# Do I have enough top soil



## Tibbigt (Oct 11, 2017)

Hi everyone I am trying to figure out my lawn. We are a new construction about 5 yrs ago. My front lawn is amazing. My back yard is getting better but when it gets to be summer it starts browning up more so then the front.

I know heat will do so but my front yard has 6-10" of top soil. My back yard has 2-3" top soil.

Is this an issue how much top soil do I need to grow a really nice yard?

My soil samples come back slightly low but I fertilize as recommended, Lime as need be.

What can I do to help my back yard? If we get lots of rain or mid spring is looks really good but soon as any kinda heat kicks in it starts to struggle.

I love my lawn and this has been killing me for yrs now what can I do to help keep it on pace with the front yard.

Again I know summer heat will do this but the front don't look near as bad it get spots of brown where my septic tank and stuff is but the back yard struggles it don't turn all brown but it has a good bit of brown to it..


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## Tibbigt (Oct 11, 2017)

Soil test below sorry about the posts!!


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## Tibbigt (Oct 11, 2017)




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## Tibbigt (Oct 11, 2017)

Bump!! Can someone please help me out here?


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## Virginiagal (Apr 24, 2017)

Grass needs 4-6 inches of topsoil. What's underneath the topsoil in the back-subsoil or rocks? How far down can you dig? Not sure what to do about it. Do you have trees or bushes back there? If not, could you add more topsoil and grade it properly and start over? If you have trees and bushes, adding topsoil could adversely affect them. Adding organic matter could be helpful. But if grass has to live in 2-3 inches of soil, it will suffer.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Tibbigt said:


> Bump!! Can someone please help me out here?


After 10hrs? 

Soil takes time to develop. Root cycling will get you there or bring in topsoil. Fall nitrogen is a way to push for root development.

You are low in P and could use more K. pH is good and your CEC is towards the low side. A low CEC benefits from more frequent applications at lower rates.

Do you have the same cultivars front and back?


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## Tibbigt (Oct 11, 2017)

Virginiagal said:


> Grass needs 4-6 inches of topsoil. What's underneath the topsoil in the back-subsoil or rocks? How far down can you dig? Not sure what to do about it. Do you have trees or bushes back there? If not, could you add more topsoil and grade it properly and start over? If you have trees and bushes, adding topsoil could adversely affect them. Adding organic matter could be helpful. But if grass has to live in 2-3 inches of soil, it will suffer.


I can dig down probably 6-8" then starts to get rough lol. Adding organic matter like compost how much will that help? I thought about adding 2" and then seeding.


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## Tibbigt (Oct 11, 2017)

g-man said:


> Tibbigt said:
> 
> 
> > Bump!! Can someone please help me out here?
> ...


I know I am probably being impatient lol sorry. What is root cycling? Also what's CEC? I been doing 10-20-20 every 6 weeks this yr 100lb per acre.

It's about the same for me to get top soil or organic matter brought in which would benefit me better? Both are going to cost me $1000's lol so which would you guys do and which will help me out more

Thanks again for the replies everyone.


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## Tibbigt (Oct 11, 2017)

These are 2 pics now the front looks much greener but it was spring vs summer but it's still much greener now then the back.. As u see the back isn't terrible but it still bothers me just need the best path forward organic matter or top soil or give the ground more time and keep fertilizing..


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## Virginiagal (Apr 24, 2017)

Your dilemma has me thinking about a question: is there a way to convert subsoil into topsoil? A quick search gave a recommendation to add "hefty" amounts of organic matter for a number of years. I'm thinking that maybe the organic matter invites and encourages soil life and the soil life enters into the subsoil and improves its structure, creating more space for air and water. Voila, more space for roots! You need an army of earthworms and other soil creatures working for you. Periodic small additions of organic matter are better than one big addition. We want to encourage them to stick around. Consistent moisture helps, not too dry or too wet. So mulch mow your leaves in the fall, leave grass clippings on the lawn, use some organic forms of fertilizer. One site said cornmeal attracts earthworms. I have used big bags of cornmeal from a mill to fertilize in the past. Also used alfalfa (rabbit food). There is also cracked corn and other grains. Perhaps they could be part of your fertilizer program. Maybe you could stockpile bags of leaves from neighbors and mow them into the lawn in the spring and summer to keep adding organic matter throughout the year.

