I'm assuming a northern lawn here, and fescue, bluegrass, and/or rye. but if that's wrong, let me know. Some dates need to move around.

So how's your lawn? From this test report, I'd guess meh...a little patchy and the color's not so wonderful. Growth is similarly inconsistent. You probably feed it and it works, but stops working a lot faster than you think a feeding should.

We can work with this, no problem, and it's going to improve the soil amazingly in the next year or so (the lawn will follow).

Exchange Capacity 9.2: A nice soil, sand and silt, and a good place to be. Your soil holds good amounts of resources and doesn't drift off too quickly, so once stabilized you can probably go to testing every other (or even every third if you're daring) year.

pH 5.2: Low, but this is only a symptom. I'll correct this and discuss what causes it under Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium (there are other things, but those are the heavy hitters).

OM 3.0%: In the fair range. Certainly always mulch mow and mow in your fall leaves, but this is not an emergency situation and it doesn't require instant correction. As the grass improves, the organic matter levels will rise, and your EC is high enough that I don't see any need to go into emergency mode with this.

Sulfur 46: A little high, but that's not a problem. Some of your calcium is bound into gypsum, which isn't helping your pH. We'll fix it under calcium below.

Phosphorus 58: Quite low. My target for a lawn of normal pH (which yours will be once we get done with it in two years or so) is 200. We use off the shelf starter fertilizer to fix this, and just get the cheapest. They're all the same, really. Recommendations below.

Calcium 38.5%: Extremely low, but not anywhere near the worst I've ever seen! We use a good, high quality calcitic lime to correct this--Encap, Mag-I-Cal, or Pennington Fast Lime (I've got reports on other limes but haven't researched yet). Others, like the really cheap stuff, are going to mis-balance your soil's magnesium level, work very slowly (which you can't afford), or require enormous amounts of material. Correcting your calcium levels will correct your pH, and I've recommended the maximum yearly amount below that won't cause problems like yellowing of the lawn. We'll need more next year, but that has to wait for this to perk in and for another soil test.

Magnesium 10.0%: On paper, with your CEC, this looks the tiniest bit low, and it is, but it's too minor to bother with this year. We'll ride it until the next test.

Potassium 4.5%: While this looks high, I'm a fan of having some extra K in the soil for extra temperature resistance and disease resistance. We don't need to add any, but this certainly isn't a problem (it's actually a bit lower than I keep my soil, actually).

Minor Elements: Aluminum is becoming a problem, but raising your pH (by adding calcium) will take care of that by rendering it chemically bound. I've mentioned iron and boron below.

Iron 76: Not awful, but rather low, and not going to produce great color in the lawn (particularly with calcium flowing in at a pretty high rate). Whenever you like, you can feed the lawn with Milorganite to very slowly raise this over time.

Boron 0.29: Low, and I'd fix this even though it's a pain. 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 starter fertilizer at the bag rate.

May 15: Apply 9 pounds of Encap, Mag-I-Cal, or Pennington Fast Lime per thousand square feet.

June 1: Apply 4 tablespoons of 20 Mule Team Borax per thousand square feet.

September 1: Apply starter fertilizer at the bag rate.

October 1: Apply starter fertilizer at the bag rate.

October 15: Apply 9 pounds of Encap, Mag-I-Cal, or Pennington Fast Lime per thousand square feet.

Thanks so much for the analysis and advice, very kind of you. I should have noted where I am located and all that. I'm in northern VA, and it's a lawn we inherited and had never really been taken care of at all. I don't know exactly what type of grass it was (I assume some mixture of rye, fescue, and bluegrass), but last fall I killed off the weeds and overseeded with 100% TTTF.

So it looks better than before, but you are pretty spot on about the condition - OK, but kind of patchy and inconsistent and anemic. Glad to hear that the soil is not too bad, and fixing it will not really be that big of a chore. I'll get started on the plan and hope for good things.

One question - I've already got some leftover 19-19-19 fertilizer on hand. Could I just go with that, or do you really recommend getting some proper "starter fertilizer" with not as much K (something like 18-24-6)?

Actually, I never object to a little extra K. If it's only one application, go ahead and use the 19-19-19. Two...you already have quite a lot of potassium, so I think I wouldn't do that. Would it hurt? No...but the potassium does start to compete with other resources and we'd end up having to account for it later.

OK, great. I'll use up my 19-19-19 now, and then back off the K for the fall applications. Thanks again!

