Soil Test Readings, The B.A.B.E Principal

What's up everybody! Back from my week in Florida playing with my kids and teaching CEU's for the FPMA. It was fun to be back in the teaching saddle and running through some of my favorite topics in a classroom. This particular lesson was about easily interpreting soil tests and seeing where improvements can be made with simple observations.
The tests you see here in this study were from Ward laboratories in Kearney, Nebraska. Ward and Spectrum Analytic are the two companies I use regularly. At some point, I will do a live feed with this whole presentation, but it will take some time to get through it all.
Here, I simply share the "B.A.B.E" principal on reading your soil test and making a plan.
Lawncology.com
Shout outs to Ryan Knorr and Jake the Lawn Kid for inspiring me to up my videography game!
*typo on "Balance" at 8:50... Reads "balnce."
shop.lawncology.com/collectio...

[@WardLaboratoriesInc]

Hi John! Thanks for showcasing your Ward Laboratories, Inc. soil test in this video! We appreciate your support!

[@Lawncology]

I’m a huge fan. Been using you guys for over ten years!!!

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

Don't mind me...I'm just over here admiring the frame rate of this video

[@Lawncology]

Ryan Knorr Lawn Care haha. You’re my hero 🤪

[@nonickname1522]

Ryan Knorr Lawn Care 😝 lol

[@jnorth9702]

Thank you for sharing.

[@JoNathanB1976]

Super great info here John! Super important to understand that fertilization is not just throwing a bunch of nutrients at the lawn and expecting it to grow like crazy and be perfect. Balancing the ingredients of soil and understanding how they interact together as a whole is what makes the soil fertile and ultimately protects the environment. Thank you sir!

[@TheLawnGuardian]

Thanks, John! I'll be interested to see how the soil in my new lawn looks once I get it tested this year.

[@gordonhutchinson529]

Excellent info! That knowledge helps me a lot, thanks...

[@LawnNOrder]

Great info John. I was told to reach out to you and inform you of my success with N-Next products as a DIYer over the last two years here in Cali. That’s not a typo, I had my ways. I’ve become pretty good at using them. I use them on my channel.

[@RavensHardCore]

Fantastic information. Thank you!

[@Lawncology]

Thank you for watching!

[@goodrabbi7176]

Knew you were talking about Ryan in your intro! Ha! In any case, your story about waiting just a little while longer for the satisfaction of lawn season to roll in, was well received. Your always looking to improve your game, and it is inspirational. Thanks, again!

[@Lawncology]

Thank you! Ryan's skills are so incredible and I'll never take the time to get to his level. I think the movement of the video through initial action is pretty fun though!

[@Szdday]

Thanks JP! I’ll be putting this in my favorites along with all the soil series videos. I see you’re stepping up on your editing skills. I’m really impressed how you did the content material in one shot.

[@Lawncology]

niceAZlawn thanks bud

[@TheLawnWhisperer]

I'll be getting my results in a few days. Excited to get the season rolling soon

[@blankman6626]

Great information thanks!

[@SuperTA329]

Really enjoyed this video. I just sent my soil test in about 8 days ago and excited to see my levels. Would like to see some additional content around soil levels . I found this video to be very helpful. Thanks again

[@Lawncology]

SuperTA329 I’ll see what I can do

[@RVALawnLove]

Great explanation

[@ayy1n]

That intro was awesome man 🙌💪

[@jamielahugh8316]

Nice video man!! You are a wealth of knowledge

[@Lawncology]

jamie lahugh thank you!

[@HeavyMetalLawnsAndLandscapes]

Excellent. Perfect timing for this video. I'm about to send a sample off to Soil Savvy, and another to Auburn University.

[@Cary_Shultz]

Only 7,000 views? WTH????? This is super important.....as you like to say, John......a road map. A set of guidelines. A blue print. I am in Lexington, NC and am active with my local Extension (shout out to you guys in Uptown Lexington) and use the NC State soil test. Not sure that I am a fan (and that is a relative statement). I am 100% going to start using the good folks at Ward Laboratories. Looking forward to March when I can (ground is frozen right now so good luck getting that probe in the ground)! My lawn was neglected for the longest time (I am renting and the landlord just allowed me to do this stuff this Fall) so I am really looking forward to the next results!

[@fescuefreddy6529]

Thank you so much this helps a lot. Although I hear some say cec's are not really important in a DIY lawn. I also really like how you used multiple possibilities as to was to rationalize waste for so many groups. I'm not a nut about the earth and I haven't been fishing in a while but I do not want to intentionally hurt the earth or waterways that I or others fish. I also don't want to waste my money either.