As for adding compost, yes, that is fine. Two inches seems a bit much for an application. Do your seeding in the soil, not in the compost. Compost (but not two inches!) could be a top dressing. If you can dig down 6-8 inches, that's good.

CEC is cation exchange capacity, a measure of how well your soil holds onto nutrients. Root cycling is the cycle of growth and decay of roots. The roots bring organic matter into the subsoil and create pore spaces. Fall nitrogen helps root growth.

As for whether to add topsoil or organic matter, topsoil would instantly give you topsoil. Organic matter will improve your soil over time. If you concentrate on free sources, like leaves, it won't necessarily cost thousands. If you have trees and bushes, adding topsoil could hurt them. Probably won't be a problem if you add just a little bit. The existing tree and bush roots need air and too much topsoil could bury them too deep.

After looking at your pictures, it seems more like a large field than a home lawn. That's a lot of space. And very few trees. But you're out in a rural area, right? Maybe there is free organic matter from local farms? Concentrate on fall nitrogen for root growth.


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## Virginiagal (Apr 24, 2017)

Here's an article for you to read about roots:
http://sturf.lib.msu.edu/article/2000jun27.pdf

Particularly pay attention to this: "In cool season grasses, nitrogen applications in late summer and late fall will result in an increase in rooting while spring and especially summer applications will result in an increase in shoot growth with a corresponding reduction in rooting. Cool season grass roots have the ability to store some nitrogen applied in the late fall for use when growth resumes vigorously in the spring. Avoid overly stimulating shoot growth during periods environmentally unsuitable for root growth (i.e, in the summer for cool season grasses)."


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## Tibbigt (Oct 11, 2017)

Virginiagal said:


> Here's an article for you to read about roots:
> http://sturf.lib.msu.edu/article/2000jun27.pdf
> 
> Particularly pay attention to this: "In cool season grasses, nitrogen applications in late summer and late fall will result in an increase in rooting while spring and especially summer applications will result in an increase in shoot growth with a corresponding reduction in rooting. Cool season grass roots have the ability to store some nitrogen applied in the late fall for use when growth resumes vigorously in the spring. Avoid overly stimulating shoot growth during periods environmentally unsuitable for root growth (i.e, in the summer for cool season grasses)."


Would a 10-20-20 be fine in the fall? Around 400lbs per acre?


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## Tibbigt (Oct 11, 2017)

Virginiagal said:


> Your dilemma has me thinking about a question: is there a way to convert subsoil into topsoil? A quick search gave a recommendation to add "hefty" amounts of organic matter for a number of years. I'm thinking that maybe the organic matter invites and encourages soil life and the soil life enters into the subsoil and improves its structure, creating more space for air and water. Voila, more space for roots! You need an army of earthworms and other soil creatures working for you. Periodic small additions of organic matter are better than one big addition. We want to encourage them to stick around. Consistent moisture helps, not too dry or too wet. So mulch mow your leaves in the fall, leave grass clippings on the lawn, use some organic forms of fertilizer. One site said cornmeal attracts earthworms. I have used big bags of cornmeal from a mill to fertilize in the past. Also used alfalfa (rabbit food). There is also cracked corn and other grains. Perhaps they could be part of your fertilizer program. Maybe you could stockpile bags of leaves from neighbors and mow them into the lawn in the spring and summer to keep adding organic matter throughout the year.
> 
> As for adding compost, yes, that is fine. Two inches seems a bit much for an application. Do your seeding in the soil, not in the compost. Compost (but not two inches!) could be a top dressing. If you can dig down 6-8 inches, that's good.
> 
> ...