Morph,

Just a follow-up here...I've been reading more about boron, and how there's a pretty thin line between healthy levels and toxicity. I just want to be sure I'm putting down the correct amount. You say 10 tablespoons of Borax for a bag of Milorganite (per 2,500 sq. ft.). I've got just about 7,500 sq. ft. of lawn to cover, so will be using 3 bags of Milorganite. That means I'm going to be using 30 tablespoons total of Borax, correct?

Correct! On the up side, grass is not particularly boron sensitive in either direction and can tolerate a theoretical overage much better than most other plants.

I also didn't prescribe enough to kick you anywhere near all the way in a single year. That would set off a high boron layer at the top of the soil. Again, that's unlikely to cause major problems...but why risk it?

RE: the high boron layer...I thought about asking whether I should maybe split this into two applications, but figured you would have said that in the first place if so. Appreciate you specifically mentioning it, though - puts me at ease.

OK, so sounds like everything is good. Thanks again!

1. You cannot tell the texture of a soil from the CEC. A low CEC soil may be sandy or it may be a clay soil, but with highly weathered, low CEC kaolinite clay rather than young, high CEC montmorillonite or similar clays.

2. You definitely need to raise the pH. It should be raised to about 6.5. Calcitic lime will raise the Ca, but not the Mg, so it's preferable. Correcting pH will correct the Ca levels, not the other way around. Try adding gypsum (calcium sulfate) and the Ca level will go, but the pH will not.

3. The iron and boron are probably not causing significant problems. You can green up turfgrass by foliar iron application. This is true even in relatively high iron soils. It is very unlikely that you will see a positive response to added boron. Do a test: put boron on a small area and see if you can tell the difference. Believe your eyes!

4. Manage nitrogen. Grasses are very responsive to nitrogen applications.

Started this thread with my soil test results last spring. Followed Morph's recommendations throughout the year, and just got new test results. Would appreciate analysis and guidance on how to proceed this year.

This is your second time around. You've had the experience of seeing what last year's plan did for balancing the nutrients and you have that and the timing/scheduling of the applications from last year to work with. I'd rather help you pick your own targets and make your own plan. Are you up for that?

If so:

Standard boilerplate lecture:

Proper and consistent soil sampling is a must in order to reduce inconsistencies.

Proper: If you do not have a soil sampling tool (auger or probe), Insure that your soil sample is an even thickness vertical slice and not a wedge shaped slice. Take a minimum of 8 samples, evenly dispersed, from each 60 x 60' area. Try not to sample any sooner than 30 -60 days after an amendment application. Take the samples in the same month each year.

Consistent: Take all samples to the same depth (4" for turf) and do so each year of testing. Use the same "range" of soil for each sample and from year to year. e.g. soil from the 1" depth down to the 4" depth (preferred). or from the 2" to 4" depth.

Use the same lab each year.

Do the vinegar test on a small sample. If it fizzes, request that an ammonium acetate test be performed. If it doesn't fizz, either ask for or be prepared to request that (if the test comes back with a soil pH less than 6) a buffer pH test be done.

Targets/Guidelines:

PH: 6.0-6.9 pH has a strong influence on the availability of
nutrients and the health/population of microorganisms. Most common
target for turf soil is slightly above the middle 6.6 to 6.8.

TEC/CEC: Reflects the capacity of the soil to hold cation elements (most importantly, plant nutrients) in reserve. For
the most part, it is what it is although adding organic matter can
eventually raise it very slightly (putting lipstick on a pig).

Organic matter: 3% to 10% Source of nutrients (dust to dust), important for soil structure and moisture retention. Most common target is 5-6%.

The ranges for the following have been tailored to reflect the units
reported in the LL Soil Test. The ranges encompass the amounts consider
sufficient for a healthy, aesthetically pleasing turf. Values below the
minimum have been found to be deficient and make for unhealthy turf that
exhibits observable plant issues from unattractive appearance to
malformed leaves and roots. Starting at the midpoint, the closer the
value is to the low end of the range, the more likely an addition of a
nutrient will have a positive (observable) affect on the turf. The
closer a value is to the high end of the range from the midpoint, the
less likely an addition of a nutrient is to make any improvement. A
value above the high end is considered excessive and at some point
may/can/will have a detrimental affect on the turf:

Phosphorus: (range 116-260 lbs/ac of P205) Most common target is 200 lbs (+ or - 30).

Sulfur: (range 9 to 40ppm although no known max value has been found detrimental) Most common target is 15-40 ppm.

