Low Phosphorus
hairmetal4ever
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
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digdirt2
7 years agohairmetal4ever
7 years agoRelated Discussions
Soil Test Results - Low Phosphorus
Comments (2)If you are on an organic program, I would just ignore it and keep applying organic fertilizer unless you see a specific problem in the way the grass is growing. It is pretty hard to apply anything at 1 pound per 1,000 square feet unless you dilute it with something else. But as kimmsr said, triple superphosphate is not organic....See MoreConflicting soil reports!
Comments (14)High sulfur does not necessarily demand low pH. I'm not sure how that test is done but consider for example a soil based on gypsum rock. It should have high sulfates, which would have a different effect on soil than sulfide or elemental sulfur (for example). Just a thought. Generally speaking I would trust a lab with expensive equipment over a home tester. You did do some good tests there to check it out but you can't really know for sure w/o calibration buffers for pH. Also the NPK meter is adding up everything (somehow) so the fact your lab test showed low P is not necessarily incompatible with a high total NPK reading. How did you test the greenhouse soils with your meter? Stick the probe in or use a slurry? The best way to test for (pH especially) is a 50/50 slurry with distilled water. That ensures a consistent test absent from any effects of soil moisture (or lack of)....See MoreBasically, Poa Annua… is cough, a SLUT!
Comments (1)This was a chart before: Sorry it did not transmit correctly. Go to Nebraska site....See MoreSoil test came back with very low Phosphorus. What should I do next?
Comments (4)That's drastic. Overly drastic. Not to mention something you shouldn't do at once because P is very slow to perk down anyway, and creating a very high P zone at the top of the soil is a bad idea (it'll create a zone where the roots are somewhat blocked from absorbing other nutrients that P antagonizes). Fortunately, due to the pH issue I mention below, this problem never really materializes easily in your soil. I never recommend slamming a soil all at once anyway. It creates the aforementioned zones, which aren't great for the plants, and the microbes in the soil aren't thrilled about it either. Given that your pH is quite high as well, I'd also set your optimal P levels rather high to begin with; P availability is extremely limited at high pH. So personally? I'd target the high range. First off, I'm going to assume that Texas A&M soil tests are OK, I have no direct experience with them (I read Logan for the most part). No, seriously, you'd be surprised and head-to-head test comparisons with known samples varied widely between labs. My mentor used to have a cat about this. Fortunately, P levels are pretty flexible if high and P has to be sky-high to be a major issue. You can use triple superphosphate if you like. You can also use any good starter fertilizer and feed the lawn at the same time--just make sure the first and second numbers are much larger than the third, although potassium isn't one of those nutrients one has to be overly concerned about, either (and if you look at the magnitudes on the graph, we're moving from 4 to about 60 on P, which would move you from 312 to 370 or so on K...not really a noticeable change if we used a high-K fertilizer as well). Personally, I'd go with the starter. It's cheaper overall, will serve two purposes at once, and can be tossed in your spreader and used like any other fertilizer so the hassle quotient is so much lower. Just look for something like 20-27-5 (Scott's brand is around that, but I wouldn't pay for Scott's, any off brand is just as good) so you get a good dose of N (20) and P (27) without paying for K (5) that you don't really require. But if it turns out to be something like (for example) 15-25-15, that's just fine, too. N's good, P's high, and K isn't outrageous. Follow the bag settings. But ask here if you have any questions whatsoever! Zoysia likes between 2 to 4 pounds of nitrogen over the growing season, tapped out pretty regularly when it's warm like any other warm-season grass. So once it's fully back, feed it nicely at bag rate, which should target around 0.8 pounds N (most starter fertilizers do). Then about a quarter way through the season, do it again. At the halfway point, do it again. At the three-quarters point, do it for the last time. You're done. You just applied 2.4 pounds of N, and about 3 pounds of phosphoric acid equivalent (about 0.85 pounds elemental P equivalent) for most starters (but again, let us know the bag rates and we'll translate that). You'll want to re-test next year to see how it's coming along (probably not that well, given the perk-down time on P) and keep going, but over a couple-three years, it'll be along. This is not a fast process. Now, then. I note that none of the minor elements were tested but that you seem good on all other major elements (congrats on that, BTW). Higher-pH soils frequently bind up iron something fierce, so if your zoysia seems light green and disappointing, or, worse, yellow, iron might be to blame. Just something to keep in mind....See Moredaninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agohairmetal4ever
7 years agoBarrie, (Central PA, zone 6a)
7 years agohairmetal4ever
7 years agohairmetal4ever
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agohairmetal4ever
7 years agoFastInk
7 years agowayne_5 zone 6a Central Indiana
7 years agowayne_5 zone 6a Central Indiana
7 years agolast modified: 7 years ago
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