Few question when i say I can dig down 8" is that with ease or using some strength lol? I do have a rocky ground below the inches that's there.

I always keep my grass clippings on the lawn have never removed them. Can this be enough over time?

And then with compost if I do 1/4 - 1/2" at a time maybe spring and fall would that need to be done for many yrs?

I do live rural but my lawn isn't field grass at all it's nice blue grass and rye but my back yard isn't where I want it.


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## Virginiagal (Apr 24, 2017)

How much phosphorus and potassium have you done since the soil test? Figure that out and see what is needed for the rest of the year. The soil test gave you a yearly goal. 400 lb of 10-20-20 will give you 40 lb of N, 80 lb of P, and 80 lb of K. Spred over an acre, that's 0.9lb/k of N, 1.8 lb/k of P and 1.8 lb/k of K (40 divided by 43.5, 80 divided by 43.5). Spred over two acres, that's 0.45 lb/k of N, 0.9 lb/k of P, 0.9 lb/k of K. Once you get your P and K met, you can use urea as an inexpensive source of nitrogen. You might check with nearby farms for grains or crop residues you could use for organic matter, some of which would also provide fertilization. Leaving grass clippings on the lawn can reduce fertilizer needs by about 1/4., adding 1-2 lb/k of N over the course of a year. Some compost now and then would be beneficial but I don't think it will resolve your problem. Given the size of your yard, it would be an enormous task to bring in topsoil. Spreading compost would be a bear too. Do you have irrigation? Most synthetic fertilizers need to be watered in. If you can dig 8 inches, at least the roots won't be hitting a hard wall when they try to go deeper into the subsoil. If you have certain areas that consistently brown out you might check for stones in those particular areas.


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## Virginiagal (Apr 24, 2017)

Some more possibilities for free organic matter: sawdust from a lumber mill, spoiled hay, spoiled silage. The more decomposed the better, for your purposes. I hesitate to recommend manure, as it can burn the grass, but maybe in a decomposed state it might be another thing you could use that farmers want to get rid of. It has phosphorus and potassium too. You don't want any fresh manure. It needs to sit around awhile.


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## TreyDoc (Aug 16, 2018)

Have you called/stopped in at any of the local farms? I'm sure you will find a few that have composted manure (make sure it's finished!) and/or food waste compost for a steal and possibly free. Getting 68yds (1/4") to 136yds (1/2") may or may not be too hard in farm country.

You're close to University Park (can find a lot of information there including acres of different cultivars they're testing) where there should be some great prices on bulk delivered. You can also call over to the extension office and they can tell you of any that they know of.


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## Tibbigt (Oct 11, 2017)

Virginiagal said:


> Some more possibilities for free organic matter: sawdust from a lumber mill, spoiled hay, spoiled silage. The more decomposed the better, for your purposes. I hesitate to recommend manure, as it can burn the grass, but maybe in a decomposed state it might be another thing you could use that farmers want to get rid of. It has phosphorus and potassium too. You don't want any fresh manure. It needs to sit around awhile.


Few questions to a few of these as I can get.

Sawdust is it fine for a yard and at what rate? 1/2" or more once per yr? Certain kind of woods to avoid?

Silage even easier to get and probably free, tho if spoiled it would be moldy is that fine? And sametjing as above 1/2" per application and how often?


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## Tibbigt (Oct 11, 2017)

TreyDoc said:


> Have you called/stopped in at any of the local farms? I'm sure you will find a few that have composted manure (make sure it's finished!) and/or food waste compost for a steal and possibly free. Getting 68yds (1/4") to 136yds (1/2") may or may not be too hard in farm country.
> 
> You're close to University Park (can find a lot of information there including acres of different cultivars they're testing) where there should be some great prices on bulk delivered. You can also call over to the extension office and they can tell you of any that they know of.


