I got my Logan report back the other day. Can you guys help me figure out what I need? Thanks in advance for the advice!

The CEC at 10+ is good.

Calcium is deficient and showing up as both a low Base Saturation and a low pH.

And Potassium is low, even though it is somewhat OK in the Base Saturations.

Magnesium is too high - at a 4+ Ca:Mg ratio it might even be causing a tight soil. Have you been using Dolomitic Lime? Don't. It's Calcitic for you. 9 lbs per 1000 sq ft.

The OM% is way too low - that needs your serious attention. Not a leaf this Fall exits your property, and Milorganite at whatever rate the budget can handle is a great idea. And that will help with the Iron, too.

In the micronutrients, Boron and Zinc need your attention.

Two weeks post the calcitic liming, I'd drop starter fertilizer at bag rate--try to get the Lesco starter, 18-24-12, for a little extra potassium.

In addition to that, I'd track down potassium sulfate and apply at 2 pounds per thousand in October and April, and then re-test to see where you are. You're not terribly low on potassium, but I'd like to see it go up.

Iron's a bit low for best color, so if you can apply Milorganite as the budget allows that will slowly help you out.

Wow, thanks for the quick responses. Very helpful....I could have guessed at some of this but it's nice to have expert advice. I did drop some Milorganite this weekend, and I think I'll go grab some SBM to help with the low OM....and of course, I'm mulching all the leaves I can find:)

Ok, so this weekend I was able to core aerate, seed, and apply fertilizer. I used "Green Alliance" grass seed (Cayenne, Mustang 4, and Corona Tall Fescue blend), then followed with Nature Safe 5-6-6 organic fertilizer (~7lbs/1,000). I did mix it with one bag of Milorganite. I plan to pick up some SBM this week, and possibly some cracked corn as well. I have several more bags of Milorganite I'm going to apply over the next few weeks. Can I still apply the calcitic lime relatively soon, or should I have done that prior to seeding? I don't want to do anything to inhibit the seeds from taking off.

I hope I'm somewhat on the right track.

I generally recommend against large applications of fast-action Lime on new seedlings - the top 1/8" of soil can undergo a significant pH change, and that's just where the seedlings are trying to establish roots. Don't try to make up for lost time by applying everything all at once - that's not how Mother Nature works. Treat your work as a marathon, not a sprint.

Ok, so I haven't really didn't get a chance to add a lot of the things you guys mentioned last fall. I kept fertilizing with MO and some soybean meal, and of course a winterizer.

My question now becomes, what can I do now to help things out? (or whats should I NOT do) Specifically, I'm wondering about the calicitic lime.

I'm going to continue with applications of MO and SBM, might even throw down some CC this weekend.

You've got two years of good work to get that soil to a balanced, healthy state. Execute the above.

andy10917 wrote:You've got two years of good work to get that soil to a balanced, healthy state. Execute the above.

So can I add lime now? Or is it better to apply that in the fall?

You can do it anytime, but don't do it within two weeks of an urea-based fertilizer.