Soil sampling for lawn or garden

Kari Lewis

With March here, we have more folks thinking of gardening and lawn work in the upcoming spring and now is the time to be potentially thinking of doing a soil test on that lawn or garden. Many homeowners do not soil test but use standard fertilizer rates which are given on fertilizer bags.  If this is your practice and your plants appear healthy, this is an appropriate fertilizer regimen to continue.  However, if your plants are not thriving or producing well or you suspect a potential nutrient deficiency or toxicity, soil sampling for the lawn or garden is recommended.  Gardens can have excessive nutrient levels due to high inputs of compost and/or fertilizer.  Excessive levels of fertilizer are not only a waste of money but can be harmful to your plants and the environment.

Now is a good time to collect a soil sample for the lawn or
garden if plants haven't been thriving or you suspect a
potential nutrient deficiency or toxicity.  

To obtain meaningful and accurate soil test results, it is important to correctly collect soil samples from multiple locations within your yard and garden. A minimum of ten samples should be collected and mixed from your garden, or from each 1,000 square feet (sq ft) of lawn to obtain a representative sample. Be sure to remove any mulch or lawn thatch before collecting your soil samples. If there is a visual or textural difference from one side of your garden or lawn to the other, submit separate samples.

Soil samples are best collected using hand probes or augers, available from your local Extension Office. An alternative tool to collect a 0 to 6-inch soil sample is a bulb planter (available at most gardening stores). Tools should be cleaned between each garden or area sampled and stored away from fertilizers to prevent contamination. Soil samples are generally a 6-inch-deep core from the soil surface.  Samples may be submitted moist or dry. They should be enclosed in a Ziploc bag, sealed, and labeled with your information.

You should schedule soil sampling to allow adequate time for soil analysis (~one to two weeks) and fertilizer application, if needed, prior to seeding or planting time. Also, soil tests are representative of current nutrient levels and do not necessarily reflect future conditions. Therefore, soils are ideally sampled yearly in the spring to best estimate growing season nutrient availability.

The MSU Extension publication, “Home Garden Soil Testing& Fertilizer Guidelines” available free online or from your local Extension Office, includes a list of labs where you can send your soil sample for analysis.  By communicating to the lab any concerns and what you plan to grow in the soil, for example squash, potatoes, and carrots, they can provide specific recommendations for your scenario in terms of nutrient needs.  Tests can range from $20 - $50 and typically take one to two weeks to receive results back. 

This material was taken from the MSU Extension MontGuide "Home Garden Soil Testing & Fertilizer Guidelines."

Fall Lawn and Tree Reminders

Kari Lewis

Now, as we proceed farther into fall, I wanted to give some reminders regarding fall tree and lawn care.  Proper care of trees now, in the fall, usually reduces winter damage to trees.

Once the trees’ leaves turn color and fall off, the tree is dormant so, it is recommended to water trees once each week until the soil freezes.  This watering after the tree is dormant provides a water reserve for when the tree comes out of dormancy and it will make a big impact in next year’s overall tree health. Remember to water not at the tree trunk, but out at the dripline of the tree to water those feeder roots. 

If you have newly planted trees, it’s important to protect them from winter desiccation.  It’s advised to construct sun barriers for newly planted evergreens on the windward and south side of trees or shrubs to protect them from winds that will dry them out and protect them from intensive reflective winter sun.  These young trees can be protected by wrapping burlap between fence posts or propping a wooden pallet on end.  Deciduous trees (that’s the ones whose leaves turn color) with smooth and dark bark should have trunks wrapped with a tree wrap to reflect the sun, which will reduce sunscald on the bark. 

Regarding lawns, fall is the time to make another fertilizer application or two.  In Montana, it’s recommended to fertilize around Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Columbus Day.  The final fall fertilizer application should occur after the last mowing of the year, but about four weeks before the soil freezes.  The fall fertilizer applications are key fertilizing times, as your lawn will green up much faster in the spring if it receives this October fertilizer application. 

What you do in the off season....Determines your winter and spring, 2019!

Kari Lewis

With the fall sports season underway, the phrase, ‘What you do in the off season determines what you do in the regular season,’ certainly comes into play.  I feel the same way about September for rural Montana.  What we do in September will determine what we do in the coming winter and spring. 

            In terms of preparing for winter, we know propane prices are lower this time of year than

Winter 2018 was one for the books, make sure
to get propane ordered, firewood cut, and
cupboards and freezers filled now.
Photo by Kari Lewis

during the dead of winter, so now is the time to get that supply ordered.  We know it is much easier and safer to access firewood now, than in the winter.  And, we know that now is the time to stock those cupboards and fill the freezer as well.  Do you remember what last winter was like??  Let’s be prepared!