Yeah I live near one of the biggest farms in pa and I've got pressed cow manure which has all the liquid removed and is chopped up, I let it sit 2months and applied I also applied it fresh in a small spot as a test to see if it burned and it didn't not sure if it's because it's pressed!! Problem was it's $50 for around 4-5ton might be able to get cheaper if I wanted a lot but they also put work into making it for bedding..

As far as university park goes there is bulk compost up there but it's $20 per ton give or take a few lbs.


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## Virginiagal (Apr 24, 2017)

For sawdust, avoid walnut (allopathic). Avoid chemically treated wood. You want it between grass blades, not on top of grass, so keep it at 1/2 inch or less. Water well before applying. If sawdust is mixed with soil it can deplete nitrogen but shouldn't be a problem if It's above the soil. But if you notice some yellowing, add some nitrogen. I rather like the idea of mixing sawdust with some of that compressed manure. As for how often, once it's disappeared you can do it again. Soil microbes will be active in warm weather so don't apply in winter as it will just sit there then.

Moldy silage is great, as it's already started decomposing. Again, you want between the grass blades, not on top. If it's chunky, your mower can help chop it up more. Wear a mask when dealing with it to avoid breathing in the mold. Apply in warm weather while the soil microbes are active.

Since you are in farm country, ask your farmer friends for advice. "I have only 2-3 inches of topsoil, my turfgrass is suffering, and I want to improve the soil. What should I do?" Ask your local extension agent too. Do some research on topsoil erosion, which is a serious problem for the world. Surely there are people working on it who may have good ideas on turning subsoil into topsoil. I suspect the main idea may be to simply have roots in the ground, some sort of living ground cover.


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## ken-n-nancy (Jul 25, 2017)

Tibbigt said:


> Hi everyone I am trying to figure out my lawn. We are a new construction about 5 yrs ago. My front lawn is amazing. My back yard is getting better but when it gets to be summer it starts browning up more so then the front.
> 
> I know heat will do so but my front yard has 6-10" of top soil. My back yard has 2-3" top soil.
> 
> Is this an issue how much top soil do I need to grow a really nice yard?


Well, it sounds from the above that you have figured out the answer! (It's just not the answer you are hoping for.) Yes, grass needs at least 4-6 inches of soil to handle the summer heat to have sufficient root depth to get some water, as mentioned by virginagal. Further down into the transition zone (say Virginia) even more soil depth would be better (say 8-10 inches). Up further north in New Hampshire with less extended heat and a shady area, one can get by with about 2-3 inches of soil.



Tibbigt said:


> What can I do to help my back yard? If we get lots of rain or mid spring is looks really good but soon as any kinda heat kicks in it starts to struggle.


Well, the good news is you've already identified the key problem, even though it is an unpalatable one -- add about 2-3 inches more soil to get your current 2-3 inches up to 4-6 inches. Actually, if you're going through the hassle of doing it, it may be better to add 4-5 inches to be up in the 6-8 inches territory.


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## Tibbigt (Oct 11, 2017)

ken-n-nancy said:


> Tibbigt said:
> 
> 
> > Hi everyone I am trying to figure out my lawn. We are a new construction about 5 yrs ago. My front lawn is amazing. My back yard is getting better but when it gets to be summer it starts browning up more so then the front.
> ...


I guess I've always known it was a lack of topsoil issue. I guess I'm here to ask minus adding more top soil is it possible to help this issue by not collecting grass clippings, sawdust, silage, etc...

Will this improve over time or should I bite the bullet and have 100+ tons of top soil brought in?

Top soil and compost is about the same price per ton here which would improve my situation better?

Thanks everyone


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## Virginiagal (Apr 24, 2017)

Why do you have 6-10 inches in the front and 2-3 in the back? Why didn't they distribute it evenly when the house was built? If they scraped the topsoil off during construction, why would they scrape the whole two acres? Are there drainage issues here that they solved by less topsoil in the back?