The following are cations and capable of attaching/holding to a TEC
site. In addition to considering the sufficiency ranges, the saturation
ratios and percentages should also be considered to avoid imbalances and
avoid adverse interactions that are detrimental to the turf:

Calcium: (700+ lbs/ac to unknown) Ca/Mg ratio range: can vary greatly without detriment to plant health. Recommended ratio Ca:Mg ratio range is 5:1 to 10:1. but ratios far outside of that have not been found to be detrimental to plants (soil structure is another mater)

Ca Saturation: (60-85%) To be considered in conjunction with Mg saturation percentages, Ca:Mg ratios and sufficiency level values.

Magnesium: (range 100-600 lbs/ac)

Mg Saturation: (6-20%) To be considered in conjunction with Ca and recommended Ca:Mg ratios, saturation percentages and sufficiency level values.

Potassium: (range 100-440 lbs/ac) Common target is 220 to 360 lbs/ac

K Saturation: (2-7%) To be considered in conjunction with Potassium (K) recommended sufficiency level values. most common target 4-5%.

Sodium and Sodium Saturation: Not considered a nutrient but some sodium is likely beneficial to the turf. (Range 0.5-3.0%) less than 110 ppm and less than 5% of base saturation, otherwise very poor soil structure is likely.

I usually don't address micronutrients as they are almost never
deficient as to cause issues with turf and the chance for misapplication
is high. However, as you have already addressed Boron, the
common optimum range for Boron is 0.5 to 1.5 ppm.

A couple of observations:

1. I'm disinclined to have faith in your calcium number. The test reports an increase of 1100 lbs/acre. You only added the equivalent of 313 lbs of calcium per acre since the first test.

2. I'm also wary of the accuracy of the reported pH. Soil pH is commonly elevated (higher) when soil samples are taken late winter/early spring. In addition, it is unlikely that the lime you applied was sufficient to raise pH that much in a TEC 9.6 soil. I advise that you request a buffer pH test be done to help insure accurate pH adjustment/lime application.

I forgot to give you the option of "not." :)

Spoiler alert.

My read:

Sample Depth: 6 inches. A bit deeper than desired for turf sampling. The extra two inches can skew the nutrient and pH values some. Can adjust for it, but not ideal for accuracy.

Total Exchange Capacity: 9.6 is common for a a silty sand. It will hold a decent reserve of nutrients and be relatively moderate quick to adjustment.

pH: 6.1 is lower than the sweet spot (6.5-6.8) but isn't especially detrimental to nutrient availability. It would still be preferable to raise this. At lower pH, P bonds with Al and Fe. and becomes unavailable. As I stated above, I question this reported value.

Organic Matter Percentage; 4.07%. In a very good range, 5-6% would be ideal. Carry on.

Sulfur: 73 ppm is above optimal levels, but not detrimental. Better to have too much than too little, but no need to go looking for any new sources.

Phosphorous: 106 lbs/acre reported as P2O5. Just slightly below optimum levels. At low pH, P becomes less available. As your pH raises your reported test numbers should also raise. Recommend that you continue to amend for 170-200.

Calcium: 2558 lbs per acre. Safely sufficient and the BS% is fine as is the Ca:Mg ratio. However, as I stated above, I question this number and believe it is likely an outlier.

Magnesium: 256. Safely sufficient, but ideally, I would prefer that it be at >280. As Mg BS% is within range and Ca:Mg ratios are fine, no harm in letting this ride. No harm in bumping it either. In a Mg or K debate, I think I'd bump this slightly.

Potassium: 198. That's quite a drop from 323. The lime additions last year would be responsible to some extent. This value is safely sufficient but below an optimal 220. Potassium is an important nutrient and used by the plant in large amounts (much large amounts than Ca or Mg) and although we are setting up a battle between K and any Mg addition, K should be amended.

Sodium: Within the acceptable range. With Sodium, it's more important to watch BS% than Lbs or ppm. 1.34% is fine.

Trace Elements:

Iron: 103 ppm. Sufficient. At pH in the 6s or below, it is available to the plant. No harm in adding iron sources, but you may or may not see any results at your pH.

Aluminum: 892. Medium high. In acidic soils, it ties up P. Below pH 5.5 it starts to become detrimental (even toxic) to plants.

Boron: 0.4. Just the tiniest bit below optimal. The additions you made last year raised Boron by 0.25. You can be reasonably confident that the same addition would raise it again around 0.25. Up to you.

