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Logan Lab Results

11 years ago

Here are my Logan Lab results. If anyone can interpret them i would greatly appreciate it. I added these to my original post that has more info on my situation, but if there are details that i've left out please let me know. i appreciate all the help. Thank you.

Comments (5)

  • 11 years ago

    Did I miss this on your other post? Sorry!

    Overall: This isn't bad. It could use a little adjustment, but you're not doing poorly at all. Priority-wise, boron is actually the most important, with calcium running second. There really isn't anything in third place.

    Is this causing your lawn problems? Not in any severe way. The suggestions below are to put you in the perfect groove and will probably improve your lawn somewhat, but this isn't extreme in any sense.

    ME 7.6: Probably sand with silt, but other balances are certainly possible. This holds modest amounts of resources and will drift at a moderate rate.

    pH 6.9: The upper end of normal, bordering a hair too high. Changes have to be made in a neutral or acidic manner, which isn't a problem. In your case, the calcium levels are a touch low, while magnesium is high, accounting for the raised pH. Potassium is of limited influence, so although high it's not really doing much to raise your pH.

    OM 3.9%: At the upper end of the Fair category. Certainly mulch mow, mow all your fall leaves, and (as I see you are) consider feeding organically. This isn't an emergency, but I wouldn't mind seeing it rise slowly over time.

    Sulfur 8: A normal answer and perfectly fine. It'll tend to rise a bit as you feed organically, which has more sulfur in it. You have absolutely enormous amounts of margin.

    Phosphorus 246: Target is 200, this answer is essentially perfect. No phosphorus is required or desired, but you also don't have to avoid minor phosphorus sources. P's window is extremely large and you're parked at a great spot in it. I'd stop using balanced (your 12-12-12) fertilizer on it, however as that's not minor and you don't need it.

    Calcium 59.7%: A touch low, but absolutely nothing to worry about. Still, I wouldn't mind kicking this up. Given your pH, I'd like to do so without raising your pH any higher since you're on the border of neutral right now. So we use gypsum (available at most big box stores, landscape stores, and garden shops). This will kick your Ca without raising pH, and also dispel some sodium (which you really don't need, but I never object to doing).

    Magnesium 25.1%: Very high. This isn't a problem, but it can make soils tighter and impenetrable. Avoid magnesium sources as much as possible, which is quite easy--don't use cheap lime, and don't sprinkle Epsom salts on anything.

    Potassium 8.2%: Although very high, this is no problem at all and not going to cause you any issues. I'm a fan of a little extra potassium, but in this case I'd advise avoiding potassium sources. Again, this is easy--discontinue use of the 12-12-12 and don't add things like potassium sulfate (sulfate of potash).

    Sodium 1.1%: Not a problem, the only reason I note this is because the gypsum will kick some out of the soil. Sodium is only used in tiny amounts and 0.5% would be more than adequate. Sodium raises your pH without offering any advantage to the plants.

    Minor Elements: Boron is mentioned below, along with iron. All others are well within normal range, although manganese is rather high. That's not a problem.

    Boron <0.2: Deficient. Boron is used in photosynthesis and cell differentiation, so deficiency isn't a great place to be...

    We use Milorganite as a carrier and 20 Mule Team Borax as the boron source. You can purchase 20 Mules at the grocery store in the laundry section. In a wheelbarrow or the like, dump the Milo. Spraying very, very lightly with water (I use a spray bottle like the kind people use to damp their clothes when they iron) will help the boron stick. Add the recommended amount of 20 Mule Team Borax and stir, spraying occasionally to get the stuff to stick to the Milo. Then apply over the recommended area. So if going for bag rate Milorganite (1 bag per 2,500 square feet), you'd add 12.5 tablespoons of 20 Mule Team Borax. This will take several years--and several tests as applying B without a soil test is a really bad idea.

    Iron 127: No deficiency, but this won't produce the best color at a pH of 6.9. Whenever you like, you can use Milorganite to very slowly raise this.

    Recommendations:

    September 1: Apply 5 tablespoons of 20 Mule Team Borax per thousand square feet.

    September 15: Apply 10 pounds per thousand square feet of gypsum.

    April 15, 2016: Apply 10 pounds per thousand square feet of gypsum.

  • 11 years ago

    Wow! Thank you so much. I put down my first application of soybean meal this morning at 15 lbs/1,000sf. I will continue that and the irrigation schedule from my other post along with these items listed and hope that things start to turn for me. It's just been a rough year with my lawn with the weeds.

  • 11 years ago

    Weeds can be treated at any time in this schedule, and organic feed can also go whenever you like without regard to anything above.

    I'd try to get a handle on the weeds this fall with Weed B Gon (or whatever people have recommended for your particular issues as I'm bad at weeds). Then next spring, use a pre-emergent like Dimension 0-0-7, Barricade, Prodiamine (generic Barricade) etc., to help you get ahead of the issues in 2016. Use any pre-emergent that doesn't contain a nitrogen feeding; the proper time to apply a pre-m is exactly the wrong time to feed the lawn with nitrogen.

  • 11 years ago

    Great, thanks for the info. I'll get some Weed B Gon and get it spread around. Everyone sure was right about the smell from soybean meal!! Should I test again after the April 2016 treatment before doing anything else?

  • 11 years ago

    I'd retest sometime during the summer since the gypsum will take a while to work in (even that won't fully do it, but you'll be close enough). Then we'll pick up in fall with anything you need (definitely more boron and possibly a dash of gypsum).

    Once we get your boron in range, testing every other year will be more than adequate to maintain perfect conditions. Every third or fourth year will be fine for good conditions.