I know next to nutthin 'bout reading soil tests but a couple of advisories. Depending on who did the testing, some labs give recommendations for lime for agricultural purposes where they expect the lime to be mixed into the soil rather than spread on top. Keep in mind that grass does best in soil that is at a PH of 6.5ish or so.and that it is much easier to increase PH than it is to reduce it. So if you add to much lime... Second thing to keep in mind is that you do not want to add more than one pound of N per month at a time to an existing lawn. Also too much N in a seed bed is not beneficial to seedlings and can kill germenating seeds Thirdly, N and P leach pretty quickly, so adding more than the plant can use before they leach out is both a waste of money and bad for the enviorment. Maybe there are some soil test readers here, If not, I'd suggest you re-do the test with Logan Labs and pay for them to make recommendations. Just my two cents.

Thank you! I appreciate the insightful feedback. It's good to know I am on the right direction! Maybe I do have a green thumb after all! I will add an iron amendment and nitrogen next month. I am also going to start a garden on the side of my house as well this spring. Here are the results. It is pretty much the same considering I worked the soil the same. pH is a little higher. I also noticed the organic matter is a little low so I am going to add a yard of compost once the ground dries up a little more and I can roto-til it into the soil. Do you have any other recommendations or insight into the garden soil? Probably more iron and nitrogen as well. I will be planting tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, beans, peppers, cabbage, possibly corn, and whatever else the wife wants! Lol Thanks! :) Brett

Thanks for all the advice, everyone. fertilizersalesman: from the map here: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpwes/environmental/soilrating.htm I'm in the middle of the "Piedmont Upland" area. I'm probably less than 10 miles to the border with the Coastal Plain area. I'll have to make a closer inspection of my soil this weekend. I think the top layer (less than 3 or 4 inches) likely is silt, but I'm certain that there's a reasonable amount of clay under the top layer. Perhaps the 1:1 clay is an explanation which fits with both my observations and the results of the soil test. idaho_gardener: when you say adding humic and fulvic acid, do you mean that these can be separate things to add? I was under the impression that those are components of humus, so that by adding lots of organic material (which eventually breaks down into humus) you increase the amount of those things in the soil, albeit indirectly. Maybe you're suggesting a different approach? As for cover crops, that's definitely something I'd consider. I don't have much experience with that, but from what I read, buckwheat might makes sense to plant this summer. If you've got more information, that'd be great. I'll definitely be adding lots of organic matter. Right now, I've got more leaf mulch than I can probably reasonably use at one time -- it'd probably be over a foot deep if spread out across the garden-- plus lots of (and probably an increasing amount) of grass clippings. At any rate, its been very helpful to hear everyone's input! Thanks, Paul

Surprisingly, they were close on the pH, but that was luck more than anything else--drinking water happens to have a pH close to your soil pH, that's all. They were miles off on phosphorus and potassium and they missed a few things that are kind of important. If you read other tests, I go step by step and explain why something is important and the source I recommend. Recommendations are at the bottom. EC 23.3: Quite high. Normally, I'd go looking for excess calcium, but in this case that's not the cause. You simply have a heavy, highly organic soil that may or may not have considerable clay in it (but it sure has a lot of silt). This soil won't change quickly and requires massive amounts of material to force a change, but also doesn't drift quickly. Once corrected, testing every other year is more than sufficient. pH 7.4: A symptom, not the disease, and not a barrier to a perfectly gorgeous lawn. While there's no easy way to change this, some of the recommendations below may nudge it down a bit. OM 10.4%: Fantastic! This heads right into the "Extraordinarily Good" range. Certainly mulch mow, mow in your fall leaves, and consider feeding organically if you wish, but there's no need to work on this. Sulfur 15: Exactly normal, with plenty of room to play. We don't need that much room. Phosphorus 126: Low for your pH, but not deficient. Still, this is impacting your grass (and flowers, if you have any) quality. Target here will be about 220-240. I recommend the cheapest starter fertilizer you can get your hands on, with application rates below. I'd like to fold in a fourth app before your next test, but the climate in Green Bay simply doesn't allow it. Calcium 72.6%: A hair high, but certainly not a problem. No calcium is required. Magnesium 19.8%: Very high, although entirely workable. This might give you a tight, impenetrable soil at levels this high as your Ca:Mg ratio is only 6.1. It's not awful, but it's a little low--and there's nothing we can do about it here (actually, there is, but it's not worth bothering when the situation is this marginal). Avoid magnesium sources including Epsom salt and dolomitic limestone. Both would be a severe mistake. Potassium 3.2%: It's OK, but should be enhanced to remove the soil deficit showing above of 144 #/A. We use potassium sulfate (sulfate of potash) to do this, which you can often buy at local garden stores (or they'll order it for you) or landscaping shops. You can get it online, but the prices tend to be poor. Recommendations below. Minor elements: Most are fine, except Boron (mentioned below). I talk about copper (high) and iron (meh) below as well. Iron 99: Not deficient, but at your pH definitely not going to produce great color in the lawn. Whenever you like, apply Milorganite at bag rate to slowly lift this (and very gently feed the lawn). Copper 20.1: Very high. Definitely avoid significant copper sources (not that there are many, although some moss killers use copper sulfate). Excess copper kills roots and some plants are sensitive to even mildly high levels (grass is not). Boron: We use Milorganite as a carrier and 20 Mule Team Borax as the boron source. 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: August 15: Apply 2 pounds per thousand square feet potassium sulfate. Apply 20 Mule Team Borax at 4 tablespoons (not a misprint) per thousand square feet. September 1: Apply starter fertilizer at bag rate. September 15: Apply 2 pounds per thousand square feet potassium sulfate. October 1: Apply starter fertilizer at bag rate. May 1, 2016: Apply 2 pounds per thousand square feet potassium sulfate. Labor Day, 2016: Apply starter fertilizer at bag rate.