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Results came back.
I collected samples from teh front, side and rear yards. I collected soil from 3 places in each yard and mixed them to compbine a single sample. In the front pH is 1 point low - 4.8 vs recommended minimum 5.8 in the front and 1.5 points low on the side yard. Recommendations are 110lbs Lime/1000 sqft and 145 lbs respectively. The back yard pH is acceptable, strangely enough. Looking at it you'd think that was the worst soil.
I'm told I need 45lbs/1000 sqft of 5-10-10 fertilizer in all 3 areas. I'd already planned on starting a fertilizer program, mostly I wanted to know how much lime I needed. So at this point I'm going to add the lime and continue the fertilizer program I started I won't do any more seeding until fall. I want a fescue/bluegrass mix and those are cool-season grasses.
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Did they say don't lime the back...or just didn't say to? They were just looking at soil chemistry, right? As long as your back yard pH is not above 6.5-7.0 you might lime back there as well to improve soil structure...unless they specifically recommended that you do not. Just use a lower amount so you don't push it up too much.
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When I have had soil tests I learned allot. And learned allot from a friend that has a landscaping business. The amount of fertilizer a yard typically needs is much more than what the fertilizer companies recommend. The recommendations from the consumer stuff is lower to keep people from burning their lawn and makes the environmental people happy.
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The report says I don't need to add any to the back, and if the pH is too high its difficult to lower it. The report has it at 5.8. I think I'm going to stake out 1000 sqft just to get an idea of what that looks like... It's going to take a lot of lime. Is there a quicker method than a drop spreader to do it? Should it be added all at once or over time?
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I'm assuming a riding mower so just dump in a bag and drive. By push spreader it's going to be slow. I use a cheapie broadcast spreader behind the mower.
Personally I'd be tempted to do it in a couple goes when it's allot to add. That will prevent the lawn from just looking like lime pellets. It takes a long time for the lime to permeate down into the soil so I wouldn't be in a hurry.
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Hrrmm I guess I need a new tool!!! I will look in to the tow behind spreaders. You know I could just ride the mower around holding onto the spreader I have.
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So the back doesn't need it for soil chemistry, but at 5.8 you aren't going to bring it too high real fast. Did the results include a number for Buffer pH? This indicates how easy it is to change pH.
There are several factors that impact soil "quality". Chemistry is one of those factors. The test told you the back doesn't need lime to make the chemistry right for turf. Another factor is soil structure. A chemistry test does not look at structure. I'm suggesting you can improve structure with lime and not hurt the chemistry while doing it. I cannot do that in my yard which could use the help, but has a pH of 7.4...so more lime would be a bad thing.
As far as spreading, here are a couple of thoughts:
1 acre = 43560 sq ft...so if you have an acre lot and your house takes up 2000 St ft and your driveway another 5000 sq ft for example, you'd have about 36,500 square feet to lime so yeah, you might want to get it delivered by a truck!
I'd use a broadcast spreader instead of a drop spreader. See if you can rent a big one. I'd spread, core aerate, spread, core it again and spread one more time. If you are doing this over several weeks core it again. I wouldn't core 3 times back to back...
As we discussed before organic material Incorporated into the soil is your friend, so maybe do both at once so the coring works both in.
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crokett™ said:
Hrrmm I guess I need a new tool!!! I will look in to the tow behind spreaders. You know I could just ride the mower around holding onto the spreader I have.
Or just throw bags all over the yard and now over them...a periodic cloud of dust would spread it out bit
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Did they tell you about any needed micro nutrients? Did they mention dolomitic lime for added magnesium?
Matt
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