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atekk_gw

Help interpreting Logan Labs report

ATekk
11 years ago

I put this in another thread I started but didn't get any response so figured I would separate out to try to get some more attention.

I would really appreciate how to fix my lawn. Clearly I need to drop some lime to help with the pH and I believe that would also help with the Calcium and Magnesium?

What else should I be doing between now and the end of the year?

FYI - I am replanting both the front and back yards with a Lesco KBG blend. Had Perrenial Rye that looked beautiful but lost a lot of it this year due to drought/grubs so just decided to start over while it was convenient.

Thanks again for all your help.

{{gwi:116408}}

Comments (8)

  • tiemco
    11 years ago

    Front yard: Very good, pH is in the sweet spot (6.3-6.8). Organic matter is good, more would be better especially since that soil is a sandy loam, and doesn't hold nutrients as well as say a silty loam. Sulfur is fine. Phosphorus is huge, no need to add any for years. As you can see, you are a bit unbalanced with the calcium and magnesium. It's not a huge issue, although I would add some Mg. There's two ways to do this, dolomitic lime, or epsom salts. Lime of course will raise you pH a bit, which isn't a big deal, but it takes a while for the Mg to get into the soil. Epsom salts, or magnesium sulfate is much more soluble, and will also raise you sulfur a bit, which is fine. 2 lbs per 1000 square feet for epsom salts, dolomitic is between 20-40 lbs, probably 20 since you aren't really concerned with raising pH, totally your call on which you want to use. Potassium is fine, raising it won't hurt, so when you fertilize, you could use say 28-0-11 if you want to this fall. I don't do micronutrients, but your boron looks a bit low, the others are fine.

    Back yard: Different story here. pH is pretty low, and as expected, so is your calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Calcitic lime at the corrective rate on the bag (usually 9-10 lbs. per 1000), or you can use Cal Turf Pro. You will be liming every 90 days when the ground isn't frozen for the next two years give or take. Epsom salts at 2 lbs per 1000. When you fertilize this fall, use a high potassium fertilizer, or if you can find it, potassium sulfate, 2 lbs per 1000 for the next three months. Again boron looks low. Organic matter is OK, but more would be better. Lime should go down now, or two weeks after you fertilize. Epsom salts can go down with lime or fertilizer, and I would do two applications this year about a month apart.

  • dchall_san_antonio
    11 years ago

    It looks like predecessors took really good care of the front and left the back alone.

    You are not going to get boron advice here. Boron is tricky so do not try to adjust that one by yourself. Google "Andy boron soil test" and you should find Andy. He can help you, but you'll have to join another free lawn forum. More and more boron seems to help and then BANG! Your lawn is dead and will not recover. If you goof on boron, you can turn your yard into a wasteland. If you want to see a boron wasteland, use Google Maps to find Boron, California. That's where they mine boron. I think their HS stadium must be astroturf.

  • ATekk
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thank you for the quick reply and very helpful information timeco and dchall. I can always rely on you guys.

    Some follow-up questions if you don't mind:
    1) "Organic matter is good, more would be better"...I will be adding some compost/peat when I replant my lawn this weekend to help cover the seed as well as using it for some uneven areas in the lawn. I am assuming this will help raise OM?

    2) Very helpful suggestions. Now since I am replanting this weekend (going with KBG this time around) is there any combination of the suggested materials above that I SHOULD NOT put down the same time I spread my seed? Here is my plan:

    front yard:
    Lesco KBG blend
    Lesco Starter Fertilizer (or should I use something else to not add more potassium?)
    Epsom Salt
    Corn Meal (per dchall, going to give it a try since I always have issues with fungus it seems. I assuming this will not have an impact on new seed? I will apply a second application 30 days later and then proceed with the same monthly regime next spring and hope for the best. Prefer to give organic a try first before chemical fungicides)

    Backyard:
    Lesco KBG blend
    Lesco Starter Fertilizer
    Epsom Salt
    Corn Meal
    Calcitic Lime or Cal Turf Pro (whatever I find cheaper, it is my understanding this should not go down with fertilizer so when would be best time after seeding?)
    I will see if I can find potassium sulfate (or is using Starter Fertilizer enough?)