If you bring in topsoil, not only do you have the expense of the topsoil but also you will need to regrade, replant, essentially start over. If you have hardscapes, like sidewalk or patio,, they may now be sunken in relation to the ground. And there is the question about the quality of the soil you bring in. How do you know if you're getting good topsoil or just fill dirt they dug up somewhere?

An application or two of compost isn't going to create more topsoil. Why don't you try the simplest thing first and see if that helps. That's to push nitrogen this fall and concentrate your efforts on root health, not shoots. Of course roots and shoots go hand in hand. But the timing of your fertilizer could make a difference. Fertilizing in the spring and especially in the summer depletes the carbohydrates available to the roots. The shoots are trying as hard as they can to grow in response to the nitrogen at a time (summer) when cool season grass just doesn't grow well and the roots suffer. Roots decline anyway during the summer but excess fertilizer aggravates the situation. Most fertilizer should be applied in the fall. A late fall fertilization of quick release nitrogen after the grass stops growing but before the ground freezes will all go to the roots. Over time those roots will be pushing into the subsoil.

Organic matter is helpful, no matter what. The more soil life, the better, and organic matter invites all the soil creatures and fungi to make themselves at home in your soil, where they do the work of improving the soil. But it's not an instantaneous thing.


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## Tibbigt (Oct 11, 2017)

Virginiagal said:


> Why do you have 6-10 inches in the front and 2-3 in the back? Why didn't they distribute it evenly when the house was built? If they scraped the topsoil off during construction, why would they scrape the whole two acres? Are there drainage issues here that they solved by less topsoil in the back?
> 
> If you bring in topsoil, not only do you have the expense of the topsoil but also you will need to regrade, replant, essentially start over. If you have hardscapes, like sidewalk or patio,, they may now be sunken in relation to the ground. And there is the question about the quality of the soil you bring in. How do you know if you're getting good topsoil or just fill dirt they dug up somewhere?
> 
> ...


10+" in the front and 2-3" in back why idk haha.. no drainage issues..

I'll do a late fertilizer app this fall would a 10-20-20 be fine? That will also help with the p-k.. around 400lbs to the acre sound good maybe mid November? Then again mid May?

Starting next spring maybe I'll do a top dressing of compost in the spring. Aerate, fertilize, top dress 1/4"..

Then in the fall do it again. That would be around 1/2" per yr..

One important question tho do I gotta watch doing compost and fertilizer together can I burn the yard? Should I make top dress then a month or so later fertilize?

Sorry for all the questions lol i do appreciate it, I just really wanna find the easiest chepEst way to fix this. But I'm willing to spend the money also.


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## Tibbigt (Oct 11, 2017)

I am putting Ariel pics up. The red circle in the back yard shows places I got 8+ inches of top soil and the rest goes down to 2-3-4". The yellow mark are shade trees back yard- maples, wheeping willow, birch, flowering pear... Front yard - cherry, dogwood, maples..


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

@Tibbigt I moved into my house 4yrs ago. They took the sub soil 9ft deep from the basement and used it as topsoil. You can see my lab results from back then. It was bare soil. Even the crabgrass struggled to grow.

This is 4yrs later. It is a drastic improvement. There are tons of roots going deep with a hoc of 1in. Even dead (from a reno) It is hard work to dig it out. The soil has turned black and grow grass really good for an Indiana clay soil with high pH.



What's the secret? Mainly fall nitrogen to push for more deeper roots. I addressed P and K. Added cracked corn, alfalfa pellets and used coffee grounds when I can. I mulch mow as much as possible. That's it. The roots are the main help. They grow, they die in the summer heat and continue to root cycle with the earthworms aerating the soil. But it takes time.


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## Virginiagal (Apr 24, 2017)

Compost isn't going to fix your problem. It would be a lot of work to spread it and is not worth the expense and effort.

