Reddit reviews Luster Leaf 1601 Rapitest Test Kit for Soil pH, Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potash, 1 Pack

Soil test kit



Soil pH guide



How to create a backyard pond

My understanding is that 1) it takes a while for the plant to start taking up the calcium, and 2) the conditions that cause blossom end rot actually set in weeks prior to fruit set.

So with this trick, you really want to do it early (assuming their is even a calcium deficiency in the first place.) I know folks who put a tablet in each planting hole when they transplant! But perhaps a treatment mid-season could alleviate the issue a few weeks later?

Before doing stuff like this, I recommend that people get a soil testing kit. They're cheap and easy to use, and will tell you if your soil really is deficient in certain nutrients or if it's another problem. Blossom end rot is more often not about a lack of calcium, it's that the tomato can't take up what calcium is there due to other factors.

Getting professional testing takes a couple weeks.

I used this one off Amazon; gives results in a few minutes. It told me that my soil was completely depleted of Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium. I threw down a bunch of Urea and Phosphate; my research said to not worry about potassium. And then I put down a ton of composted manure to fix the soil structure and add some organic material because my soil was heavy on clay (yours looks heavy on sand and could probably use it as well. Then I rented a tiller and went to town.

I don't remember how much fertilizer I put down, but I based it off recommendations I found on the internet easy enough. For compost I used approximately 4 cu ft per 100 sq ft of lawn.

I can't say whether or not it made a difference, but my lawn is about 2 months old and it looks amazing.

Those soil pH meters are very inconsistent and worthless. You need to test the water & feeding water with either a quality pH meter, or pH testing drops. Those plants look like they are in rough shape and I'd be willing to bet the issue is pH related. If you want to test the pH of your soil then THIS is what I use for that.

Or you could buy a simple soil test kit for like, $15 at you're local gardening store. Or even just look up nutrient deficiency symptoms. For instance- I can tell you with 100% certainty that this is NOT a nitrogen deficiency, because those deficiencies show only in older leaves, and the young leaves here are affected as well. However, it could be a magnesium deficiency.

Adding amendments just to see if they help is not only wasteful, but can be very detrimental to the environment. There are plenty of ways to make more informed choices. If it is, in fact, salt burn- then OP could actually make matters worse by fertilizing.

One of these kits

Luster Leaf 1601 Rapitest Test Kit for Soil pH, Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potash https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000DI845/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_FiB2CbBR66TS5

soil test, amend as needed. clay is usually acidic, require lime added but there's only so much you should add each time so it might take a while to get it just right.

add compost. lots and lots of compost. you can till then add compost and till again, if you're buying enough. otherwise you can just dump on top like 2 inches, which is still going to be a truck load.

for drainage, look into dry wells, including building a trench dry well--essentially a trench with stone.

then once you establish a lawn, aerate on a regular basis and never let it dry out completely. continue to soil test and amend as needed yearly.

edit: also, once you do your soil test, you can either amend the soil to grow what you want OR just plant what grows in the soil you have. Daylilies generally grow well in clay.

Rapitest 716756 1601 Test Kit for Soil pH, Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potash
by Amazon.com
Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000DI845/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_qDjzCbR5W60SH

I use one that I buy off Amazon and it works great! https://www.amazon.com/Luster-Leaf-1601-Rapitest-Soil/dp/B0000DI845/ref=lp_3480689011_1_2?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1538146559&sr=1-2

You local university may also have a lab where you can send a sample for testing. They usually do not cost much https://ag.umass.edu/soil-plant-nutrient-testing-laboratory/fact-sheets/sampling-instructions-for-routine-soil-analysis

These are the types I have used for my lawn (small pill that you dump into water you've mixed with the soil and left sit over night, then match the colors). They worked very well. However, I am a big fan of getting your local university extension office to test your soil. Most of them do it fairly cheaply (or for free).

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000DI845/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_3zdUzbKG5RETZ

You can test it yourself

Edit: if you don't want to do it yourself a University in the area usually offers the service. I live in Michigan, and Michigan State University will do testing for $23 a sample.

Lots of good questions here!

