# RichS Soil test results - for comment



## RichS (Jan 28, 2019)

My first soil test results are in. Kudos to Waypoint - mailed on Wednesday, delivered on Friday, results at 10:30a Saturday.

Below are my 2019 and 2020 results

*2019*


*2020*


My thoughts:

K is still low. I applied 200 lbs SOP last year (about 4.2 lbs K/k sq. ft) and got about halfway there. I'll probably do the same, or even a bit more this year.


S dropped even with the SOP sulfur content, so I need something a bit more effective. I have another post on this specific topic.


Mn dropped even with adding it last year, so I'll double up this year.


No more Cu, Zn applications.


Continue with Fe as last year. Maybe a touch more as it dropped a bit.


B had been about .6 for a few years, spiked to 1.3 last year, then back down to .8 even though I still added a bit last year. I'll probably keep this at the same low application rate from last year.

Cool season, mostly TTTF with fine fescues mixed in where it's shady. I typically apply Urea, SOP, micros mixed with Milorganite, and Ferrous sulfate rather than blended fertilizers to have more control over the applications.

Comments welcomed.


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## RichS (Jan 28, 2019)

One additional question, based on the "How to interpret" sticky thread. It says Mn should be 10-20. My notes say MLSN is 30-45, though I can't find the source for that right now.

My Mn number has ranged from 45-114 over the years. A&L last year was the 45 reading, and they put that in the middle of the High range.

But Waypoint shows 78 last year, 49 this year and put both in the lower end of the Medium range - well below Optimum.

Thoughts?


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

RickS, can you describe your soil sampling process? Like how deep and how many samples? Also, do you always bag when you mow?

I ask because of the Phosphorous levels. 98 to 59ppm reduction in one season is not typical. Phosphorous levels are related to soil depth, so that might explain it.

I do want to highlight, dont stress about the numbers. Overall this is a good soil with not much to do to it. No need for P. You can continue with SOP. This will continue to build the potassium reserves and give you more sulfur. You can also use Ammonium Sulfate (21-0-0) as your nitrogen source to give you more sulfur. You are not deficient in sulfur and you do not want to use elemental sulfur and affect your pH.

In regards to the micros, you have plenty of iron, Mn and boron. I dont think you need to address them.


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## Methodical (May 3, 2018)

What is SOP?


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## Pete1313 (May 3, 2017)

Methodical said:


> What is SOP?


Sulfate of potash also known as potassium sulfate.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

SOP 0-0-50 is similar to MOP 0-0-60 (muriate of potash). Both are used to increase the soil potassium. MOP is cheaper, but it contains chlorides.


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## Methodical (May 3, 2018)

Got it. I can't find anything in my area (MD) with those numbers and I need to get my potassium up. Does Site One carry this stuff?


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## RichS (Jan 28, 2019)

g-man said:


> RickS, can you describe your soil sampling process? Like how deep and how many samples? Also, do you always bag when you mow?
> 
> I ask because of the Phosphorous levels. 98 to 59ppm reduction in one season is not typical. Phosphorous levels are related to soil depth, so that might explain it.


Same sampling as every year - same trowel, cleaned before use, plunged into the turf to the 4 inch mark on trowel, worked back and forth to create a V-shaped opening, then a slice pulled from one side down to the bottom. The only difference this year is I dropped the samples (about 14-16 on a 4k sq. ft. lawn) into a cardboard box I had handy, rather than the plastic pail I used last year. All sampled in February, always at least 3 months since the last treatment.

Yes, I always bag when mowing.

I do have a feeling last year's numbers were off. I had been moving from low to OK on P for several years until last year's big leap. It was the first year I used Waypoint, but P2O5 numbers from Logan Labs had been 122, 142, 175 lbs/A (which I believe are around 26-40ppm) as I was adding P via Milorganite and then jumped to 272 last year. Logan results should be back in the next day or two and if it's back around 200 or so, I'll write off last year as a fluke.

B did the same - it had been .6-.7 for years, then 1.1-1.3 last year, and back to .8 this year.

Thanks for the thoughts on the other items.


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## RichS (Jan 28, 2019)

Methodical said:


> Got it. I can't find anything in my area (MD) with those numbers and I need to get my potassium up. Does Site One carry this stuff?


The Site One near me never did. I was fortunate to dig a bit and find EF Griffith in my area, which supplies mostly golf courses and commercial services, hidden in an industrial corner of the city. Do some hunting and see if there is something similar near you. Maybe even call the superintendent at a local well-regraded country club/golf course. As with most granular lawn treatments, shipping is usually cost prohibitive.

One idea - use the "Find a Distributor" function at Lebanon Turf. I picked a random MD zip code and quickly found newsomseed.com in Fulton, MD, which has SOP (listed as 0-0-50 under Granular Nutrients). They also have straight 46-0-0 Urea, which can also be hard to find.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Other thing I see is an inverted Ca/Mg ratio. That can be addressed with Gypsum aka Calcium Sulfate.


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## Methodical (May 3, 2018)

RichS said:


> Methodical said:
> 
> 
> > Got it. I can't find anything in my area (MD) with those numbers and I need to get my potassium up. Does Site One carry this stuff?
> ...


Thanks. I've never hear of Fulton MD, but check and it's 50 miles from me. It may be worth the drive if the price is right.


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## wors (Feb 2, 2019)

g-man said:


> RickS, can you describe your soil sampling process? Like how deep and how many samples? Also, do you always bag when you mow?
> 
> I ask because of the Phosphorous levels. 98 to 59ppm reduction in one season is not typical. Phosphorous levels are related to soil depth, so that might explain it.
> 
> ...


I would use Urea (46-0-0) over the Ammonium Sulfate (21-0-0) as it is less acidifying and probably cheaper. Applying the SOP will help supply sulfur.


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## RichS (Jan 28, 2019)

Well here's some more data. As I found with a couple of tests last year, several changes are the opposite of above.

Sometimes I wonder how reliable/repeatable these tests are. They're quite precise, but perhaps not accurate. Pending the other two outstanding labs, I may collect and send another sample just to see how repeatable the process is. Not sure it's worth the money though.

2019 Midwest Labs


2020 Midwest Labs


Ignoring the actual values (though they're both supposed to be M3), just looking at year-over-year changes.
2019 to 2020 changes - Midwest, Waypoint

S: +73% -19%
Mn: +7% -37%
Fe: +29% -13%
Cu: +85% +38%
B: +8% -38%

So I may or may not be in decent shape, and may or may not be trending in the right direction on several of these based on last-year's program.

After thoroughly drying and mixing the soil, I alternated one scoop into each of the four sampling bags, remixing after each set of four scoops, so I'm quite confident the samples were homogenous.

Final two reports will be interesting. Logan was the outlier last year.


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## RichS (Jan 28, 2019)

Greendoc said:


> Other thing I see is an inverted Ca/Mg ratio. That can be addressed with Gypsum aka Calcium Sulfate.


I've read about the "ideal" Ca/Mg ratio, and I've read research that says there's no real science behind it, as long as Ca and Mg are available in the needed amounts.

https://archive.lib.msu.edu/tic/ttgnc/article/2000apr6.pdf
https://themodern.farm/studies/Cation%20Exchange%20Capicty/A%20review%20of%20the%20use%20of%20the%20basic%20cation%20saturation%20ratio%20and%20the%20%E2%80%9Cideal%E2%80%9D%20soil.pdf

Iirc, the classic Albrecht recommendation was 68:12%. My 73:15/72:15 don't seem far off - certainly not inverted as I would interpret the word (something like 12:68).

What's current thinking on the importance of this ratio, and target values?


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