I suggest 1 lb/k of nitrogen in late August or early September, 1 lb/k in late September or early October, 1 lb/k in late fall, like around Thanksgiving, 1/2 lb/k in late spring, nothing in the summer. Use a fertilizer with P and K to meet your soil test recommendations and once they're met, you can use urea, which is inexpensive and gives you just nitrogen. Since you have a low cation exchange capacity, it would be better to do half applications twice a month instead of once a month,, but that's a lot of time spreading fertilizer. If you do the half applications, start at the end of August and do an application every two weeks for 4 applications. It should be watered in.


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## adgattoni (Oct 3, 2017)

I would 2nd @g-man's original comment: what you need is time. You could bring in 100yd of topsoil, but your lawn will produce topsoil over time via the root cycling effect.

Here is a video on root cycling:


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## Tibbigt (Oct 11, 2017)

Man you guys have givin me such hope. I'll start pounding the nitrogen to it like you all suggested. I'll try to remember this post and update pictures every so often..

Anyone got any recommendations how to increase my P-K besides 10-20-20? Willing to try other stuff also..

I am one of the ppl who feel a lawn makes or breaks your curb appeal. And am obsessed with it..


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## Tibbigt (Oct 11, 2017)

g-man said:


> @Tibbigt I moved into my house 4yrs ago. They took the sub soil 9ft deep from the basement and used it as topsoil. You can see my lab results from back then. It was bare soil. Even the crabgrass struggled to grow.
> 
> This is 4yrs later. It is a drastic improvement. There are tons of roots going deep with a hoc of 1in. Even dead (from a reno) It is hard work to dig it out. The soil has turned black and grow grass really good for an Indiana clay soil with high pH.
> 
> ...


Do u just spread the cracked corn around the yard with a shovel or what? Same with the pellets? Did you have any issues with bringing in raccoons or anything after putting it down lol? Thanks a lot for the info


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Yes hand tossed, but I only have 6k. You have 2 acres. If you have free sources (aka wood), go with those. Cost is always a factor.

For NPK, you can go with a balanced fert (10-10-10). This means a single application.

If you want N, then urea is the cheapest.
For P, you can use triple super phosphate (TSP 0-46-0). Other options are available.

For K, I prefer SOP (0-0-50), but it is harder to find and higher cost. The cheaper option is MOP (0-0-60).

Farmers friends will know farm stores to get these for cheap.


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## Tibbigt (Oct 11, 2017)

g-man said:


> Yes hand tossed, but I only have 6k. You have 2 acres. If you have free sources (aka wood), go with those. Cost is always a factor.
> 
> For NPK, you can go with a balanced fert (10-10-10). This means a single application.
> 
> ...


With applying P-K do I gotta watch how much I apply per 1000 like N?


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## Tibbigt (Oct 11, 2017)

Hopefully only one more question. I am going to try doing humic acid with my n-p-k. Can anyone tell me if I do liquid how much per acre?

And how much humic acid per gallon of water?

I have a atv 15gallon sprayer would that spray a whole acre or double that?

Just trying to figure out the measurements.

Thanks again


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## Tibbigt (Oct 11, 2017)

Sorry for multiple posts guys. This is the one I am looking at getting it shows 8% humic 4% fulvic 12% total does this seem like the normal or low amounts? I don't wanna waste my money if I should be looking at higher %'s


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## Tibbigt (Oct 11, 2017)

Bump everyone. Looking for anymore advice to improve my lawn. I'll be doing a n-p-k treatment toward late summer and again in fall.

I am going to give humic acid a try see how it does 2.5 gallons per acre.

Any other additives or ideas to try?

Aerify plus, diy products, other nutrients to help my situation, etc....

I am also going to aerate before adding both the n-p-k and humic acid. That will be my second time this yr that I've aerated.

Thanks again everyone I've learned more in these few days about my yard and what to do then I've learned the past 2-3 yrs.