> I put down a scotts crabgrass preventer and lawn food a few weeks ago and am aware I should fertilize again in the summer I think?

Yes but it depends on temperature. Synthetic fertilizer can stress the lawn when it is very hot. You can apply an organic slow release like milorganite or ringer which is lower in nutrients and is less likely or won't burn your lawn in high heat.

> I've though about aerating or dethatching but don't want to disturb the preemergent layer and am not sure if I need it. How do you tell if should dethatch or aerate?

Unless you can run your hand through the lawn and scrape up a fist full of thatch, you don't need to dethatch right now. You can dethatch and aerate in the fall as part of your winter prep.

> I've sprayed almost 2 gallons of roundup weed and grass killer on it over the last few days and there is still a lot of green, should I just give a week or so to see what all dies (I thought it would be faster acting)?

About 1 gallon per 300 square feet is sufficient so you've potentially more than doubled what you needed to put down (assuming 40% glyophosate strength). Hold off on applying anything else. Water this area really well. Roundup (glyphosate) is absorbed through the green leaves so it will be slow to act if the target plant is not actively growing. Give it three weeks before you reassess. It takes time.

> From reading online I'm thinking I should put down a broadleaf preemergent on the old mulch soon and also apply some kind of fertilizer to all the shrubs and bushes before the mulch gets put down.

You can use Preen either on top of the new mulch or on top of the old mulch before new stuff goes down. It's activated after the first rain or watering I believe so it will make it's way into the soil. It works by stopping root development in new plants so it won't effect established plants. Its safer than spraying a broad weed killer or pre-em since that may damage some shrubs.


> What kind of fertilizer should I use and how much?

You can use all-purpose miracle grow liquid which is easy to mix or use in the hose spray bottle. Another option might be Osmocote which is a slower-release all purpose fert in pellet form.

> I have some bags of composted steer manure I was thinking of just putting a mound around each plant underneath the weed barrier fabric.

That can work too.

> The old mulch I should say isn't very thick so I am just planning on leaving it.

No problem.

> Can I do all this without collecting, sending out, and paying for soil samples for each of these areas?

Yes. You can also get the diy soil test kit probably not as accurate as a lab but will give you an approximation.


*Edit - also yes, it will feel overwhelming and you won't get all of it done in the first year. Maintain what you have an improve in small chunks. It will come together.

You can buy a soil test kit for really cheap!

It’ll tell you exactly what your plant needs :)

Well I can say with some confidence that you're overwatering it. It's allowed to get a little dry on the soil surface. Tomatoes like it moist, not wet, so a good rule of thumb is always to water when you feel it dry about an inch into the soil (like stick your finger in). Tomatoes do need water, yes, but they also need oxygen and drowning won't allow them to "breathe". You also risk washing out nutrients needed by watering so much. Think of a sponge. You want the roots to be as moist as a wrung out sponge - still moist but not dripping from holding all that water in it.

Without looking too much into it (there are many number of things that can affect a plant and sometimes similar symptoms will have completely different causes), I would take a guess that it's a nutrient deficiency. If you've got other plants, it might be fun/worth it to get one of these kits to test it.

In lieu of that, since you're probably using standard potting soil from Home Depot which is usually fine I'd say re-pot it and stick to a slower watering schedule. Also don't forget to fertilize regularly and watch out for various insects throughout its growth.

dont matter ph is a huge part to play in your plants life. you might want to invest in this https://www.amazon.com/Luster-Leaf-1601-Rapitest-Soil/dp/B0000DI845 so u get more than one reading on ph and npk of soil . if its reading is 6-7 your okay then its not a ph problem. its probably the temps or idk because twisting and irregular leaves are caused by ph

Well I have bad news for you. You do indeed have St. Augustine, but that's not the bad news. The bad news is that St. Augustine does not tolerate traffic will well, so your dog is probably going to rip your lawn to shreds and wear it down to nubbins. To compound the bad news, St. Augustine seed is virtually nonexistent. I've only ever heard of it being planted by sod or plugs, and a quick Google search didn't readily return good results for St. Augustine seed. If you want to keep this grass type, expect to spend a fair amount of money in replacement sod.