All other trace elements appear at or above recommended levels and
nothing that should be detrimental (deficient or toxic).

Now: You have two choices. If you want to/can get Potassium Sulfate (SOP), Apply 2 pounds of SOP (=1lb of K). This will give the K a very slight "step up" on attaining and holding a TEC site once lime is applied. Otherwise, if you don't get a buffer pH test, apply 9 pounds/k of whatever Fast Acting Lime you used last year.

April 7 to 15ish: If you applied K now and you don't get a buffer pH test, apply 9 pounds/k of whatever Fast Acting Lime you used last year. If you applied lime already, do nothing.

May 15: Apply Milorganite at bag rate. If you wish to keep adjusting Boron, apply 4 tablespoons of 20 Mule Team Borax per thousand square feet via the Milo.

June 1: If you did not apply SOP, apply 10 lbs/k of a 10-10-10 fertilizer. If you did apply SOP earlier, apply starter fertilizer at the bag rate.

September 1: Apply a high first number fertilizer at the bag rate.

October 1: Apply starter fertilizer at bag rate.

October 15: If you didn't get a buffer pH test, apply 5 pounds/k of whatever Fast Acting Lime you used last year and (optional) add 1#/k of Epsom Salt (mixed in with the lime).

November 20ish: Winterize.

Ridgerunner - thanks for your initial reply, and then again for your followup. Regarding your skepticism of the Ca and pH numbers, I must apologize. I didn't look back over Morph's 2016 advice before saying that I followed it. I actually limed much more than he recommended. If I remember correctly, I put down fast-acting twice that Spring for quick boost, followed that up with regular pelletized calcitic for ongoing slow release, and then two more applications of fast-acting in Fall and early Winter. So I think the Ca and pH numbers are fairly accurate and can be trusted. If I'd pointed that out in the first place, those numbers probably wouldn't have jumped out at you as funny.

I probably overlimed and last year, but thought it was important to get that pH up quickly. I was actually starting from a pH of 4.6 when we moved in in the Fall of 2014, so happy that it is now at a respectable level. I will continue to bump it up another half point or so, but will back off the gas some this year! The big drop off in K from last year makes sense because I used fertilizer with very low K numbers, following Morph's advice that K was a little high, and also due to the heavy liming, as you stated. I'll use a more even fertilizer this year to raise both the P and the K. I may do the Boron again, I'll think about it.

Once again, thanks very much for the analysis and advice. Your sampling technique info is valuable. I think I'm pretty consistent, but must admit I am not using a proper sampling tool. Also will do the vinegar test just to see what happens.

headmotty,

Thanks for replying. Feedback is greatly appreciated and so is the clarification regarding the lime apps. That helps explain a lot of issues. It also would affect my recs as I was really a little gun-shy with them. Not nice to mess with ridgerunner's head.

I couldn't agree more on how important it is to get pH in range and as soon as practicable and practical. pH has a major influence on nutrient availability and soil and plant health.

I'm still inclined to think your pH may be slightly inflated in relation to the soil pH reported last year due to the different times of year that the samples were taken. Not a big deal, but something to be aware of in respect to the baseline.

Also, keep in mind that a portion of the regular lime and some of the winter app fast lime is very likely unspent. A 60 mesh lime can take a year (or longer) to fully activate.

I'd say you have an excellent handle on what you're doing and applying. Yes, do adjust the lime for a mid 6 pH target and do try to avoid overshooting.

With the new information, I'd be more aggressive in my P and K recs. As you stated, a balance fertilizer would be ideal. I prefer a balanced fertilizer like 10-10-10 vs 19-19-19. Although a little more expensive per pound of nutrient, it results in a much more uniform and thorough coverage. For calculation purposes (You probably already know this) for every pound of N, a balanced fertilizer will supply .44lbs of P and .82 pounds of K.

As I'm not a big fan of messing with micros > 0.2, you'll get no grief from me if you skip the Boron.

Good Luck and please check back this year with updates on your lawn. I hope/expect you'll see substantial improvement.

Hey Ridgerunner - yes, I felt bad when I realized I didn't mention my
extra liming. You were kind enough to write that huge thing, and it
was based on some bad information. And so I was going to reply with the
correct info as soon as I had a chance, but then you beat me to
it with the kind followup. So I felt double bad.I'm sure you're right about the pH reading still being a bit high for the reasons you mentioned. And glad you pointed out that 10-10-10 gives a more uniform coverage than 19-19-19. Never thought like that or seen that mentioned before, but maybe that's because I haven't been at this very long or don't read enough. Thanks again for all the feedback!