[@soilcreepsandgardengeeks71]

Good man. Thanks for always bringing that sensible approach, and thank you for mentioning the environmental awareness factor with the overuse of N in correlation with your soil texture and other physical properties of your soil as a functioning system. With a sandy soil imparting a low CEC/BS% and presumably low pH, it’s like attempting to pour a whole carafe of coffee into your espresso cup. Folks are still looking at a soil test as a static assessment and looking at what they need in terms of inputs instead of those physical components of soil (let alone the biology, which is no where near a soil test... OM content/HM% not withstanding). The physical properties have a profound effect on the whole system including the soil chemistry side. There are so many factors that play into the pH buffering piece just from a physical/biological standpoint alone. B.A.B.E. Is a good principal a good sensible approach....🤝

[@PaulsPrimeCuts]

The BABE principle... I like it. I was considering getting more artsy with my videos but then I remembered the 4,642 other things I had to get done and decided that I would keep my low effort approach to KZbin or as I call it P.O.O.P. = phone operated odious productions

[@Lawncology]

Paul's Prime Cuts you’re awesome mane. Keep doing what you’re doing!!!

[@soilcreepsandgardengeeks71]

Haha that’s awesome...no worries dude, I also am a proponent of the p.o.o.p.....

[@chrisjacobie2775]

Dude, the editing game is way up on this video. Keep it up! Looks great!!

[@johnfetter3252]

Fantastic video John. I do soil testing twice a year to guide my purchasing decisions. I also purchased a pH meter to monitor the pH. My alkaline soil is getting some granular sulfur to help lower the pH, which was 8.4 last fall. Great content, and very timely. I have switched to the local University agricultural extension office as the "service" of the commercial lab that I used to use is pathetic.

[@Lawncology]

John Fetter thank you! The science is fun when you start to do it and use it in practical applications! Please reach out if you need any help with any of it!

[@minoutv7347]

Thank you soooooo very much for getting this out! I took soil samples last week, getting ready to send them to Ward Labs, but did not know what “Recommendations” on the order form meant. Now I do and will order them 😊. Also appreciate your going over those mysterious CEC’s. Starting the N-Ext products for the first time next week (Northern California). I’m very excited to see what they will do on this 40 year old tall fescue lawn. 🤩

[@Lawncology]

Minou TV awesome!! Let me know if I can help with interpreting your test!

[@minoutv7347]

Lawncology Thanks, I would appreciate that!

[@tonyw2770]

Man wish I would have known you were doing a class in my home town. I can use all the information I can get

[@Lawncology]

Tony Weaver next time!

[@YardGuy]

The BABE principle. I like it. Last year I found out that my soil is a little more on the basic side at a pH of 8. I have decent CEC of 22. Over 50% silt and the other 2 split on sand and clay. I have to wait a bit yet to test my soil as it is still frozen, but I am excited to see what differences there might be if any.

[@Lawncology]

Very cool. Let me know how I can help!

[@YardGuy]

@@Lawncology I definitely will. 😉

[@buttons158]

Thanks John for a review on soil testing. I know from Lawncology you recommend soil testing one yard within an area to get an idea of the soil in that area for a route. With the nitrate level test, would that be done the same way or would it need to be done on each yard? Love using your products and hoping for more growth this year. Thanks for your advice.

[@JakeTheLawnKid]

Picture is looking good brother 👌. Far as audio, you gotta start shooting in that double insulated studio of yours. The audio is crispy in there 😜

[@jasuprak]

Us Destin people don't go into the water much this time of year. Too cold. Hope you enjoyed the decent weather tho.

[@CarlosTorres-oq6ph]

Let’s get it..!

[@Wunder_Dog]

This is perfect timing as I just got my soil test in today. I would love to have some feedback but don't know what email to send. If you have a chance to look would be great. Thanks for all the products and videos. Kevin

[@Lawncology]

Kevin Harrison [e-mail]

[@timbarton5316]

Awesome info, your the soil GOD , Who do you suggest for soil testing for nitrogen levels? I’m learning a ton on navigation for soils

[@Lawncology]

Spectrum or Ward

[@TurfTherapy]

1st. Right on time with topic JP. Thanks for getting out there and providing your expertise on it. I’ll be taking my results to my local extension office CAA so he can go over the different types of tests I used and results, while helping me develop a plan moving forward. I’ll shoot you an email as well for your input as well if you don’t mind.

[@balooo2863]

John,Been hearing a lot about peptides lately,question... Are peptides the "active" ingredient in sea kelp? Can you explain or even better do an update on the latest root growth applications and any pro's and con's. Thanks!

