Also - test results said I need 175 of limestone, 2-4 in Nitrogen, 0 in phosphorus, and 3 in Potassium. I've used Milorganite for years but it looks like I need a different product to help with the Nitrogen an Potassium. What about 175 limestone? How do I interpret that number? Thanks! (also included original results for easier reading)

UMASS calculates acidity and doesn't measure (buffer pH), IMO lime recs based on a calculation are not dependable. Getting your pH above 6 should make dramatic improvements in your lawn, so the right amount of lime to apply is important. http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/4581941/massachusetts-lawn-soil-test-help?n=7

They recommend 175#/ thousand sq feet. Up to you if you want to follow their advice. In any event: Do not apply more than 50# at a time nor more than 100# in a year.

You are going to be hard pressed to find a fertilizer without P and significant K content. You could look for SOP (sulfate of potash--potassium sulfate) and apply it separately from a high N fertilizer, or you will need to find something with a very low second and high last number on the bag, or just use a triple NPK like 10-10-10 and let the P rise.

Say you for taking the time to look at these results, Ridgerunner. Certainly not any easy task the first time around. So you're suggesting to get a simple 10-10-10 fertilizer? Any brand suggestions? Also, why is it that Milorganite does not provide sufficient N or K? I suppose I've never read the bag.

As for limestone, I was thinking that 175 was a bit much. Would a 30-40lb bag suffice for the spring and another in the fall? Thanks again

I'm suggesting a triple (like 10-10-10) fertilizer if you cannot find a fertilizer with a very low second number and high last number or one with a ratio similar to what UMASS suggested in their recommendations e.g.: if they recommend a 5-1-4 that would be the same as a 15-3-12 or a 30-6-24 or a 10-2-8 or anything that's fairly close to those ratio numbers.

Milorganite supplies plenty of N. common NPK of Milo is 5-2-0. It just takes 20# of Milo/k to get one pound of N is all. The other problem is that for every pound o N you apply, you are also applying .4 pounds of phosphorous. You may not need or want that much phosphorous. Lol, I have no idea why the K in Milo is non existant other than to say that the waste that is processed just doesn't contain K in any significant amount. It is evident that the people in Wisconsin don't eat enough bananas and eat too much meat and soda. :)

Sorry, I wont make a call on lime quantities based on that test and calculated acidity. It would be like asking you if my coffee looks like it needs sugar and then how much.

It sounds like they are recommending 175 lb of lime for every 1000 square feet. So if your lawn was 5000 square feet, that would be 875 lb of lime. They are talking about plain agricultural lime. And you should not apply more than 50 lb of that per 1000 square feet at a time. There are faster acting limes that use less lime per application. If you use one of them, I would advise following the directions on the bag about the maximum you can apply at a time and how often. You can test next year and see what's still needed. A lot of states are limiting phosphorus use, so you might not have too much trouble finding a fertilizer with N and K but no P. The 2-4 lb per 1000 square feet of N and 3 of K are yearly totals and you shouldn't apply more than 1 lb per 1000 square feet of N and 1 lb per 1000 square feet of K at a time. You could do one application in late May, one in late August, one in late September. Then a fast release N after the grass has stopped growing but before the ground freezes. It's good to water in any synthetic fertilizer immediately after applying. . Do you know how to figure one lb of a nutrient from the label? The lead finding is worrisome. Do your neighbors have a similar finding? Were you using any tools or buckets that could have lead when you did the testing? Does your house have any old lead paint?

Becky,

The was surprising but then once I thought about it, maybe not so much. I live in an old 1850s farmhouse that is in the heart of what once was an industrial zone during the late 1800s. While it has always been zoned as residential, Lord only know what types of pollutants were in the air or dumped into backyards. The UMASS website states "Lead is naturally present in most New England soils at low concentrations (15-40 ppm total lead)" - so it sounds not too uncommon. My second thought was my house was recently painted (which had lead) and maybe some of the paint/debris got into my sample? Regardless, I checked with the soil labs and they advised as long as no one is eating vegetables out of the ground or breathing in dust particles, there is no hazard. Funny thing is I've had a garden here before and ate the vegetables - I'm still kickin' (for now!). What is good is that most if not all of my yard IS lawn so there's no where to dig or dust to accumulate. There are several locations in my town where the EPA is cleaning up brownfields from industrial waste. Just a bit surprised it was in my backyard. Perhaps I try more locations and re-test next year.

I am yet to every put lime onto my lawn so I want to be careful. My current pH level is 5.2 so some lime is needed to manage acidity. I'll take a trip to the store tomorrow and see my options. Do I need a fast-dissolving lime? Does it need to be washed in? I know of people who lime EVERY year but I am sure it does more harm than good in those situations.

I am figuring out what route to go fertilizer. I was pretty set on organic but it doesn't look like Milorganite is going to cut it, at least not to amend my soil. A 10-10-10 sounds good but I want it to be effective, not a band aid. Any suggestions would be appreciated! And yes, I am learning what the numbers mean and how to apply them. Thanks for your advice!

Here is some info on lead in soil. Maybe your number of 38 isn't all that high. I have used the faster acting lime and like it (Pennington, MagiCal, Encap, SoluCal are some brands). There is less stuff to apply at a time and they dissolve faster than ordinary lime. They are more expensive. Water it in or wait for rain. The sooner it gets water the sooner it starts working. It takes water to dissolve it. Lime is very slow to move through the soil. It can take months, years to do its work, so I like the idea of it getting to work faster. If the people who apply it year after year are doing it because of soil tests, then they do need the lime year after year. If they are doing it without soil tests, they could overshoot and end up with alkaline soil. If you want to use Milorganite for the nitrogen, you can (except for that last late fall feeding). Just look for 0-0-50 at a feed store for the potassium. To get a lb of K from 0-0-50, divide 100 by 50 and you get 2. Two pounds of that product per 1000 square feet will deliver 1 lb of K. For your Milorganite, if it's 5-2-0, divide 100 by 5 and you get 20. It takes 20 lb of that product per 1000 square feet to deliver 1 lb of N. Bag rate of Milorganite delivers 0.72 lb/k of N. You can do that instead of the 1 lb if you like. Three times 0.72 is 2.16 lb. That's probably enough for fescue or rye (you get another lb with the late fall feeding). Kentucky bluegrass likes more N. Leave the clippings on the lawn. They provide N.

If you can't find potassium sulfate (0-0-50), you might be able to find KMag or Sul-Po-Mag (same thing, different brand name). It has no N or P but has 22% K (potassium), 22% sulfur, and 11% magnesium. You are a tad low on sulphur. You're sufficient in magnesium but also have some room to add some without going over the recommended range. See what you can find.