# Need help understanding soil test please.



## Lovemburton1 (Mar 24, 2019)

I am super new to caring for a lawn, I thought I would do a soil test and fix any problems before I overseed. I already put down johnothan green mag-i-cal to raise the ph and bought a few bags of ringer 10-0-6. Is there anything else that I should be doing? Thank you for any help.


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## Ridgerunner (May 16, 2017)

The Lawn Care Nut, Allyn Hane, (Hot LIne: 833-526-8477) is a distributor for Soil Savvy. He should be able to answer your questions and explain how the raw data is used to calculate the recommendations for nutrient applications. I expect he has thoroughly researched Soil Savvy and can direct you to the studies (university, turf consultants, etc.) that have been performed regarding the calibration, accuracy and reliability of the Soil Savvy Test.


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## jdc_lawnguy (Oct 30, 2018)

@Lovemburton1 , welcome to the lawn forum and the excitement of caring for your lawn. The soil savvy test generally aren't a go to test. There are a lot of resources here and it may be worth reading @Ridgerunner post here about choosing a lab

https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=7162

In general folks are reluctant to give in depth advice given the concerns about the soil savvy testing process.

There is also a great write here about soil fertility and interpreting results. It is a lot of info. It took me a few reads to digest, but once it clicks it makes perfect sense. If you are comfortable working off your results, the formulas make determining inputs very easy.

https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=1088


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## Lovemburton1 (Mar 24, 2019)

Thank you guys very much. I really just want a nice lawn, and have been watching YouTube and stalking the lawn forum pages to get some info. I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask and see if I could get some additional information. I really appreciate the info you guys have given so far.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Welcome to TLF @Lovemburton1 - glad you're here. I do not have any personal experience with Soil Savvy, but as others have alluded to, there are some unknowns when it comes to their testing methods.


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## Lovemburton1 (Mar 24, 2019)

I really had no clue where to start and thought a soil test was my best bet. I guess I should have researched the soil tests better. I bought a custom seed blend 80% ss1000 tall fescue and 20% 4th millenium from seed superstore and wanted to make sure my soil was the best it could be before overseeding.


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## jdc_lawnguy (Oct 30, 2018)

@Lovemburton1 you are in the right place and heading down the right path. Seed from there is expensive and getting a soil test is definitely a smart move. So don't feel deterred. We want to see you succeed. We have all been been new at this at some point.

Take a day or two to read up a little and determine which way you want to go.

You mention overseeding. I assume you will be doing that in the fall since you mention Fescue which is a cool season grass.

Given that I would encourage you to read up. Use the knowledge you gain to determine if you want to tweak your plan, and then maybe send out another sample closer to seeding season if you are comfortable with the expense.


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## Lovemburton1 (Mar 24, 2019)

Jdc_lawnguy your lawn looks really nice.
I thought I could overseed in the early spring, I guess I am learning by trial and error. I guess my biggest problem is the wasted money on everything I have already done. I am still going to put down the grass seed, since we have already detached, aerated and fertilized. I will retest the soil in August and try to do everything the right way. The previous owners did a good job with all the trees and shrubs, but neglected the lawn. The picture is from when we bought the home.


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