Just wondering...instead of the 10-10-10, would a 10-20-15 also be okay
here, to get those P and K numbers up more quickly? Or would that be
supplying too much P and or K? (Of course, I won't be putting this down
until late May.)

Edit: On second thought, that would be fine. Once this spring and then no more this year. Keep in mind: Flooding the soil with an amendment can/will create nutrient imbalances, So consider Spoon feeding.

I didn't give you the conversion factors.

Fertilizer bags report the nutrient content as P2O5, the second number in the X-X-X and as K2O equivalent (the bag will actually contain potassium chloride or sulfate), the third number in the X-X-X. To convert P2O5 to lbs of P, multiply by .44. To convert K2O to lbs. of K, multiply by .83.

For example, the 10-20-15 contains 10% N, 20% P2O5 and 15% K2O equivalent. So to apply 1# of N, you would apply 10# of fertilizer product. 20% of that 10# is P2O5 or 2# of P2O5. 2# of P2O5 multiplied by .44 = .88 lbs of P. 15% of that 10# of fertilizer applied is equal to 1.5 lbs of K2O. 1.5 lbs multiplied by .83 = 1.25 lbs of K.

Although we call 10-10-10 a "balanced" fertilizer, a more truly balance fertilizer would be 10-20-10. I prefer to select a fertilizer based on nutrient goals and needs where I can do multiple (spoon) feedings especially when phosphorous is involved.

Ridgerunner, thanks for all that calculation info. Unfortunately,
I'm not advanced enough for that to help me decide between 10-10-10 and
10-20-15.

The N is easy - I've got 7,000 sq. ft. of lawn, so to put down 1 lb of N per thousand feet, I'd use 70 lbs. of either of them.For
the P2O5 and K2O, I'm in the dark. My test result says I have 106
lbs/acre of P2O5, and optimal amount is about 200, right? And the K2O -
test says I have 198 lbs/acre of K2O, and optimal amount is about 300.
So I know they are both low, but I don't know how much I should apply
to raise these levels to where they need to be (i.e., whether 10-10-10
or 10-20-15 would be better for me). How do I figure that? Hope I'm
not missing something glaringly obvious....

Sure headmotty, NP. I'll give it a shot here. Feel free to ask for any clarification.

Before we start, fight the urge it get adjustments done ASAP and in one shot. Keep in mind that it is best to make changes slowly. This avoids imbalances in the soil and stresses to the turf and gives the amendments time to work their way into the profile. Especially true when changing pH. Also keep in mind that there are maximum yearly/per app amounts that should be made for the various amendments, however this is not an issue for you.

The method:

1. Determine the amount of phosphorous in P2O5 needed to reach your goal. In your case you selected 200 lbs/acre of P2O5 as your goal. Your test reports a current value of 106 lbs/acre. Your soil is 94 lbs/acre of P2O5 short of your goal.

2. Calculate the amount of P2O5 needed for 1000 sq feet by dividing the needed/shortage acre amount by 43.5. 94 lbs/acre shortage divided by 43.5 = 2.16 lbs/k of P2O5 is needed to reach our goal of 200 lbs/acre.

3. Determine the amount of potassium needed to reach your goal. You've selected a goal of 300 lbs/acre of potassium. Your test reports a current value of 198 lbs/acre of potassium (K). Your soil is short 102lbs/acre of K and 102lbs/acre of K is needed to reach your goal.

4. Calculate the amount of K needed for 1000 sq feet by dividing by 43.5. 102 divided by 43.5 = 2.34 lbs/k of K (potassium) is needed to reach your goal of 300 lbs./acre of potassium.

Caveat: What follows is only true for NPK fertilizers. It is not necessarily useful for the use of SOP, MOP or TSP (sources of pure potassium or phosphorous fertilizers).

5. Make the numbers match: The test reports P as P2O5. NPK fertilizers report P as P2O5. We're good with the numbers matching up. The test reports K as K, but NPK fertilizers report it as K2O. Need to convert. To convert K to K2O, we need to divide K by .83. So, 2.34 lbs/k of K divided by .83 = 2.81 of K2O.

