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Soil Test Result HELP!!

19 years ago

I just purchased a new home and sent a soil sample to Virginia Tech. I received my soil test results back and the basic recommendations are as follows:

100 pounds of lime per 1000 square feet PH is 5.0

5 pounds per 1000 square of 0 - 0- 50 to correct shortage of potash in soil.

8 pounds per 1000 square of 31 - 0- 0 to correct nitrogen in soil.

P - is listed as very high so none is needed.

Question.... Can I put all this down at one time and overseed shortly after? How long should I wait? I am in Virginia Beach and wanted to get my overseeding going ASAP. Also, should I still use a started fertilizer after applying all of this?

Grass will be TTTF and Bluegrass mix.

Thanks to all you excellent people in advance, your recommendations did wonders for my yard in Tennessee.

-Scott

Comments (2)

  • 19 years ago

    Question.... Can I put all this down at one time and over seed shortly after?

    NO!

    How long should I wait?

    Too late to fix now, more in a minute

    Also, should I still use a started fertilizer after applying all of this?

    Absolutely NO!

    Ok here is the deal. First thing get out a permanent marker like a Sharpie and black out anything on your report that has to do with Nitrogen. It is meaningless/useless information, and in your case very harmful advice. Any soil report is going to tell you nitrogen is low. If you were to add 8-pounds of 31-0-0 would severely burn all your potential seedlings and existing grass/weeds. Nitrogen is very soluble in the soil and used extensively by the plants and flows easily in the soil with water. The only thing you need to know about Nitrogen is you only apply 1-pound of nitrogen per 1000/ft2 per application. So if you were to use 31-0-0 that means 3-pounds of product per 1000/ft2.

    The only thing in your report you need to pay attention to is the PH and Potash (K) requirements. Nothing else matters.

    Now for the bad news, your PH. It takes a long time to change soil PH. So anything you do now will not change anything until after the snow falls or next spring. In your case they recommend 100 pounds of lime per 1000/ft2, which means at least two applications, one now and again in the spring at 50-pounds per application to equal 100 pounds total. But here is the deal; it is a life long job, meaning twice every year until you die or sell. Since you have acidic soil, it will always be acidic and a life long battle trying to reach that elusive 7.0. So what you will do is apply 50 now, and another 50 in the spring. Retest next summer, and then start the cycle over again.

    Their recommendation of 5-pounds of 0-0-50 is too much at one time unless you till it in to a depth 4 to 6 inches. Treat this like the lime requirement, half now, and repeat next spring. Potash is fairly stable in the soil, and you shouldnÂt need near as much if any next year. Only your soil test analyst knows for sure...

    Starter fertilizer, no and a thousand times NO. Starter fertilizer is high in Phosphorous in which you have too much already. Adding more will just polute the ground more than it is now.

    My advice is to find the nearest LESCO dealer and by either 1 of these 2 products:
    Â Lesco product number 080113 or 026922.
    These are both slow release urea fertilizers with a NPK ratio of 22-0-22 50% SOP (Sulfate of Potash, 50% slow release urea). Apply at a rate of 5-pounds per 1000/ft2 for all your fall and next spring applications. No need to buy two separate products when one is exactly what you need and will save $$$.

    Pretty simple huh?

  • 19 years ago

    I applied 30 Lbs per 1000 of Penningtion quick acting lime last night and will get the 22 - 0- 22 today. Can I still seed soon after application?

    Thanks

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