Hello all, I'm a first-time poster here in the Lawn Care forum. I'm an avid gardener but still consider myself a newbie--especially when it comes to lawns. I just got the results from my soil test from my local UT Extension & would appreciate your help with developing my plan for the coming seasons. The lawn I currently have is maybe 50% common Bermuda, which I hate and would like to eliminate. The remainder is probaby 25% tall fescue which I've overseeded and tried to keep the Bermuda from choking out, and the last 25% is weeds: crabgrass, dandelions, wild strawberries, and an awful lot of purple deadnettle in the winter. I had great results from overseeding in the fall last year. But I'd like to spread pre-emergent to prevent the forest of purple deadnettle I had last year. So when should I overseed fescue relative to spreading pre-emergent? Same sort of balancing act goes for spring... I need to spread pre-emergent for general broadleaf weeds, but would also like to try (for the first time) something to suppress the Bermuda. Will fall-seeded fescue be able to stand up to those herbicides in the spring? And would a fertilization schedule (which has been recommended by my county extension) need to be altered according to these factors? FYI: Irrigation is not an option outside of extreme circumstances. I don't have the infrastructure in place, nor the funds to put it there. And to be honest, no one around me has it either and (some of) their lawns look fantastic. I'm in Middle TN, slightly northwest of Nashville, zone 6B. Soil is mostly clay, but getting better as I mulch-mow grass & leaves into the turf. (This year I've been mowing at ~3.75" which has noticeably helped the fescue.) --- Soil Test results: (Note that I selected turf type as "Lawn, Cool Season". My rationale was that I want to know what helps the fescue the most--not what helps the Bermuda the most.) Water ph - 6.5 Phosphorus - 51 (high) Potassium - 183 (high) Calcuim - 1562 (sufficient) Magnesium - 142 (sufficient Recommendations: Lime is not recommended at this time. II. Medium Level Maintenance of an established lawn. Topdress annually Sept. 1 with 6.2 lbs of 16-4-8 or (other amounts of similar-ratio ferts here... I don't need to type them all out.) per 1000 sq ft. Topdress annually Oct 15 with 3.5 lbs and Mar 1 and Apr 15 with 1.75 lbs of 34-0-0 (or other similar ratio) per 1000 sq ft. If the fertilizer contains at least 30 percent slow-release form of nitrogen, the Mar and Apr applications can be combined as one application in March. --- So, ye masters of all things lawn care... any thoughts regarding the timing of: Fall overseeding Fall application of pre-emergent (mainly targeting deadnettle) Fall applications of fertilizer recommended by my county extension Spring application of fert recommended by extension Spring pre-emergent Spring application of (something like Fusliade or Acclaim?) for Bermuda suppression And one more noobish question... how can I tell which ferts are slow-release and which are not? Thanks in advance for answering my million questions. I've already learned so much from you guys; I'm just trying to tie it all together. :-) --Jon

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.

Where in the world are you? USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6 tells us little except what plants will survive a normal winter where you are. 1/2 pound of a Nitrogen source, that Urea, per 100 square feet is not much and can be forgotten about. How much organic matter is in that soil? The CEC, a measure of how well the soil will release moisture and nutrients, is in a good range which should be in the upper teens to low twenties indicating a fair amount of organic mater in the soil. Since the soil test was done by your state university that has a Cooperative Extension Service your county horticulturist is available to you as well. In addition to those soil tests you may find these simple soil tests to be of some help. 1) Soil test for organic material. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains’ too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell, to a point. Too much organic matter can be bad as well. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. kimmq is kimmsr

This isn't that bad, and it's not that acidic. It could certainly use improvement, but all things considered, it's not awful or anything. Sample Depth 6: Four is recommended for lawns, but I'll adjust the numbers appropriately. ME 7.5: Probably mixed sand and silt. It's a good soil mix that holds a fair level of resources and maintains itself tolerably well. pH 5.9: A little low, but nothing severe. We'll correct this under calcium and potassium below. OM 5.4: In the Good range. Certainly mulch mow and mow your fall leaves, and consider feeding organically if you like. But this is not an emergency and no quick action is required. Sulfur 15: A nice answer with plenty of margin for sulfate-based additions. Phosphorus 505 (337 adjusted): Perfect! No phosphorus is required or desired, and this is sufficient for any purpose for years. You don't specifically need to avoid phosphorus sources, but I wouldn't intentionally add any if you can avoid it. So no starter fertilizer. Calcium 61.2%: Technically OK but I'd like to adjust this a little bit. For that, we use Encap, Mag-I-Cal, or Pennington Fast Lime. Other cheap limes will add magnesium you don't want (and shouldn't use), work very slowly, and require far more mass for the same adjustment. I adjusted the soil shortage down to 137 PPA. Recommendations below. Magnesium 12.4%: Nose-on perfect. No magnesium is required or desired. Potassium 1.9%: Somewhat low. To adjust, we use potassium sulfate (sulfate of potash), which can be ordered from most landscape places or garden stores. Big box stores tend not to carry this, although you can get it online as a last resort. Recommendations below. Minor Elements: Fine, except for boron. I do mention iron below as well. Boron 0.22: Deficient. 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. Iron 155: Not a problem, but your rising pH is likely to cause some paling out of the lawn. Whenever you like, apply Milorganite at bag rate to darken the lawn and very slowly raise the soil iron. Recommendations: September 15: Apply 5 pounds of Encap, Mag-I-Cal, or Pennington Fast Lime per thousand square feet. October 1: Apply 4 tablespoons (4 Tbsp; not a misprint!) of 20 Mule Team Borax per thousand square feet in Milorganite carrier. October 15: Apply 3 pounds per thousand square feet of potassium sulfate. April 1, 2016: Apply 4 pounds of Encap, Mag-I-Cal, or Pennington Fast Lime per thousand square feet. April 15, 2015: Apply 3 pounds per thousand square feet of potassium sulfate.