    3) I have registered for the other forum and will be posting my question regarding boron and other trace materials for Andy but since you both suggested its not biggest deal now I may just mess with that in the spring when I have more time.

    Thank you again for your help.

  • tiemco
    11 years ago

    Well since you are seeding, that changes things a bit. I would probably hold off on most amendments except for the starter fertilizer (you can use it even with that huge P number, but it's probably not necessary unless your P concentration is different at 6 inches versus the top inch of soil). For the front yard, add the Epsom salts after you mow the new grass.

    For the back yard, same deal. Add the amendments post mowing, use starter, 1/2 app at seeding, the other half after the first mowing, then lime and amendments a week later.

    Corn meal can go down any time, it will add organic matter, as will mulch mowing, mulching leaves, adding Milorganite, grains, and compost.

  • ATekk
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thank you timeco! Very helpful. I think I am all set this time around.

    Since I brought up Corn Meal I was hoping I can get some input on going the mostly organic route next year (and whats left of this year). My confusion comes in with what to use and when. All of the threads I have read mention numerous options whether it be CM, CGM, Soy Meal, Milogranite, Alfalfa pellets etc etc etc. (dchall I know you're considered the organic expert around here)

    I will give the CM a shot monthly now and spring next year and hope I can beat out any fungus. But then what about CGM as a Pre-M? Can I apply both at the same time? And then what about the rest of the year, is it best to mix and match every month or are some preferred over others? I gave the alfalfa pellets a try this year but unfortunately I put it down right before the drought started so I think the results weren't very noticeable since the grass was just struggling to stay alive.

    Or timeco I know you mentioned last year that you do a synthetic and organic mix? Care to share?

    Thanks again!

  • tiemco
    11 years ago

    CGM has never proven to be a reliable or effective preemergent, don't expect much, if any, weed suppression with it. Once your nutrient levels are up to snuff, then you can go all organic if you want. It tends to cost more, but it's gentler on the grass and the environment. I like to apply half my nitrogen synthetically, usually mostly quick release, the other half via Milorganite. Most cool season turf requires 3-6 lbs of nitrogen per year, mainly applied in the fall. My spring feeding on my TTTF was all Milorganite. Organics can go down any time really, and quantities aren't as exacting as synthetics. There are plenty of threads on GardenWeb regarding organic lawn care, and I think there is an entire forum devoted to it too.

  • ATekk
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks again timeco.

    Maybe I will just go with Dimension again next spring since that seemed to work really well for me this year.

    Now I already planned my renovation for this weekend with using a Lesco KBG blend. Wrote down the 3 cultivars somewhere but can't find that now. After thinking I was going with a solid blend I am now reading more and more about "Elite KBG" blend. Is there a noticeable enough difference to hold off a week and order a higher quality seed? I only need ~10lbs as my whole front and back lawn measure just under 2,000 sq ft. If so any personal recommendations? Reading Emblem may be a solid choice.

  • tiemco
    11 years ago

    Elite is a word thrown around a lot in KBG circles. In actuality elite refers to most cultivars for sale today. There are over a hundred elite cultivars on the market, and what it really means is that it isn't a common type. In a more specific sense elite is used to denote the darkest, best looking cultivars, usually within the compact, compact midnight, and compact America subgroups, but there are other groups that have dark green cultivars. In turfgrass, newer is usually better, as they are improvements over older cultivars, although there are some older ones that still perform as well such as Midnight and America. Your bag of seeds should have a tag on it that tells what cultivars you have, and if you list those I could offer an opinion, but without it, it's anyone's guess. I am pretty sure Lesco uses mostly Lesco cultivars, so it can be fairly limited. I know many cultivars that I think should be a part of most blends, but there are a lot of good ones you can use. Emblem is an aggressive dark cultivar, that does well in the heat, but it also has a very long dormancy period, and doesn't hit full stride till late spring. It is also discontinued so any Emblem you buy will be leftover stock. I would probably not recommend it. Some you might research for your area are Zinfandel, Nuchicago, Granite, Bewitched, Prosperity, Bedazzled, Blueberry, and others. Be sure to take a look at the NTEP scores for KBG in your area if you want other seeds.