# Guidance Needed



## Tmank87 (Feb 13, 2019)

Hi all -

Zoysia turf in NC here. The sod was installed last July after a major renovation. We brought in additional dirt and compost and had the yard graded etc.

After getting my soil test results back from the state of NC which weren't very detailed (link below). I went ahead and sent off additional samples to Waypoint for more comprehensive testing.

https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=8478&p=141732#p141732

Since getting my results back initially I have applied FAS and AS twice. I've been planning to apply .25N/K every 14 days through the end of July - that would put me at 2 pounds for the year.

I've also applied RGS and Humic 12.

The organic matter results are a bit concerning given they're so low, but also because of the abundance of mushrooms that I have in my yard in the early morning. I was under the impression that mushrooms = organic matter?

CEC seems low?

My Mn, Zn and Iron levels seem to be very high. Is that concerning? What, if anything, should I be doing to bring them down? My sodium levels are also very low - action there?

Feedback/thoughts on a way forward?

I sampled using a pro plugger and sent off the soil from about 1.5 - 5".

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Looking forward to start getting the soil as dialed in as possible.


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## Tmank87 (Feb 13, 2019)

Shameless bump.

@Greendoc your expert guidance please


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## Suburban Jungle Life (Mar 1, 2018)

To me, your nutrient levels are great. Regarding your N content, 2 lbs sounds good. 0.5 lbs a month is good for zoysia. If it doesn't need to spread any more and it's thick already, you could go with 0.25 lb a month so you don't have to mow as much. As for your cec, low would be around 5 and under. If you enjoy spreading fert, applying every two weeks is great but definitely not needed with your cec. A low cec under 5 usually indicates your soil is mostly sand and therefore doesn't hold on to nutrients well so then I would recommend applying every two weeks. Looking at your nutrient levels, most of them are reasonably higher indicating good holding capacity and higher cec.

Low sodium is preferred. As for mushrooms, that is normally an indication of wood which is rotting and being broken down. I wouldn't count a chunk of wood as organic matter. Organic matter should be well broken down and spread out so a chunk of wood wouldn't be considered part of that measurement. Low organic matter is ok in a higher cec soil. In a low cec soil, you can rely on organic matter to aid in water and nutrient retention. Not needed in your case.

As for sampling, many nutrients are in the top layer of the soil so I would recommend only removing 0.5" at most from the top for your next soil test.

Going forward, overall, your levels look great. I would stick with AMS as your main fert to aid in slowly lowering your ph and to add S. If you have the time, spray FAS or feature to help with that extra green punch but with a ph barely above 7, I wouldn't be too concerned with iron availability. If you want, you could add a little K in the front but there is a sufficient amount there. I would avoid fertilizers with P such as milo. Retest next year about the same time or early in the year before you put out any products and see what changes your previous year's program made to your soil.

I'm not a soil expert so either gman, ridgerunner, or someone else, feel free to weigh in.

TLDR: use ams and fas this year.


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## Tmank87 (Feb 13, 2019)

Thanks man, appreciate this response. Sheds good light on the test!


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