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faizan169

Soil test result help

7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago

Can you please assist with interpreting soil test result.

This is for my lawn


Location Chicago,IL



Comments (6)

  • 7 years ago

    Yep, something's very not right. Very high Mg and Ca should be producing a much higher pH than that.


    However, if I assume it is right, I still come up with, "Don't add Ca or Mg, and fiddling with K is inadvisable due to the fact that the actual PPM here is just fine--it's just the fact that Ca is kind of high and Mg is very high that makes it look a little low."


    You'd have to tell me more about test #1 for me to determine the P number's adequacy. Grass? Garden? Vegetables?

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago


    Sorry for the late reply. i really didnt get notifications



    Thank you its just lawn, should i get the test taken once again a different company perhaps? i really had to bug these guys to send me my results it took them over 2 week.

    i live in chicago and the soil isnt white but its clay soil

  • 7 years ago

    Assuming it's correct, it's fine for the year. Next year, maybe go with Logan Labs.


    (2 weeks is actually pretty normal for results, BTW, the chemistry takes time and labs are busy in March to May).


    This test would be inconsistent with a clay soil, which is fine. Chicago doesn't have much clay, it tends toward siltier soils anyway, although there are exceptions. Most people think they have clay. They don't, they just have compacted soil with poor drainage and low organic material levels. No biggie.

  • 7 years ago

    Thank you very much for your response . Can you please hel me interpret their recommendations. I am not sure how to apply phosphorus and sulfur.

    attached is what they had recommended me, but i don't understand it. ill appreciate your advice

  • 7 years ago

    Ignore the sulfur; it never works. The stuff hits the soil, grabs oxygen from whatever source it can (usually air or water), turns to sulfur dioxide, and drifts off into the air as smog. Sulfur only works well when dug in or chemically combined as a sulfate, and there's no point in bothering in this instance anyway. Your pH isn't that borked. No pH is ever that borked. :-)


    In area 1 only, if your really want to, just feed with any starter fertlizer around Memorial Day and again on Labor Day. That'll take care of it. Test area 2 doesn't require phosphorus and, actually, shouldn't have any--it's very high already and additional P will start getting in the way of other nutrients.