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## NewLawnJon (Aug 3, 2018)

Unpopular opinion, but I personally am not a huge fan of grass on top soil. The reason being is that topsoil has a lot of organic matter that will break down over time leading to an uneven yard. Prime example is that I and my neighbor both are new construction. They brought in 12" of non-native top soil, spread, and compacted the soil. Today they keep adding top soil due to areas settling 6-12" from decomposition.

I would focus on adding carbon through humates, bio-char, or other means before I would start adding more top soil, as well as amending the soil with fertilizers that are recommended based on the soil test.


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## Tibbigt (Oct 11, 2017)

NewLawnJon said:


> Unpopular opinion, but I personally am not a huge fan of grass on top soil. The reason being is that topsoil has a lot of organic matter that will break down over time leading to an uneven yard. Prime example is that I and my neighbor both are new construction. They brought in 12" of non-native top soil, spread, and compacted the soil. Today they keep adding top soil due to areas settling 6-12" from decomposition.
> 
> I would focus on adding carbon through humates, bio-char, or other means before I would start adding more top soil, as well as amending the soil with fertilizers that are recommended based on the soil test.


Is there a benefit between using liquid humic acids or solid humic acid? I can get liquid really cheap per acre vs granulate humic.

But if one is more beneficial im willing to spend the difference.


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## NewLawnJon (Aug 3, 2018)

Tibbigt said:


> NewLawnJon said:
> 
> 
> > Unpopular opinion, but I personally am not a huge fan of grass on top soil. The reason being is that topsoil has a lot of organic matter that will break down over time leading to an uneven yard. Prime example is that I and my neighbor both are new construction. They brought in 12" of non-native top soil, spread, and compacted the soil. Today they keep adding top soil due to areas settling 6-12" from decomposition.
> ...


Last year I used granular, and I didn't notice much of a difference in the soil. This year I used the N-ext line and notice the soil is softer and the grass seems to hold up to heat stress better. I am guessing it is easier for the liquids to get into the root zone and work than granular.


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## KoopHawk (May 28, 2019)

FWIW I always like to add my soil amendments after I aerate. I feel like it allows the product to fill in the plug holes and better penetrate the root zone rather than sitting in the thatch layer.


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## Suburban Jungle Life (Mar 1, 2018)

I use a mix of half sub soil and half compost when planting shrubs/flowers. I mix them in a wheelbarrow with a shovel. It is obvious the difference even mixed as the black compost and the orange/tan soil have a stark contrast. Any extra, I leave for future use. In about a month, all the subsoil color is gone it it looks like rich top soil. It's surprising how big of a difference it is. So, I believe you can easily create top soil by mixing 50% subsoil and 50% compost. While this is fine for planting a shrub, I'm not sure how you can translate that to a lawn. Perhaps, spreading 4" of compost and using a tiller to mix it into the top layer would work. The drawback of tilling though is it will settle over a year or so and become quite bumpy and uneven. Also, this is a ton of work and while the grass will look great, you'll be stuck with a leveling job for years to come. I would pass of doing it this way.

Root cycling is definitely the way to go. I would keep it well fertilized to push growth and increase the rate the top soil develops. Also, correcting the deficiencies from your soil test will help with growth. Nature does this with weeds but at a much slower rate than we can with turf and fertilizer.


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## JERSEY (Sep 9, 2018)

Virginiagal said:


> Why do you have 6-10 inches in the front and 2-3 in the back? Why didn't they distribute it evenly when the house was built? If they scraped the topsoil off during construction, why would they scrape the whole two acres? Are there drainage issues here that they solved by less topsoil in the back?
> 
> If you bring in topsoil, not only do you have the expense of the topsoil but also you will need to regrade, replant, essentially start over. If you have hardscapes, like sidewalk or patio,, they may now be sunken in relation to the ground. And there is the question about the quality of the soil you bring in. How do you know if you're getting good topsoil or just fill dirt they dug up somewhere?
> 
> ...


This is a great write up.


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