# Help with my soil results



## Genoman (Oct 28, 2020)

Hello everyone,
I have just received my soil sample results for my St. Augustine lawn. The house is a new construction and the sod was placed in August of this year, total yard 7000sqf. I fertilized one time in September with organic fertilizer like Milogranit. In November sprayed pre-emergent Prodiamine at the 3 month rate, Fungicide 3336F and BIFENXTS insecticide.
My next thing is to spot spray weeds with Celsius, I have been hand picking some whenever time permits.

It seems like my soil PH is high and I am not sure what approach I need to take to lower it?

Could you please recommend what product I need to buy to improve my soil?

I am very thankful for this community which helped me get started with applying chemical. 
I am still learning so any tips or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks, please see report below.


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## Live Oak (Sep 18, 2020)

A soil pH of 8.0 is quite alkaline but not unusual if you live in an area underlain by limestone or other carbonate rocks (e.g., Florida, Midwest, Central TX). Applications of elemental sulfur and/or sphagnum peat moss will help lower your soil pH over time. Bear in mind that it will take a while, perhaps years, to meaningfully lower soil pH because you are constantly fighting hard water every time you run your irrigation.

I would recommend digging around the Cool Season Lawn subforum - I remember there was an extensive discussion on this topic by some folks in the Midwest (Indiana?) who were plagued by very alkaline soils.

@Genoman


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## Genoman (Oct 28, 2020)

I will definitely look for that discussion.
Thank you!


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

Check out pages 167-170 (table 15) to do a sanity check. You may want to get a second sample if your result is out of range (only look at the lowest depth on the chart, as your sample should be from no deeper than 6")

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MANUSCRIPTS/florida/FL109/0/StJohns.pdf


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## Genoman (Oct 28, 2020)

Thanks for pointing out the soil survay, I appreciate it.

I was able to locate my soil code through the website shown in the screenshot below.



So according to the soil survay Tocoi fine sand maximum pH 7.3 from 0 - 13 depth.
I am not sure why my test results came back at 8 pH.


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

Even if you legitimately have a high pH (due to construction materials or infill or whatever), it will probably come down over time without intervention. I would do another test before taking any significant action.


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## Genoman (Oct 28, 2020)

Thanks! I will do.


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## Ken_K (Apr 16, 2020)

Just out of curiosity was your sample taken from a single location or did it represent a composite from multiple sample sites?


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## Genoman (Oct 28, 2020)

I took a sample from multiple areas around my backyard followed an M pattern.


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

@Genoman Do you want your soil test thread moved to the Soil Test forum?


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## Genoman (Oct 28, 2020)

Yes, please move it. Thank you.


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

Genoman said:


> Yes, please move it. Thank you.


Done. Cheers! :thumbup:


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## Ridgerunner (May 16, 2017)

> It seems like my soil PH is high and I am not sure what approach I need to take to lower it?


High pH soils are due primarily to the large amount of calcium carbonate in the soil. This makes permanent change to pH very unlikely and impractical. Fortunately, turf can perform quite well at higher soil pH. Some improvement in nutrition uptake can occur by keeping soil solution pH lower. this can be achieved by applying more acidifying N fertilizers like ammonium sulfate regularly. Other techniques include regular applications of citric acid and flowers of sulfur in small amounts.



> Could you please recommend what product I need to buy to improve my soil?


Your test was done using AB-DTPA extraction. Although AB-DTPA has been around for 50 years (been used mostly to analyze industrial and municipal waste- not soils, although the micro-nutrient results should still be useful- it they had reported them  ), it has not been calibrated to allow for accurate nutrient recommendations for anything other than phosphorous.

Suggest you use ammonium acetate and Olsen for your next soil test. In the meantime any triple NPK (10-10-10. 12-12-12, etc.) should work well for you.


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