If you want to keep it though, here's what you can do in terms of basic care.

• Apply milorganite 5 times a year: early spring, late spring/early summer, mid-summer, late summer/early fall, and mid fall. If you want to save money you can cut that down to three times a year, in spring, mid summer, and fall. This weekend would count as the late spring/early summer application.
  
• Get a soil test done. Not sure where in Texas you are, but Texas A&M can do it, or you can go with any of the various commercial labs. This will give you an idea of what's going on in your soil so that you can fix any nutirent deficiencies. There's also the cheapo soil test, but that probably won't give you the detail you need, nor will it have recommendations on remediation like the other labs will.
  
• Put down roughly 1/2 pound of nitrogen in fertilizer every month. This video can show you how to work the numbers on the fertilizer bags to work out how much that is.
  
• The guy that made the video in the last bullet point, The Lawn Care Nut, just moved to Florida and is currently redoing his yard with St. Augustine, so his videos will be pretty applicable to you. I strongly recommend you watch through them.
  
• Mow at a height of about 3 inches. St. Augustine seems to do well there.
  
• Water as needed. Some of the St. Augustine specialist people will tell you to only water when the grass starts to show some signs of stress, and then water heavily. That might be once or twice a week. Also, check your watering laws. Some places have restrictions on when you can water and for how long.
  
  That's all I really got. I'm not too knowledgeable on St. Augustine, so I can't really help you any more than that. But I did find this publication by A&M that you might find useful. If you have any more questions, ask away. We'll be here.
  
  Edit: some typos.

> see http://www.amazon.com/Luster-Leaf-1601-Rapitest-Soil/dp/B0000DI845

As an alternative to this test, check your local coop extension. They'll likely do a test for a similar amount, but it will be much more accurate. They'll also make recommendations on how to rectify any deficiencies.

Luster Leaf 1601 Rapitest Test Kit for Soil pH, Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potash https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000DI845/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ZL3vDb8Z2TNZ2

I recommend getting a soil test. You can order a kit from Amazon or send a sample off for analysis.

Your pH could be off or your soil may need fertilizer. To grow anything you need to start with the dirt and then work your way up.

This little kit will get you started off in the right direction. I use this one and highly recommend it.

https://www.amazon.com/Luster-Leaf-1601-Rapitest-Soil/dp/B0000DI845

Thanks. I was just going to buy a soil test on Amazon. Something like this. Not good enough?

https://www.amazon.de/gp/aw/d/B0000DI845/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?__mk_de_DE=ÅMÅZÕÑ&qid=1492439363&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=soil+tester

I have both the 3in1 light/moisture/ph stick which seems to be accurate enough. Then I picked up this rapid soil test kit with N, P, K level tests included.

>Will something like this work?
>
>https://www.amazon.com/Luster-Leaf-1601-Rapitest-Soil/dp/B0000DI845/ref=sr_1_4?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1525790636&sr=1-4&keywords=soil+test+kit#customerReviews
>
>Or should I get the real soil savvy test where I send it in?

I have one of these kits, it's a Rapitest kit. I think I paid 20$ for mine at a garden center, but this one online is cheaper. Comes with 10 of each test, and you can buy replacement chemicals for more tests without buying new containers.

http://www.amazon.com/Luster-Leaf-1601-Rapitest-Soil/dp/B0000DI845/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367540993&sr=8-1&keywords=rapitest+soil+kit

Maybe a nitrogen or calcium deficiency? Have you tried a soil test kit? https://www.amazon.com/Luster-Leaf-1601-Rapitest-Phosphorous/dp/B0000DI845/ref=mp_s_a_1_20?adgrpid=61570362848&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIv_ubt6Pm5QIV__7jBx1n-AzhEAAYAiAAEgLpV_D_BwE&hvadid=274709675642&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9019526&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t2&hvqmt=e&hvrand=1201305533024357561&hvtargid=kwd-300627101412&hydadcr=5600_9612358&keywords=soil+ph+tester&qid=1573616812&sr=8-20

How do the leaves feel? I'm not terribly experienced but if they're soft and limp (derp) then you're over-watering, crisp and under-watering. Both will have the same sag \ limp. Feel the weight of the pot and feel the soil a couple inches down to confirm if it needs water or not.
Get a soil kit like this and test your PH \ Nutes. Dial in your nutrients and correct the PH.
For the lighting, if money is an issue, you can add some CFL (2700k) for the cool color spectrum.