              In terms of our lawn, now is the time to make those fall fertilizer applications.  In Montana, we recommend fertilizing around Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Columbus Day.  The final fall fertilizer application should occur after the last mowing of the year, but about four weeks before the soil freezes.  Therefore, by making those fall fertilizer applications now, our lawns will green up much sooner in the spring and have increased vigor.

             In terms of any newly planted trees, now is the time make sure newly planted evergreens have sun barriers on the windward and south side, and that deciduous trees have their trunks wrapped with a tree wrap to help reflect the sun, which will reduce sunscald on the bark.  Later in the fall after the leaves have turned color and fallen off, trees should be watered weekly until the soil freezes.  These fall waterings (after the leaves have fallen off) will help maintain tree health and longevity. 

            In terms of the cowherd, we know that cull cow prices are typically higher in September than they are in October or November when the dry cows hit the market.  Therefore, now would be the time to market those cull cows.  We also know that it’s much easier to put condition on a cow in the fall while she’s in the 2^nd trimester, than later in the winter or right before calving.  Now is the time to body condition score those cows and sort off the young cows or thin cows to early wean their calves and provide them a little extra time to bounce back before calving.

            In terms of controlling winter annual weeds and perennial weeds, fall is a great time to do so.  Winter annual weeds, such as cheatgrass, are best managed in the early fall.  Winter annual weeds are easiest to control when air temperatures are mild, and weeds are still actively growing, generally before the first killing frost. 

Fall is a great time to control perennial weeds as cooler temperatures trigger the weed to prepare for winter by moving food reserves down to its roots, which promotes movement of herbicides to the plant’s roots and results in improved control.   Dandelions in the lawn, spotted knapweed, houndstongue, and whiteop are examples of perennial weeds that can be effectively managed in the fall.  Fall herbicides should be made only if plants still have green, pliable leaf tissues and are best done when daytime temperatures are expected to exceed 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you have questions on fall lawn or tree care, weed management, cowherd nutrition, food preservation, etc., be sure to contact your local MSU Extension office!

How much should I water? Lawn and tree watering guidelines for summer

Kari Lewis, MSU Extension - Glacier county

We had some hot, windy weather the end of May that added some stress to our crops and trees.  While we’re dependent upon Mother Nature when it comes to watering our dryland crops, there are a few guidelines for watering lawns and trees that I wanted to share to keep them vibrant and healthy.

When watering trees, we need to remember that most of the small feeder roots that are responsible for water uptake are located in the top 12 to 18 inches of soil.  Trees and shrubs should be watered when the top 6 to 9 inches of soil in the root zone are dry.  A relatively easy way to check this is to take a long screwdriver and push it down into the soil near the tree.  You can also take a shovel or hand trowel and dig a small hole under the plant canopy and feel the soil.  If the soil is cool and moist 6 to 9 inches below the surface, no water is needed.  If the soil is dry, or its very hard to push the screwdriver down into the soil, it’s definitely time to water. 

During the spring and summer, trees should be watered about three to four times a month, approximately two inches per watering.  Trees should be watered not at the base of the trunk of the tree, but instead at the dripline.  The dripline is the area at the edge of the tree’s canopy, which is the most effective way to water the tree’s feeder roots which are responsible for water uptake. 

To determine how much water a tree needs, you can track how long it takes for a watering session to moisten those top 9 to 12 inches of the soil.  Also, the trunk diameter of the tree at chest height is correlated to how much water the tree needs.  For example, if the tree is four inches in diameter, at your chest height, that tree needs approximately four gallons of water each week. 

Regular watering throughout the spring and summer helps the tree grow and flower, transport nutrients, cool the tree, and defend against pests and other stresses.  During August, watering should be decreased to allow the tree to harden off for winter.  Once the leaves fall off the deciduous trees, trees should be watered well again prior to going into winter.  If there’s no snow during the winter, trees should be watered twice/month as well.  When watering trees, do not water the foliage of fruit or deciduous trees, that encourages blight, rust and mildews. 

Lawns should receive at least one inch of water per week, which is best applied in a heavy soaking, versus numerous, shallow waterings.  One inch of water equates to the amount of a tuna fish can, so you can set tuna fish cans on your lawn and then time how long it takes to fill the cans to allow you to determine how often to water to ensure the lawn receives one inch of water/week.  If the weather is hot and dry, the lawn will likely need more than one inch per week. 

For both lawns and trees, early morning is the best time to water, as the temperature is rising.  It provides for the most efficient use of water.  Watering in the evening can lead to disease issues as the leaves are wet going into the cool, dark night.