# Need help understanding these results..



## Lrowe09 (10 mo ago)

Beginner here. I had my local extension office do my soil test. Can anyone put these results into laymans terms for me? What should I start with as far as applications go? Pictures are posted of my soil test results and the state of my lawn currently. Live in NC but I'm not quite sure what grass I even have. Any feedback will help. Thanks in advanced!


----------



## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

@Lrowe09 this was moved to Soil Fertility subforum.


----------



## Lawn Noob (Jul 26, 2020)

You appear to be very phosphorus deficient in all three zones. Zone three needs lime to get the ph up. I'd lime that area and use starter fertilizer (higher phosphorus)on the entire lawn the rest of this year per the bag instructions. In fact, milorganite would be almost perfect this growing season after a first round of starter fertilizer…It's basically just nitrogen and phosphorus.


----------



## Virginiagal (Apr 24, 2017)

You should try to determine what kind of grass you have. It may be a collection of weeds. Since there is still a lot of brown, I'm guessing you may have some Bermuda, sometimes known as wire grass. But the other warm season grasses like zoysia and centipede also don't green up until late spring too. You will notice on the soil report that they recommend that tall fescue be fertilized in September, October, and February. If you have Bermuda, the recommendations are to fertilize in May, July, and September. Your extension office can help you identify what you have.

The fertilizer recommendation for a high phosphorus fertilizer applies to one application. The other fertilizations can be all nitrogen.

One area definitely needs lime. It is curious that that area is so different in acidity from the other two areas.


----------



## Virginiagal (Apr 24, 2017)

One other thing: your cation exchange capacity (CEC) is low, meaning your soil does not hold onto nutrients well. They tend to leach away. So it would be best to split a fertilizer application in half. Do one half and then do the other half 2-3 weeks later.

The soil test has links to guides and information on fertilizing. They are worth reading.


----------



## Lrowe09 (10 mo ago)

Lawn Noob said:


> You appear to be very phosphorus deficient in all three zones. Zone three needs lime to get the ph up. I'd lime that area and use starter fertilizer (higher phosphorus)on the entire lawn the rest of this year per the bag instructions. In fact, milorganite would be almost perfect this growing season after a first round of starter fertilizer…It's basically just nitrogen and phosphorus.


What starter fert do you recommend? I cannot find a 5-10-5 fert.


----------



## Virginiagal (Apr 24, 2017)

@Lawn Noob has already recommended Milorganite. That would feed slowly, which is a good thing in a low CEC soil. It will give you N and P. But if you'd rather do a synthetic, starter fertilizer is readily available most everywhere. Look at a big box store or wherever you get fertilizer. You're just looking for something with a relatively high 2nd number in the NPK. You don't have to get 5-10-5. Either Milorganite or starter will give you P. Have you figured out what kind of grass you have?


----------



## Lrowe09 (10 mo ago)

Yes I have Bermuda and in my backyard which is zone three tall fescue is present…


----------



## Lrowe09 (10 mo ago)

Lawn Noob said:


> You appear to be very phosphorus deficient in all three zones. Zone three needs lime to get the ph up. I'd lime that area and use starter fertilizer (higher phosphorus)on the entire lawn the rest of this year per the bag instructions. In fact, milorganite would be almost perfect this growing season after a first round of starter fertilizer…It's basically just nitrogen and phosphorus.


I've got weeds also that I would like to take care of. Can I spectricide weed killer and next week put milo down?


----------



## Virginiagal (Apr 24, 2017)

No problem using both at the same time.


----------



## Lrowe09 (10 mo ago)

Virginiagal said:


> No problem using both at the same time.


In your opinion would it hurt to aerate before applying the lime and milo?


----------



## Virginiagal (Apr 24, 2017)

Aerating would be beneficial as it will let the lime get further into the soil.


----------

