Wow Jari, you have such a perfect technique it's like watching a commercial grafter. I am much less smooth and slick. I did 23 grafts yesterday and every cut was just right but I did them from diffent angles, sometimes standing above the RS and cutting downwards. It was the wrapping that became tricky as I was grafting on curved surfaces sometimes and the scion wanted to spring off. Once you have the first winds at the bottom and have trapped it then it's easy to wind it but that could be a fight needing three hands! Wonderful vid, I'll watch it before I graft in future to focus myself.

I'm glad it improved visually! Probably what happened was that your grass absorbed the majority of the nutrients before (or as or after) they hit the soil, leaving the soil in roughly the same place. The Pennington Fast Acting was the right response, but could you tell me how many pounds per thousand square feet that worked out to be? I'd need to include it, but you can use the numbers below to adjust the calcium levels and simply add (or defer) the amount required. We've been through a lot of the basics, so I'll skip those and only note changes where they're either interesting, significant, or otherwise amusing. pH 5.1: This actually isn't significantly different than 2015 and we really do want this to rise a lot yet. OM 2.1%: Rising 0.2 is within sampling differences, but I'm pleased to see it. Continue to mulch mow, mow all your fall leaves, and so on! Phosphorus 91: No significant difference. Again, we use starter to raise this and my recommendations are below. Calcium 40.8%: No significant change. This is one case where I do a split recommendation as I'd also like to lift your magnesium and I'm willing to accept a slow, but easier, change. We'll mostly be using the Pennington you're used to, but also pick up some good old, very cheap, dolomitic limestone (usually in a bag that costs $5 for 40 pounds, marked "Dolomitic Limestone" and available anywhere). There's some variance in magnesium levels, but that's not terribly significant here as I'm only nudging things. Magnesium 5.1%: Lower than I like. I chose dolomitic to make the application easier and the release slower--next year or the year after, when calcium comes up, we'll make a final adjustment more quickly and at a more accurately calculated rate. Right now, the dolomitic is fine and won't overshoot. Potassium 3.9%: Perfect! None required. Minor Elements: Iron and boron again. Iron: Like last year, keep going with the Milorganite when you can. It'll improve your lawn color. Boron <0.2: Deficient. While grasses aren't particularly sensitive to that, it should be improved--and really will subtly improve lawn quality. 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. Recommendations: Now-ish to June 1: Apply 5 tablespoons of 20 Mule Team Borax per thousand square feet. June 1: Feed with starter at the bag rate. June 15: Apply 7 pounds of Pennington Fast Lime per thousand square feet (adjust for what you added previously). Apply around 15 pounds of dolomitic limestone per thousand square feet--anything from around 12 to around 18 pounds is fine. July 1: Feed with starter at the bag rate. September 1: Feed with starter at the bag rate. October 1: Feed with starter at the bag rate. October 15: Apply 9 pounds of Pennington Fast Lime per thousand square feet (adjust for what you added previously if you still need to here).

About grafts, I want to emphasis few most important points. 1- Keep the pots about to be graft on the dry side. 2- Do it on a sunny day and make sure it is no rain in the next few days. 3- Soak razor blades in alcohol every 2-3 cuts. Dry it with paper towel. 4- Hold off water for at least next 5 days. I had 2 tiny bowls of alcohol, after 2-3 cuts, I drop the razor blade in one, pick up the other one dry/use it. Let the first one soak until I need it. (1-2 minutes). I replaced the alcohol in the bowls about half way of my grafting. I know some will not make it thru the winter, but if 50% survive I am happy. Marie

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