6. Determine the total amount of N to be applied and the number of application of fertilizer to be made this year. This will depend on the type of grass and, as NPK fertilizer contain N (nitrogen), the recommended N schedules for the grass in the lawn. (e.g KBG: 4-5 apps Memorial Day, Labor Day etc.) However, as a one time off situation, we can digress a bit. We could add an extra 1/2 N app on May 1 or add the 1/2 app for July 1 or August 1 or both, etc. We want to avoid applying when the ground is frozen or within 6 weeks before the ground freeze or at the peak of summer or we cpuld cram 5 N apps into 4 by applying 1.25 lbs in each of 4 apps. Just to make this more complicated, it is best to spoon feed by applying an app every 2 weeks rather than all at once.

7. Once you determine the total annual N amount you wish to apply, divide the P and K amounts by that total N amount to find your ideal NPK ratio.

Example:

Assume 5lbs/k of N is your desired annual N amount.

Divide 2.16 lbs of P2O5 by 5= .432

Divide 2.81 lbs of K by 5 = ..563

So your ideal ratio is 1:.432:.563

Round off as fertilizer only comes in whole numers, I suggest rounding down, as you can always add more and it's impossible to take it out of the soil.

So, 1:.4:.5 (1 nitrogen, .4 P and .5 K), 10-4-5, about 15,-6-8, 20-8-10, about 25-10-12, 30-12-15, etc. Shop around.

For 10-10-10: For every 1 lb of N, you'll apply 10 lbs of product. 10lbs of product times 10% = 1 lb of P2O5 will be applied. You only need 2.16 lbs of P2O5, so 1.16 lbs of P2O5 left to apply to reach the target. One more app and you should quit or you will go over. For K, 10 lbs time 10% = 1 lbs of K2O has been applied. Target is 2.81 lbs of K2O, so 1.81 lbs K2O left to go. Still need two more apps to slightly exceed our goal.

For 10-20-15: For every 1 lb of N, you'll apply 10 lbs of product. 10lbs of product
times 20% = 2 lb of P2O5 will be applied. You only need .16 lbs of
P2O5 left to apply to reach the target. Slightly under. No more apps needed. For K, 10 lbs times 15% = 1.5
lbs of K2O has been applied. Target is 2.81 lbs of K2O, so 1.31 lbs K2O
left to go. Another App will moderately exceed your K goal, but immensely exceed your P goal.

Remember, these are ranges. Trying to be exact if somewhat futile, but we need something to guide us. It's up to you to decide how much over or under your target is acceptable, but do stay within the guidelines and try to accommodate spoon feeding. If you get P within around 200 + or - 20 to 30 (an addition of 1.6 lbs of P2O5) and K anywhere over 220 (that would take only an addition of .6 lbs of K2O), you're in great shape. The wild card, unfortunately, is that lime. Look for something with a lower P (second number). That way you can make up any P shortage with a starter fertilizer. (kind of a mix and match approach.) The lower the overall numbers, the more you can spread it out with spoon feeding.

Does that make sense? If not, ask away.

If it were me, although I have access to just about any amendment and fertilizer formula made, I'd use the 10-10-10. Yes, it will result in applying .84 lbs of P and .19 lbs of K in excess of the calculations, but considering that more lime is being added, an excess of P&K just may do the trick to offset the interactions. So 10 lbs (@ resulting rate of 1#N) of 10-10-10/k x3 apps with each broken up into 2 spoon feedings.

Whew, OK. Is there a test on this later? Thank you for walking me through these calculations - I think I'm about halfway towards a Ph.D. in chemistry now. This will be a valuable reference for me for my future lawn care.

I see that for several reasons, a 10-10-10 will be the better choice here, so I will go with that. And the spoon feeding technique is also interesting, hadn't really heard much about that before, but it makes sense.

I put my first app of lime down the other day, so I'm on my way here. Interested to see how the lawn progresses this year. Thanks again!

You're most welcome, anytime. I fear I may be a TMI type person, but I hope the results are satisfactory for you.

Is there a test on this later?

There IS in fact a test. As dchall likes to say, "the test is in the pudding." ;) Let's see how your lawn is doing next Spring and thereafter. It can take up to a year or so for some amendments and the soil to "cook."

Best to you.

Well, I can be a TMI person, too. Actual quotes from my wife:

"you talk way too much"

"too much detail..."

"I heard that already"

"uh-huh, uh-huh, get on with it..."

But one thing that drives me nuts in all facets of life is vague or incomplete explanations of things, so all of your knowledge is appreciated.

Have a good weekend!

Checked. May end closer to the high end of optimal, but ok.