Hello,

I don't know what is is the Espoma product, but I'm guessing the "combined sulfur" is a salt such as gypsum (calcium sulfate) which has no significant effect on soil pH. The elemental sulfur is 18%, or about 1/5 as acidifying as nearly pure sulfur (labeled garden sulfur, wettable sulfur, or micronized sulfur).

Ag extension is recommending a conservative approach with multiple small applications per season, because large sudden changes in soil chemistry can be harmful. Also, sandy soil changes pH easier than heavy soil. It seems that something like 15 cups of the Espoma product per 100 sq. feet would lower pH to an appropriate level, but it would be safer not to apply it all at once. Note, sulfur applied in the fall will not start acting until the soil warms substantially in spring. For the full effect on pH you need several months of warm weather. Next time I would buy straight sulfur, as you do not need the extra calcium or whatever is in the Espoma product.

About the rest of your soil test, it appears you have nutrient-retentive soil and have been fertilizing heavily. It may be you should be applying nitrogen in moderate amounts and nothing else for a while. Excessive P, K, Mg, and Fe can interfere with uptake of other nutrients. Do not apply iron supplements even if your plants show iron deficiency. You have a lifetime supply of P and Fe.

Eastern sandy soils are usually acid-- is the high pH the result of liming? If the natural tendency is acid, the more reason to be cautious with the sulfur.

The pH of my soil is naturally around 7.2. With the notable exception of multiflora descendents, and pure rugosas, most roses handle the soil just fine. There are plenty of other people who grow roses in soil with a ph higher than mine.

Unless the extension is accusing you of sleep-liming, all they should really be recommending is reduced use of lime. That is actually all that mine have said on the subject of pH, and I know that Cornell has tested soil in this area with much higher pH readings.

Michael, the fact sheet for the product does list 12% as combined sulfur (gypsum).
This is the first time I got the soil test done, so I will be laying off the nutrients, other than N, the next year. I have seen blue hydrangeas in the vicinity but mine, in another bed, have always been pink. The bed is next to the foundation, so wonder that has anything to do with the pH. I haven't tested the pH of the vegetable beds which is in the backyard.
I added some free county leaf-mold, a couple of inches, the year before. I found out the pH later which was 7.2. Last year I added some horse manure with some wood shavings but the owner did not add lime to it. In hindsight, I should have composted it first.
My main issue is with the calculations, which seem to differ by a factor of ~5. The fact sheet for the product which recommends 12lb/100 sqft and the county which recommends 1 cup (1/2 pound) /100 sqft. If we consider the 18% available sulfur then we would have to apply ~5 times = 2.5 pounds/100 sqft. This is still 20% of the recommended value on the label.

mg, all but one of the roses in that bed are multifloras the other being Dr. huey and that is probably the worst of the lot with yellow tinted canes. Is there any reason for liming the soil other than adjusting pH?

The difference in application rates is mainly that Espoma makes a one-shot recommendation, while the AES suggests multiple small applications with intermittent testing to avoid the risk of overdoing. Remember, it's possible that your soil sample was not perfectly representative. Secondly, your soil is lighter than average, hence more changeable. Also you don't need to lower a full point, although 6.2 would be fine.

Let me say, mad__gallica's advice should always be taken seriously. However, I have several roses that will show iron deficiency or Mg deficiency at around pH 6.9.

Your last question--some soils are low in calcium despite having an OK pH. These soils have an excess of Mg or K. Pure lime (not dolomite) could be recommended in such a case, or gypsum if the pH is high.

michael, thanks for clarifying things. I added one cup to the area now and would add another in spring when the the soil warms up and then do a pH test in late summer or fall.
I had read on the importance of doing a soil test but this was definitely an eye opener.