# Soil Analysis - Help Request



## LawnKiller (Jun 9, 2021)

Hey, I'm new to lawn care but would love to master the art of growing a nice lawn. To kick things off I've done a soil analysis and included the results below:

So far I haven't done anything to the lawn other than simply cutting and watering it for the past few years. The previous owner did have a professional lawn management company take care of the lawn.









I've been unsure as to why the calcium levels are so high but it then dawned on me that it might be due to the tap water in my area which is described as very hard water. I've included a screenshot of a tap water analysis for my area below:



Any help would be very much appreciated especially with the calcium issue. @Mark B has been very helpful to me so far in a different thread (https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=408133#p408133) but he also recommended I post here as well.


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## Virginiagal (Apr 24, 2017)

I'm not familiar with this lab or their methods. However, a big red flag is they say potassium sulphate will lower pH. It does not. I would be wary of any lab giving such misinformation.. Here is the soil remediation guide here which addresses lowering pH:
https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=15165

Nitrogen fertilizers lower pH to some degree and ammonium sulphate is the most acidic of them, so it's it's available, it's a good choice to use when you fertilize. Elemental sulphur can be used at an appropriate time of the year.

Phosphorus is the second nutrient in NPK. You could ask the lab how much phosphorus you need. Then look for a fertilizer with a good amount of phosphorus (the P in NPK).


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## LawnKiller (Jun 9, 2021)

@Virginiagal Another forum member recommended the company. From what I gather they are one of the largest lawn care companies based in the UK but thank you for making me aware of the issue with potassium sulphate.

I think ammonium sulphate is probably a good shout but I'm not sure whether to apply it in granular or liquid form, do you have any recommendations on the best way to apply it?


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## Virginiagal (Apr 24, 2017)

Ammonium sulphate. Is a granular fertilizer. You spread it with a spreader. Did you find any products with phosphorus?


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## LawnKiller (Jun 9, 2021)

@Virginiagal Another forum user Mark B recommended these products to me but also suggested I post here to make sure his suggestions were valid. I'm totally new to this so I'm really in this forum's capable hands.

Triple Super Phosphate - 0-46-0
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B094R5V43Z/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Potassium Sulphate Fertiliser - 0-0-50
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01BGQAG32/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Ammonium Sulphate - 21-0-0
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B010T7ZZSU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

He suggested 10g/m2 per month of both Triple Super Phophate & Potassium Sulphate and 5g/m2 per week of Ammonium Sulphate.

Mark's plan sounds very good to me, but a second opinion would be great. My only worry is how to spread such a small quantity of fertiliser over such large space. I believe 1 x m2 is nearly 11 sqft. This is why I asked about whether a liquid application would be a decent way to apply it as I can get soluble versions of all these products and I believe I'm much more likely to be able to apply the kind of quantities across the lawn evenly.


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## Virginiagal (Apr 24, 2017)

I was only familiar with the granular products but apparently there are liquid formulations. As for how much to use and and when and how often, get in touch with the lab and ask them. I don't think you're going to need as much potassium as Mark suggested and for that matter, Mark didn't say how many applications to make. The lab would be better able to make specific recommendations based on your soil test.


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