Peter,

Here is the note from Boxcar grower:

* Posted by boxcar_grower (My Page) on

Sat, Jan 27, 07 at 8:00

Your soils do not seem that bad. All extension services use soil tests from the stone age. In my line of work, the companies use a base saturation soil test. It basically puts everything into a 100% equation. Soils cant accept some thing without driving something off.

In most soils, potassium (P) and phosphorus (K) are in rock form and is very slowly availible to plants. Even with soils of high or adequate levels still need applications of P and K for proper plant growth. K gives your plant regidity and strengthems cells walls. It is crutial in respiration of the plant. The plant adsorbs P in a "luxury consumption". Dont worry about the potassium number. Phosphorus is benefitial in root production among other things. You can over fertilize with phosphorus and get weak off green color plants. That will not occur from rock minerial in the soil however.

Calcium and magnesium and the most over looked macro mineral in the soil. I beleive calcium is just as important as nitrogen in the health of the plant. One thing that I dont like about your soil is how magnesium is just as high as calcium. The magnesium number is what is driving your pH to be in the mid 7's. I would be great to lower that number. Usually the relationship of Mg/Ca is about 1/5. My soil tests at work, my Mg runs in to 5-10% range and Ca is in the 50-60% range. How do you lower Mg you ask. Easy, add lime! Not just any kind of lime. You need a HiCal lime. All the lime stone you can get at the local home center is dolomitic lime. Very high in Mg and has calcium coarbonate as well. A HiCal lime has Low levels of Mg and is mostly comprised of Ca. You will actually lower your pH by adding lime. The more calcium will drive off the Mg (which is driving you pH)lowering your pH number. By the way pH stands for percent Hydrogen. A perfectly balanced soil will have a pH of 6.3 This is were all the macro and micro nutriens will be in propper balance. You will need a quality soil test to determine this. Now some confusion, not all 6.3 soils will be balanced. There are many variables in the soil chemistry.

As for the urea, I would not use it. I would use a quality organic balanced fertilizer. Urea is VERY HOT! etremely high in soluble salts. It volatilizes very quickly becoming a nitrate and aff into the air. You would have to apply it weekly.

One thing to remember is you are trying to feed the soil not the plants. The soil has to be corrects and the plants will take care of themselves after that.

Sources for HiCal lime? Try Agway, turfgrass managment supplier, or a local farm store. A balanced organic fertilizer would be a full organic with out synthetics added to it. A anaylasis of 5-4-5 or there abouts. I use Earthworks 5-4-5. It is available to me in my trade but you might ask your local greenhouse or nursery grower if they can get it.

Incase you were wondering, I am a superintendent of a country club and my turf is 100% reliant on soil chemestry.

www.soilfirst.com is for a organic fert source.

http://www.fedcoseeds.com/ogs/OGSorderItem.php?id=8641&listname=Rock%20Powders

That is a link to online HiCal Lime

Here is a link that might be useful: This is who I use for testing. Very good lab. If you choose to send them a sample, post the results here and I will help you read them.