# Soil test results



## Danno99 (Aug 9, 2018)

Hey all,
I tried a different testing site this year and they don't give many suggestions, so I thought I'd post the results here.
For a little info on the lawn issues I'm battling I just posted in Cool Season grasses with a title of Same thing, every year.

pH - Soil	6.70 Optimum Range

Calcium, Mehlich 3 (Ca)	1061.40	(ppm)	O	800 - 1200
Magnesium, Mehlich 3 (Mg)	170.00	(ppm)	H	60 - 120
Potassium, Mehlich 3 (K)	38.00	(ppm)	L	170 - 280
Phosphorus, Mehlich 3 (P)	115.00	(ppm)	H	30 - 50
Lead, Mehlich 3 (Pb) 4.95	(ppm)	VL	
Org. Matter, LOI-360 (OM)	3.32	(%)

Optimum Range Key
VL - Very Low	L - Low	O - Optimal	H - High	VH - Very High

So it looks like PH is ok
Calcium ok.
MAG high.
Potassium real low 
Phosphorus high
and low Lead (which I've heard really isn't that important, more for growing vegetables?)
Org Matter is 3.32 but I have no idea what it should be?

Thanks for any suggestions. 
Dan in NH


----------



## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

You got it. OM is fine at 3%. All you need to do is nitrogen and Potassium.


----------



## ken-n-nancy (Jul 25, 2017)

Found my way over here after seeing your other thread and figured being another person in NH, I'd take a look at your soil test.

By the way, what lab provided the test results, and did they list a Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) or Total Exchange Capacity (TEC)? (Actually, I think I know the answer; looks like a UNH test, and they don't include CEC or TEC information.) I'm speculating that your soil is very sandy; seeing the CEC or TEC would help know if that's the case.

Your soil test results are better than most native NH soil. Your calcium level seems fine. The magnesium level isn't high enough to be anything to worry about. (Actually, your Ca:Mg ratio of 6:1 is in a happy zone.) Your potassium is a low, but that isn't the cause of all your lawn troubles -- I speculate the lawn troubles are mostly ones that can be fixed by changing your maintenance approach a bit. Phosphorus is sufficient, but nowhere near being too high to worry about.

The desired organic matter % is >5%, but it's a lot of work to get there. Mulching in all your grass clippings and leaves will help raise this OM% time. 3.3% is better than most soil around here, including my own, which is sufficient for growing decent grass.

My basic suggestion would be to use your preferred nitrogen source (my preferred source is Bay State Fertilizer) and supplement with sulfate of potash (0-0-50) fertilizer applied monthly at a rate of 1 pound of K/ksqft -- that would be 2 pounds of 0-0-50 per 1000 square feet, each month from May through August. I stop my SOP applications before September to reduce likelihood of snow mold on my lawn.

Oh, and yes, the lead is checked by UNH to help warn folks with vegetable gardens about possible lead contamination. You're fine for growing all the veggies you want!


----------



## Ridgerunner (May 16, 2017)

You can calculate your approximate CEC. Divide ppm of Calcium by 200, ppm of Mg by 120 and ppm of K by 390. For a soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7, an additional 5% of exchange sites will be held by H+. Another 5-8% will be held by other cations (Na, micros, etc.). 1060 ppm of Ca/200 = 5.3 meq. 170 ppm of Mg/120 = 1.4 meq. 35 ppm of K/ 390 = 0.09 meq. Total: 6.7. Accounting for the H= brings it to 7.0 add another 0.5 meq to account for Na and other cations. Your CEC is in the 7-8 range. It's capable of holding sufficient nutrients for healthy plants/turf.
Ratios between nutrients are based on meq (or BS%). Your Ca:Mg ratio is 5.3:1.4 or 3.8:1. That could be an issue in a clay, but not so likely in sandy soil.
K is an important plant nutrient for a number of reasons, one of which is turgor and a plant's ability to survive heat/cold and drought. Your K levels are considered deficient. raising it could improve turf performance.
Your P level is excessive. although probably not detrimental, at some point above 100 ppm, the plant will immunize itself from hyphae. That will eliminate a source of nutrients and moisture to the plant Counter-productive. Stop adding P until levels drop to 50 ppm.
IMO, it sounds like proper maintenance techniques: fertilization, watering and mowing should remedy most of your issues.


