# Soil test results worse than i thought, now what?



## p1muserfan (Jul 7, 2019)

So with my front yard bermuda lawn looking crappy (the weather has been wacky but some yards look fine including my back yard of Zoysia) I finally gave up and ordered a soil test. Got the results this morning, worse than I thought. 

I'm surprised my grass grows at all, at least my Ph is good, lol. So now what? Here are the fertilizers I currently have:
Anuvia 16-1-2
Holganix 10-3-2
Lesco 15-5-10
Lesco 24-0-11
HJE 5-10-31
AS 21-0-0
Because everything is low I'm considering this because it contains micronutrients too: 

My front yard is 1k so at 8 lbs/k I could get 3 treatments out of a bag. Or should I grab a 50lb bag of Sunniland 8-10-10 from Lowes and treat the back yard too? Do I use this formula for the whole season and then retest next year?
I need some help here...


----------



## david_ (Aug 22, 2019)

Wonder why they don't recommend a balanced fertilizer. Seems like the logical choice. I put down a balanced after green up then go nitrogen only for the rest of the season.

I would do the back too.


----------



## p1muserfan (Jul 7, 2019)

david_ said:


> Wonder why they don't recommend a balanced fertilizer. Seems like the logical choice. I put down a balanced after green up then go nitrogen only for the rest of the season.
> 
> I would do the back too.


The soil test came from Yard Mastery=Allyn Hane (AKA Lawn Care Nut)=Greene County and Carbon Earth products. I don't believe that between the 2 companies they offer a balanced fert.
I ended up buying the Sunniland 8-10-10 so I can cover my entire lawn. So I only want to apply this stuff once? I was thinking 10lbs/k for the front yard and 6lbs/k for the back because Zoysia doesn't require as much nitogen.


----------



## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

@p1muserfan, your thread is now in the Soil forum. Cheers!

dfw


----------



## corneliani (Apr 2, 2019)

This is my beef with this particular test, despite the fact that I really like the LCN: It leaves you hanging when it comes to How Much of a product to apply in order to correct the deficiencies. Frustrating. Now you need to do it yourself.

Based on this document I stumbled across, and my understanding of it, raising your Potassium levels 50ppm (which is what you're needing, seemingly) would require approx 120#/A (approx 2.75#/1000) of actual K2O, and approx 30#A(0.75#/1000) of P2O5. But again, this is the whole point of having a lab do a soil test .. to calculate these deficiencies and what it takes to rectify them. 
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1229

Hope this helps.


----------



## p1muserfan (Jul 7, 2019)

corneliani said:


> This is my beef with this particular test, despite the fact that I really like the LCN: It leaves you hanging when it comes to How Much of a product to apply in order to correct the deficiencies. Frustrating. Now you need to do it yourself.
> 
> Based on this document I stumbled across, and my understanding of it, raising your Potassium levels 50ppm (which is what you're needing, seemingly) would require approx 120#/A (approx 2.75#/1000) of actual K2O, and approx 30#A(0.75#/1000) of P2O5. But again, this is the whole point of having a lab do a soil test .. to calculate these deficiencies and what it takes to rectify them.
> https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1229
> ...


So if I put down 10lbs/k of my 8-10-10, that gives me .8lb/N, 1 lb/P, 1 lb/K. So I'd be a bit over on Phosphorus and still low on Potassium. So then the rest of the year go with my 24-0-11?


----------



## corneliani (Apr 2, 2019)

p1muserfan said:


> corneliani said:
> 
> 
> > This is my beef with this particular test, despite the fact that I really like the LCN: It leaves you hanging when it comes to How Much of a product to apply in order to correct the deficiencies. Frustrating. Now you need to do it yourself.
> ...


It seems you're understanding it the same way I am as far as calculating NPK totals. As for which product to use, I'm not sure that the 8-10-10 is something I'd personally reach for considering the stash of supplies you have in your arsenal already. I'd probably go with the 24-0-11 out of the gate or, better yet, that 15-5-10 for your springtime fert. That's a nice balanced fertilizer well suited for your needs, i'd say. Then come the summer months roll with your Anuvia/Holganix/HJE products as you see fit, and wrap it up with your AS. You have quite a selection available bro, no need to get more, not with your yard size. 
Whatever you do use the NPK numbers as a guide and not as a destination, if that makes any sense. The grass could care less if you're plus or minus 1/2# of a certain nutrient, in the same way our bodies thrive even when deficiencies exist. I say this because the NPK numbers shouldn't be the only determination of what you put down, the type of release the fert has should likewise be considered (hence the idea of using the milder Holganix/HJE in the hottest part of the year).
Best of luck!


----------



## p1muserfan (Jul 7, 2019)

corneliani said:


> p1muserfan said:
> 
> 
> > corneliani said:
> ...


I opted for the 8-10-10 to try to bring everything up together, although I'm not sure I want to add more than a 1/2 lb of phosphorous and potassium at a time. May go 5 lbs/k of this mixed with 3lbs of AS for a 1lb/.5lb/.5lb ratio of N/P/K and see what that does. For the Zoysia in the back just 5 lbs of the 8-10-10. Down the road for the rest of this season I think this stuff will be my base that I can adjust and then I'll add Holganix or Anuvia accordingly for a hybrid synthetic/organic mix.


----------



## p1muserfan (Jul 7, 2019)

So I ended up putting down 10lb/k of the 8-10-10 on the front yard bermuda and 3 lbs/k of my 5-10-31 with 10% iron on the back yard zoysia because I wanted to go light on N. That was April 26th. I think because of the iron content the zoysia looks great, dark green and dense looking. The front yard is a different story, it just hasn't responded. For my next application I'm planning to mix 3lbs of the 5-10-31 and 4lbs of 21-0-0 for added iron and sulphur (because I'm really low on iron too). Do I have to wait until the end of the month to apply? If I do it this week Is that too much fertilizer too soon?


----------



## corneliani (Apr 2, 2019)

If your temps have been cold (as ours have) then that may be partially to blame for the slow Bermuda response. And with the upcoming warmup (80's +) maybe 4# of AMS on top of what you already put out may be too much all at once. I'd wait personally, at those rates. Or compromise & go half rate if you feel you need to.


----------



## p1muserfan (Jul 7, 2019)

I'll wait then


----------

