# Soil Test Results - Questions



## wizardstephen (Sep 21, 2018)

Hi All:

I got my soil test back today from Soil Savvy, and i wanted to run the results and recommendations by some of you experts.

Soil Savvy Recommendation: Apply Both: 21-0-0 @3 lbs/1,000 sq.ft *AND* 0-0-60 @10.25 lbs/1,000 sq.ft. _*OR*_ Apply 10-0-6 @6.25 lbs/1,000 sq.ft

My Question: 

Should i go Synthetic or Organic?

Should I put that down all at once? Split apps?

Is there anything else you think i should do based on these results?

What I've done this year:

Early April - Lesco 19-0-7 Crabgrass Preventer + Dimension Fertilizer @ 3.82lbs/m

May 14th - Milorganite @ a bit over bag rate (I use 3 bags over my 6k lawn)

Thanks for all the help!


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## jha4aamu (Oct 16, 2017)

wizardstephen said:


> Hi All:
> 
> I got my soil test back today from Soil Savvy, and i wanted to run the results and recommendations by some of you experts.
> 
> ...


i am def not one of the experts, but 10.25lb of MOP (0-0-60)/k seems awful high. that would be 6lb of potash per 1000 sq ft. The 10-0-6 product seems better of the two. maybe some one else can chime in and correct me if my math is off


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## tgreen (Oct 20, 2018)

Agree that 10lb of 0-0-60 is insane. I thought it was a typo. I would not put that down. Also, the ph at 6.1 is low, not crazy low but low. That's the biggest problem I see on the report. You want it more around 6.7. If it were me, I would toss this soil report in the garbage and take it to your university extension. Look up U of I or something and look for an extension. Or, call them and ask them for the name of a reputable lab. Any decent soil report would tell you your ph is low and give you a rate to apply lime. Good luck!


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

My thoughts on  soil savvy in the first post.

@wizardstephen I moved your topic to the soil folder too.


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## wizardstephen (Sep 21, 2018)

Thanks everyone for your feedback...I will look into a local extension and give them a shot. If nothing else, it will be interesting to compare the two. I just went with Soil Savvy as it sounded simple and a guy at work recommended it (last time i listen to that guy).  Thanks @g-man for moving this post, and for your write-up about Soil Savvy.. I wish i would of stumbled onto the soil folder before doing this test. I'll get another sample and share my results from it if i have questions.

Anyone in the Central Illinois area have a recommendation for who i should use for my soil sample?


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## wizardstephen (Sep 21, 2018)

I'm thinking of using AgriEnergy Resources. Has anyone heard of them and/or used them? https://agrienergy.net/lab-services/

I get this list when searching for the Soil Sampling in Illinois and there isn't a clear-cut choice. So before i waste more time and money I thought I'd check with you guys. http://extension.illinois.edu/soiltest/

Thanks,

Stephen


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

If you can't drive it to any of the labs, then you will need to mail it. The first one in your list seems like they mail it to Midwest labs, so bypass the middle man. The other link is a list of labs. Midwest is good and waypoint in Iowa or Memphis. The waypoint in IL charges more for the same tests.


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## iowa jim (Jan 22, 2018)

g-man said:


> If you can't drive it to any of the labs, then you will need to mail it. The first one in your list seems like they mail it to Midwest labs, so bypass the middle man. The other link is a list of labs. Midwest is good and waypoint in Iowa or Memphis. The waypoint in IL charges more for the same tests.


Waypoint in Iowa for the S3m test is $16.50.


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## wizardstephen (Sep 21, 2018)

Thanks @g-man and @iowa jim. I ill give Waypoint Iowa a go.


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## wizardstephen (Sep 21, 2018)

Hi all:

Based on recommendations from some of you in this thread, I took new soil samples and sent them off to Waypoint Analytical in Iowa. Below are the results i got. I submitted two samples - Front and Back yard. Based on what i'm seeing, i should lay low on the Phosphorous, but everything else seems good. One area of concern I have is the PH results. I have areas on my backyard - where the grass isn't filled in - where I can spot moss on the soil. I was hoping to see i needed to add lime (and how much to add), but based on these results, it doesn't appear my soil needs lime? Also, i have added Milorganite at bag rate 2 weeks ago, and spoon fed nitrogen to a couple weak areas in the back yard. That being said, this report doesn't give me an indication of my Nitrogen level. Perhaps it's expected that i know how much N i'm putting down?

Any thing you can add to help me work through this analysis would be appreciated.





Thanks,

Stephen


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## Drewmey (Oct 3, 2018)

wizardstephen said:


> Hi all:
> 
> Based on recommendations from some of you in this thread, I took new soil samples and sent them off to Waypoint Analytical in Iowa. Below are the results i got. I submitted two samples - Front and Back yard. Based on what i'm seeing, i should lay low on the Phosphorous, but everything else seems good. One area of concern I have is the PH results. I have areas on my backyard - where the grass isn't filled in - where I can spot moss on the soil. I was hoping to see i needed to add lime (and how much to add), but based on these results, it doesn't appear my soil needs lime? Also, i have added Milorganite at bag rate 2 weeks ago, and spoon fed nitrogen to a couple weak areas in the back yard. That being said, this report doesn't give me an indication of my Nitrogen level. Perhaps it's expected that i know how much N i'm putting down?
> 
> ...


Given TTTF, I would shoot for around 4ish-lbs of N per year regardless of any test results. If you hate mowing, maybe cut a .5-1lbs out of that. As far as when, I personally like to do a little bit more in the fall than in spring. I don't do much of any in the summer or winter (unless the weather is particularly unusual). If you were up in Canada, it might push your seasons more towards fertilizing into parts of the summer but for IL, I would skip fert. in July/August. There are tests that tell you N, but I don't really see the need. It is a fairly volatile nutrient. So you should really be applying it no matter what (but obviously not going overboard).

PH looks fine so I would not go with any Lime. TTTF should grow fine at these pH's. So if you are seeing moss in certain areas, I would say something other than pH is keeping the grass from growing. Possibly sunlight issue? Maybe exacerbated by compacted soil? Or thin soil on stone backfill?


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

^+1 the results could be slightly skewed due to the recent application of products, but overall it looks good.

Retest next year before fertilizer application if you want to. Otherwise start a maintenance strategy, some k in the year to keep the levels and no more phosphorus (eg. Milo).


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## wizardstephen (Sep 21, 2018)

Thanks for both of your replies @Drewmey and @g-man . I will stay away from Phosphorous (as much as it may pain me to not use Milo in July and September...I'm a believer in the product). I'll also get some K in this year.

Thanks,

Stephen


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