Sorry Newhomeowner ! I think we all got kinda Side Tracked lol . As for your information Request ! Well I'm, pretty Well a Farmer as far as lawns go ! If I had my way I would just Cut and Bale . Anyway I think Roadbike did more than a adequate job on the Quality Assurance of Cut and Design Aspects (way over my head) but very Concise RB ! On the more Serious Side you can't go wrong as far as Manufacturers are concerned with Honda , Snapper , Toro , Lawn-Boy , Cub-Cadet . All are High Quality Units. Then you have White , Mtd , Poulan , Husqvarna , etc or Sears , K-Mart , Costco , Wal-Mart , Home Depot , Canadian Tire (Box Store Series) . Personally I like the walk behind Models (Small Acreage) Mulching Models (Hate Raking) Options on Self Propelled are Front Wheel Drive Vs Rear Wheel , I can only attest to front Wheel that I have owned (Lawn-boy and Sears) were ok just lift the front when you wished , did not have to hit the Selector Knob to disable the Self Propelled Mode. I realize that there are down sides to Front Wheel Drive also . As far as Riding Units I will leave that to Individuals with far greater experience and working knowledge , but due to their substantial cost , would suggest you do your homework (test rides , demonstrations) hands on to ensure you get what you need and not what the Salesman wanted to Sell You Dude ... T . P.S. I'am out off here have at it Bro's :)

Optimum levels of organic matter in solils is btween 5 and 8 percent, so while not quite there you are getting close. Soil pH, for most plants, is in the 6.2 to 7.0 range, so while a bit low yours is okay. Nutrients you want in balance, not too much of one and too little of another which is where the problem lies. Nutrient imbalances create more problems then they solve. Nitrogen is dependant on soil warmth, bacterial activity. When soils are cool and there is little bacterial activity there is not much N available, but as soils warm, and the bacteria become more active more N is available to the plants. Nitrogen sources with readily available N, soluble types, can make it look like there is ample N in the soil but that will also wash out of the soil quickly with excess water and is the source of nitrate pollution of ground water.

I wish all of my grandchildren could be close. My only other granddaughter lives in Galveston, Tx. That's where my son and family live. That's about a 3 hr. drive from our house. Maybe a little further. Between dh and I we have six children. He has 2 boys and a girl and I have 2 girls and a boy. In all we have 9 grandchildren. My two older grandsons are grown. One just graduated college and is coaching high school football. The other is in his first yr. of college. I go to a lot of football games. *G* It's so nice to be retired and have more time to spend with the grandkids. I love every minute of it. ;) Dramall! That's cute! How did they come about that name? I am MeeMaw to mine. *G* Dh is GrandPa. It's so nice that your Dessie and Cameron live so close and can grow up together. They will enjoy one another so much. Dancey

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.