# Need help with my low Potassium...



## kfreem39 (Feb 16, 2021)

According to my most recent soil report, my potassium level is "Below Optimum". I've been actively working on my lawn for the last three seasons and my potassium levels continue to be a thorn in my side. Because my pH and Phosphorus levels are either in range or Above Optimum, I don't want to additional fertilizer in those areas so my focus is on getting the Potassium in range. I noticed that my local SiteOne dealer sells LESCO Fertilizer 0-0-20 10% Mg. Is this product I should be using? If so, is this something I can start using now, at what rate, and for how long? Thanks for your time....


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## rjw0283 (May 11, 2020)

I use SOP. I have a low sulfur and extremely low K problem. I spray 2 lbs of 0-0-50 a month per 1,000K (1lb per K per app twice a month) I haven't found a local place for SOP, I have been buying it at 7springsfarm online at 62 bucks a 50lb bag with shipping included. I have very sandy soil, so it leaches out pretty quickly. I will get another soil test after another season of doing this and see where I'm at. The grass loves it.


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## kfreem39 (Feb 16, 2021)

Thanks for the recommendations. I will give it a try and see how it responds.


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## rbvar (May 28, 2020)

What NPK and how many lbs fertilizer are you putting down during the season? Are you seeing issues in the turf that could be due to low K, or is this more about understanding why the soil test report always comes in low?


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## kfreem39 (Feb 16, 2021)

Right now, my lawn actually looks good, but I'm not confident it's healthy enough to withstand stress, drought, and disease. I'm thinking if I increase my Potassium, it may put my lawn in a better position to survive. Last Summer, I had an issue with mushrooms, and Brown Patch which is interesting because I don't irrigate my lawn.

Here are my last four Soil Reports:

April - 2018


April - 2019


April - 2020


April - 2121


Note: I did follow the N-P-K recommendations.


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## Lawn Whisperer (Feb 15, 2021)

kfreem39 said:


> I noticed that my local SiteOne dealer sells LESCO Fertilizer 0-0-20 10% Mg. Is this product I should be using? If so, is this something I can start using now, at what rate, and for how long? Thanks for your time....


You're soil report doesn't include Mg levels, therefore I wouldn't recommend that product. They should also carry SOP 0-0-50, which you can apply via spreader at 2#, which should be close to their recommendation of the K in 7# of 15-0-14. Then you can apply Nitrogen as needed.

You can also look at the soil remediation guide on how to achieve the optimum levels.
Are you bagging your clippings? If you do, then you'll have to replenish those nutrients.



> Last Summer, I had an issue with mushrooms, and Brown Patch which is interesting because I don't irrigate my lawn.


The humid nights in the south can cause issues, especially when we get those late afternoon/evening thunderstorms. I personally don't mind the musrooms as much, but the brown patch can spread if not treated. Depending on the severity, you might want to consider a preventative herbicide.

Do you know which method your lab used, mehlich I or III? Maybe, someone more familiar with your lab can provide recommendations.

Bump


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## kfreem39 (Feb 16, 2021)

Thanks for the input. I'm currently bagging because I have a few areas with Poa Annua I don't want to spread to others areas of the yard.

For the Brown Patch, my plan is to get ahead of this by rotating between Propiconazole 14.3 and Clearys 3336F fungicides.

The method the lab uses is Mehlich-3 Extraction.


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## Lawn Whisperer (Feb 15, 2021)

Since your bagging just keep in mind that you'll have to add more p and k than the recommended amount: .3 of p and .5 of k for every lb. of nitrogen you apply, plus the recommended amount of k to get you soil back to optimum.

I'm not sure why your lab recommends 50-70 for both p and k, but I've always followed @Ridgerunner thread:

M3 Ranges (ppm)
P: 26-54
K: 75-176, 50-116 for sands

Maybe someone can provide other recommendations in your situation.


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## Ridgerunner (May 16, 2017)

@Lawn Whisperer 
Many university labs use an index system. They convert raw ppm data to an index of 0-100. 50-70 represents their judgment as to levels they consider sufficient on a 100 point scale. It's similar to a percentile.
There are formulas to convert ppm values to index numbers and index numbers to ppm values.
See page 9, Table 1-4:
http://www.ncagr.gov/agronomi/pdffiles/obook.pdf
Note: you should not use the conversion formulas of one lab for the index values from another lab (like UCONN).
Have fun.


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## kfreem39 (Feb 16, 2021)

Thanks for recommending the obook, it really helps to answer a number of my lawn related questions; especially when it comes to N-P-K Fertilizer recommendations.


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