No print out - I used this for the soil, and my API aquarium test kit to test the water.

I test the soil in my gardening bed. I'm too scared to test the rest of my yard's soil, hah. This is the tester I use-- it's pretty fun!

The first year I found out my soil was low in Nitrogen so I amended with blood meal. This year I only amended with composted manure and things seem pretty happy.

wow, this is a crap ton of data on that site! I can't even figure out how to find those 3 things. Anyway, can I just pick up a test kit from Amazon? https://smile.amazon.com/Luster-Leaf-1601-Rapitest-Soil/dp/B0000DI845/

I'm lazy and getting stuff shipped to my home is easier than taking soil somewhere, lol

Hey, you seem very knowledgeable. Would this be a good test kit?

https://www.amazon.ca/Luster-Leaf-1601-Rapitest-Soil/dp/B0000DI845/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1524508048&sr=8-2&keywords=lawn+test+kit

Also, I moved into a new house last fall. The grass in the front yard has some bald spots that I would like to try and remedy. When is the best time to hit this with fresh soil and grass seed? When is the best time to fertilize? Also, how to you pick which grass seed to buy? Thanks for any help with this.

Yeah for sure. Buy something like this. You'll get an idea if your lawn is depleted of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, or Potash. You'll also get a measurement of the soil's pH level.

I'd fix the soil first. Thick, lush grass depends on healthy soil.

I agree, it's either that they're over-watered, malnourished, or both. If they're over-watered, the roots aren't getting any oxygen. They need to drink, but they need to breathe, too. If they sit in water, they rot.

This soil test is a good investment if they don't perk up from less frequent watering. It'll tell you what kind of fertilizer you need.

it wasn't an actual test by a lab i tried using one of these

http://www.amazon.com/Luster-Leaf-1601-Rapitest-Soil/dp/B0000DI845

https://www.amazon.com/Luster-Leaf-1601-Rapitest-Phosphorous/dp/B0000DI845

Luster Leaf 1601 Rapitest Test Kit for Soil pH, Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potash https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000DI845/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_xv3yDbN3J1V2W

You can try bone meal, but the only way to tell if there is a nutrient deficiency is to test the soil. I used this kit and it was pretty simple.
As for pests, there are plenty of sprays available. Regardless of which one you choose, the important part is to be consistent and don't stop when you first see an improvement. There are still eggs that will hatch and start the whole process over again.

Can we be best friends??!

I have an idea for experimenting with Mead lees for fertilizer. Think straight up 4th grade science fair type stuff. Bean plants, same soil, same light, measuring how tall they get over a period of time. I think I'll start with a pure mead and experiment with various dilution amounts. Then I might go for a second round (once I've decided on optimum dilution from the first round) with various types of flavored mead. What I'd really like would be to test the contents of the lees for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium levels so I could compare it to fertilizers. So I'll probably buy something like this!

We could go into alcohol experimentation business together!

So I did the soil test kit that I bought. According to it the pH of my soil is at least 7.5, maybe a bit higher and the nitrogen content isn't detectable it's so low. Everything else looks good. I find it to be a bit odd considering the container is full of a rough mel's mix I put together of peat moss, vermiculite, compost, composted manure, and mushroom compost.

What would you recommend I do to the soil? As of right now the only ferts I have are 9-12-12, 4-15-14, and some miracle grow spray stuff that is 12-4-5.

This is what I have used - https://www.amazon.com/Luster-Leaf-1601-Rapitest-Soil/dp/B0000DI845

Fellow Michigander here. You have plenty of time to get your yard off to a good start. I brought in soil but it is not always needed. Check and see where you are after the test.