish, that could be why it's hard to dig. It also might just be dry. Is it hard to dig even after a rain? Your calcium to magnesium ratio is 8.5:1 so the magnesium is not to blame for your hard soil. Have you done the shampoo thing? Have you done a jar test? Have you tested how quickly your soil drains? If you aerate, that is an opportunity to spread compost and have it fall into the holes, getting it further into the ground. Do some reading on organic matter and why it is so important for good soil. It is so easy to leave clippings and mulch leaves. If you do nothing else, start leaving your clippings and mulching your leaves....See MoreUser
8 years agocoreman73
7 years agocoreman73
7 years ago
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