----------



## Danno99 (Aug 9, 2018)

I went with UNH for this soil test where in the past I used Umass Amherst. 
I appreciate the info supplied, though most of the technical parts went over my head.
The suggestion of proper maintenance ...fert, water, mow, is exactly what I've been doing for the past 10 years.
This is only affecting 1/3 of my lawn, while the rest looks pretty good. I don't think that changing my maintenance approach will do much good. I'm going to try and add potassium and get that up to the correct level, then I'll try adding compost to the areas that thin out with the hot weather.

Thanks for all the help.
Dan


----------



## ken-n-nancy (Jul 25, 2017)

Danno99 said:


> I don't think that changing my maintenance approach will do much good.


I'd encourage you to examine your maintenance approach with a critical eye. Things like appropriately choosing the height of cut with the season, mowing correctly and frequently, watering deeply and as infrequently as your soil allows, fertilizing appropriately at the different times of the year, choosing appropriately timed weed control techniques, and being prepared with disease control when needed can make a huge difference.

In New Hampshire, our summers are mild enough that it should be possible to maintain cool season turf which keeps growing through the summer.


----------



## Danno99 (Aug 9, 2018)

I think I'm going to have to post pictures as this isn't affecting my entire lawn, just 1/3 of it. My lawn is divided into 3 parts, one on each side of my driveway and another in the back. So when I have anything that I need to spread, I have to take 1/3 of what's in the bag and spread it over 1/3 of my lawn and do this 3 times. 2/3 of my lawn looks pretty good and of course I use the same maintenance approach for all 3 areas. I'll try and post pictures asap.

Dan


----------



## Ridgerunner (May 16, 2017)

That wasn't an admonishment. Based on your description in your other thread, it sounds like the turf in that problem area is going into drought dormancy. Maybe not, but that's the most obvious guess. For some reason, that area isn't getting or holding sufficient moisture. Difference in slope, buried rocks or building debris, difference in soil structure, roots from a tree, exposure to the sun during the hottest part of the day, or the irrigation is putting down less water/M in that area are all possible factors. Hence, if it is a drought issue, you will need to adjust your water maintenance practices. When turf begins to stress from lack of water, the blades will begin to roll and the color will begin to change. At that time, if not before (in anticipation of weather conditions) is the time to prevent the turf from entering dormancy. Once the turf has entered dormancy (when it looks dead/brown or dying), bringing it out of dormancy creates tremendous stress on the plant and weakens it. (research why summer fertilization is not recommended)So if it is again allowed to enter dormancy, it likely wont have the carbs to re-emerge and will often die.


----------



## Ridgerunner (May 16, 2017)

A couple other possibilities to eliminate from the checklist that can occur cyclically are disease (check for lesions) and insect damage (remove a section of sod to check for grubs, poor a glass of soapy water into the soil to check for insects like cinch bugs). Root diseases and nematodes are also possibilities but are harder to diagnose.


----------



## Danno99 (Aug 9, 2018)

I agree that this area of my lawn needs more TLC than the rest of it. It just dawned on me that the same areas go brown every year. Maybe I have compacted soil in those areas, or it's too sandy? If I want to amend those areas, can I take something that will disturb the top inch or two, and then add compost? Can I add compost that is sold by the bag for this? 
All of your suggestions have been better than my daughter saying I should add bananas to my lawn to raise the potassium


----------



## Danno99 (Aug 9, 2018)

I put my nose to the ground today when I finally had some time and it's the soil being sandy or compacted or rocky.
Thanks for all the suggestions!


----------