[@Lawncology]

Ty Walker there is a lot of talk about peptides and most everything is coming from a study done in Japan In 2011. The concept of giving the plant a short chain amino acid (protein peptide) to promote a hormonal root response is sound. The difference between sea kelp (containing aminos) and peptides (protein based from soy or fish) is that a peptide is a protein link and kelp is a combination of leaf material and carbohydrate/carbon material packed into that leaf tissue, it is not a protein source. Protein and nitrogen are interchangeable in the soil, a gram of nitrogen equals 6 grams of protein. I think the material has good viability, the app rates seem to need to be very regular (weekly or bi weekly) in order to get sustained results and in golf, it’s a weekly applied liquid. There are quite a few places you can find it, Harrells mentioned below, there’s one from the Andersons (one of their boutique companies they own) available on Amazon, and various other places. While I’m not the expert in it, it seems liquid is the preferred method of application as it is with kelp. Actively growing plants utilize the material in solution and can be absorbed easily into root and leaf. I’m hoping to learn more about it as the season goes on you can read a little more about it here: www.harrells.com/Blog/Post/Amino-Pro-V---What-Do-Peptides-Have-To-Do-With-It

[@balooo2863]

Lawncology John,Thank you for the fast and detailed reply it clears things up. I’ll stick with my RGS program I know it performs. An every week or bi weekly peptide application is a bit too time consuming to even consider it.

[@Lawncology]

@@balooo2863 I think that there will be more info on peptides as time goes on, Dr Josh (who works for me) probably has some good data or the ability to get it and review from scholarly perspective. I'll be introducing him to everyone shortly.

[@balooo2863]

Lawncology 👌👌👌

[@dj80d6]

can you suggest what test to do. there are lots on both sites.

[@zazelda]

My Florida floratam CA was 378 last soil testing. Is it possible to lower it to better allow other nutrients to work? MG was 11.5. Thanks.

[@Jmfokken]

Not first. I love the coffee intro. I can only imagine the number of cameras or shots it took to make a Ryan Knorr type intro.

[@Lawncology]

New camera, only one used! and really the shots didn't take as long as I thought, but stringing them together in a good flow did!

[@BobZhome1]

Hi John, does soil temperature matter when digging up soil for a soil test? My soil is still only 33.8 degrees!

[@Lawncology]

Robert DoCouto no, feel free to pull it and send it.

[@dtltotalturfcare]

Great content!! The info from 5:23 in, is that on the Lawncology website?

[@Lawncology]

DTL Total Turf Care thank you! you’ll find a lot of what I talk about here on lawncology.com, I write about a lot of this material. I think that I’ll need to dive further into this topic over time, but for now, I have many videos on soil on this channel!

[@dtltotalturfcare]

@@Lawncology appreciate it! I've watched them all, have been a huge help with our business!! I'll keep an eye out for more!

[@tdhoeffel]

Hi John. Appreciate all the info. I’m a DIY homeowner that has started a new lawn with tall fescue in he greater Cincinnati area. My home is a new build so last two years was spent getting the grass established and it came in nicely. I’m looking to improve from a four step program. A lot of your videos including this one starts with pH. I took a soil sample and had in analyzed. I have a pH of 7.8. Is it realistic that I can fix this with Sulfur or do you have other suggestions. Manure or Compost?

[@Lawncology]

Tom Hoeffel sulfur or gypsum depending on your needs for calcium would be a good option. Don’t apply more than 10lbs per thousand of elemental sulfur a year and no more than 5lbs at one shot. It will take a while to see the needle move, but does your soil test have a buffered pH reading or a suggestion for acidifying? Adding a medium such as topsoil or compost can help as well, reaggregating your soil will take time

[@tdhoeffel]

@@Lawncology Thank you for the quick reply. I only ordered the basic soil test from Spectrum Analytic and did not get a buffer reading. I took a pic of the report, but can't post it to the comments section of KZbin. My calcium is very high, so I thought sulfur would be a better option for lowering my pH? Organic Matter is 1.9% and CEC is 17.6. Mg is good, while P and K are low. Spring plan is to use a pre-emergent like Barricade/Dimension, Sulfur, 14-14-14 to bump up P and K, and Humic acid. Thoughts? For all the DIY'ers...Thank you

[@Lawncology]

Tom Hoeffel email it to me. [e-mail]

[@tdhoeffel]

@@Lawncology Awesome. Just sent it to you

[@barbslawn4430]

I had to stop at 36 seconds to tell you that I've never seen so much editing in all my life. I'm going back to the video now. I'll let you know how it is in 14 minutes.

[@Lawncology]

Barb's Lawn 😂😂 yeah... it was like 12 shots 😬😁

[@Lawnvolution]

What? No latte art? Good video😎👊

[@Lawncology]

Yah.... no skills there for sure

[@chasingthefish9042]

My soil type is sand...

[@robbyneugent3777]

How much gypsum will it take to make a noticeable difference to clay soil?

[@Lawncology]

Robby Neugent that really depends on a lot of factors. Are you a high pH clay? That’s fairly common in Utah the rate varies from 10-50lbs per thousand but too much can make the soil drain too fast. Do you need the calcium or just the pH change?

