# First time Soil Test



## NeVs (Aug 17, 2018)

Finally going to send off a soil sample for my Zorro Zoysia lawn.

My home is new construction and the front is St Augustine, and the back is Zorro. The back had dirt brought in to raise the yard about 1 year after the front. My Zorro was sodded about 10 months ago and my St Augustine I think was sodded about 1.5 years ago.

I called waypoint analytical and they recommended I get the SW3 package as Texas is known to have higher salt content.

So I will be getting a soil texture test + SW3

The SW3 package tests the following.
pH, buffer pH, Organic matter, CEC, % Cation saturations
Olsen P
Ammonium Acetate (K, Mg, Ca, Na)
Mehlich 3 (P, B, S, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn)
Nitrate-N
Soluble Salts

Is there anything else that I should or need to test?


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## NeVs (Aug 17, 2018)

Anyone?


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

SW3 will be good for you. If you want to do front and back, then you can save $ by doing the SW1 in one area (no salts tests).


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## NeVs (Aug 17, 2018)

g-man said:


> SW3 will be good for you. If you want to do front and back, then you can save $ by doing the SW1 in one area (no salts tests).


You recommend this even though the dirt brought in for the front was about 1.5 years before the back?

Is the nitrate not that important either?


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

It is likely that your salt levels are ok if they brought in soil. A single one might be ok. The Sw1 was 26.50 and I don't remember the sw3. Nitrates are not that important.


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## ctrav (Aug 18, 2018)

I use Waypoint and also get the SW3.. I will probably get the SW1 next time and toss in the SW3 every other year. The Waypoint fold are very easy to work with and I like the phone app!


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## NeVs (Aug 17, 2018)

Think the sw3 is $35.

I'll get the sw3 and texture tests done on my back (zoysia) and just get the sw1 on the front (st augustine)

Thanks for the input. I wish I grabbed the plugs before dropping fertilizer.


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## NeVs (Aug 17, 2018)

So I just got my first soil sample results in.

I was not expecting the front and back yard to vary so much... and I definitely feel like the soil texture test is off... I think its clay % is low.

Anyway, any advice and recommendations on a plan
/ specific products to get/use would be very helpful? I do spray, so liquid is an option.

I currently have 
- milo
- GreenTRX™ 16-1-2-17S 3% FE

N-EXT
- Microgreene
- RGS
- humic12

What else should I get?


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Front and back look the same to me.

High pH, no lime for this soil. Use elemental sulfur at 5lb/ksqft every 6months to lower your pH.

Very low P and K
Simple approach:
Use a balance fertilizer (eg. 10-10-10) at 10lb/ksqft in the growing months.

More complex:
Use Ammonium sulfate (21-0-0) for nitrogen at 4lb/ksqft as needed. I think Zoysia doesn't want high N.

For phosphorus use MAP (11-52-0) at 2lb/ksqft. There is a product sold in Texas that has P and elemental sulfur mixed in. Ask in the hometown section .

Potassium- SOP (0-0-50) at 2lb/ksqft monthly in growing months.


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## NeVs (Aug 17, 2018)

g-man said:


> Front and back look the same to me.
> 
> High pH, no lime for this soil. Use elemental sulfur at 5lb/ksqft every 6months to lower your pH.
> 
> ...


Thanks so much for this!

So based on the rates you gave for ammonium sulfate and MAP. This would yield 1lb N/M.

This is good for st Aug in spring/early fall, so I'll dial the N back by decreasing the ammonium sulphate app for peak summer heat here in houston.

For the zoysia I'd do the same thing but an even lower ammonium sulphate rate . I think I've heard most say around .5lb N/M max in one app during spring and decrease slightly during peak summer. So I'd use your MAP rate plus 1.3lb ammonium sulphate for spring/fall and decrease to maybe 3/4 - 1 lb ammonium sulphate for summer.

Am I on the right track here?


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Yes you are in the right track. I don't have experience with warm season grasses, hence why I said "as needed".


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## NeVs (Aug 17, 2018)

g-man said:


> Yes you are in the right track. I don't have experience with warm season grasses, hence why I said "as needed".


Havent gotten any responses around the MAP product with P and elemental sulfur.

Any alternative recommendation?


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