[@robbyneugent3777]

Lawncology mostly just looking to help with drainage issues and everything else that comes with heavy clay soil. PH is just slightly above a 7.

[@jacobmorissette2367]

So basically, if I have a CEC of 6.2, I really don't get any added benefit of applying much more than 1/4 to 1/3 lb of N per 1000SF per application?

[@Lawncology]

Jacob Morissette that is correct. Lowering your amount per app and doing it more often will give you the best result

[@jacobmorissette2367]

@@Lawncology I'd love you have you look at my last soil test and get some input. Maybe I'll send you an email. I had sent you one last summer, but I think you were super busy and swamped and never go to it.

[@Lawncology]

Jacob Morissette quite possibly. Send it with 911 in the subject line!

[@jacobmorissette2367]

@@Lawncology Sending it now. Thanks!

[@jacobmorissette2367]

Lawncology when you apply this CEC principle to other nutrients such as P and K instead of N, does the same philosophy apply?

[@Bob46374]

Was local products in the intro a coincidence or planned? It was great regardless.👍 (Millers honey& Stephens cocoa)

[@Lawncology]

Mike Harney just things I have around the house!

[@samuelasamoah6906]

If you have a CEC of 8,your soil can't hold more than 16lbs/A of N. What's the principle and how do you know its a little over 1/3 lbs of N?

[@Lawncology]

You’re dealing with a more sand structure at that CEC. It means that you’ll not have enough contact points for your N and less material more often is key. 16lbs divided by 44 (thousand per acre rounded) is .36 per K. A little over 1/3lb

[@samuelasamoah6906]

@@Lawncology tnx, i found out from elsewhere that you multiply the CEC by 10. Does it mean am getting it all wrong or it just doesn't hold true for sand?

[@Lawncology]

Samuel Asamoah 10x annually. Not permapp

[@samuelasamoah6906]

@@Lawncology tnx alot john perry

[@novicegardener7342]

I am a bit confused. In this video you said that the rough maximum your soil can hold is twice your CEC in lbs of N per acre. Example 8 CEC is (8*2)/43, or 0.37lb of N per 1000 sq ft. In Another video (kzbin.info/www/bejne/iIuuoH6NfZqVbMk) you said multiply your CEC times 9 or 10 to get the same figure. Is one of these formulas for a full season and the other for a single application?

[@Lawncology]

Yes, one I max single load and the other is up to that much per year.

[@CachinnateWoW]

Ha, might resend the soil test I sent back in September. I think it might have been lost in the email box

[@Lawncology]

Send it over. I’ve got time to run through these.

[@CachinnateWoW]

@@Lawncology sent!

[@kenperry7723]

Max 10-20 lbs/1000 SQ per application of lime

[@TKstewart-ir1kn]

Didn’t you say on a past video about nitrogen that you would multiply the CEC by 10 to get your nitrogen holding capacity?

[@Lawncology]

Taylor Stewart for the year yes. Double CEC in a single app.

[@TKstewart-ir1kn]

Lawncology ok that makes more since. I got a little confused there. Another question, I read that using CEC to determine nitrogen is not right because when nitrogen turns into nitrate it becomes negatively charged so it would not be held in the soil. What is your take on that?

[@Lawncology]

Taylor Stewart cations and anions. Basic function of soil. Humic substances (OM) have equal CEC and AEC functions. Charges exchange all over the place. The nitrate will find a way to either get used or will be washed away like any other soil nutrient. Nitrate flows with water. Heavy saturation leads to loss.

[@TKstewart-ir1kn]

Lawncology that makes sense, thank you for taking your time to answer my questions. I would also like to thank you for teaching me through your videos. You have really opened my eyes to many things and I enjoy watching your videos in my free time. I have not used any of your products but you have got me intrigued, I just ordered the bio-stim pack and can’t wait to try it.

[@Lawncology]

Taylor Stewart thank you Taylor. You’ll love what you see. Stay tuned, I’m going to be a little bit more satirical until I can get on to me lawn

[@erichughes6119]

I sent my soil test results maybe last week to answers@lawncology hoping you would look at it. Also did that last year and didn't get a reply. Is that the right address? Also, not complaining on the non reply. My pH went from 4.8 to 5.8 since last time this year For some reason CEC went down and is very low for clay soil. Just got to the point where you said you been busy and haven't been able to reply to emails

[@Lawncology]

Eric Hughes I’ll get them right back to you

[@trevormuggeridge4560]

First Aussie 😁

[@johnkaneiii9167]

What's up Buddy I got your email thanks, as soon as I get home I will reply 👍👍

[@Lawncology]

Perfect! Looking forward to it!!

[@nonickname1522]

Hey it the winner. How is everything going?

[@johnkaneiii9167]

@@nonickname1522 it's going to be a great season stay tuned thanks 👍

[@nonickname1522]

Awesome 😎