IMHO before I add fertilizer I should test, because too much Nitrogen will kill the whole lawn, but Nitrogen also is the most essential thing in fertilizer lawns need. "Test, Don't Guess". All advice on internet says N is most important factor (for normal established lawns), and also more complicated to test for (professional kits can cost into the hundreds, so advice is to send to lab for $10). (pH is also important but is very regional, and no, adding lime is not always suggested)


I saw this kit (see pic) for $10, I bought the lawn test kit above from a local "hardware" store. All tests were normal/good but N (purple lid) is supposed to be a deeper shade of pink I can compare to a chart. Wasn't even on scale though I'd put down a bag of fertilizer a month ago. So I added fertilizer to each of the vials (tricky!). All turned deepest scale color (some needed shaken) except N which never did get any shade even on chart or change color. I RETURNED THE PRODUCT saying "it failed to test the only important thing to test: N".
(the one on far left was deep green before being rinsed: never mind that)

I then ordered a mail-in soil test to Virginia Tech (what i should do, according to advice by many info sites and fx co). I get it back to find: they don't even test for N or what despite they say it's a lawn test and they give fertilizer advice they DO NOT...

VA Tech just give this general statement: "follow the instructions on the fertilizer bag". Is this the Historic Virginia Tech "soil analysis" or is this lab succumbed to be lead by con artists that are now taking the money and running? (remember, the pink test is the one that matters for lawns, and the more expensive one to do, remember they did advertise that ammount of fertilizer to lay down was part of the lab purchase)

I then notice "VT soil lab" says in a 2nd general statement to add lime. But other scientists say no if your soil bubbles in vinegar (ie, any soil in fx likely does) because of VA clay (va is famous for clay): it has "free lime" (literally tons of it under your lawn already) and adding more lime isn't going to help the pH level. I also noted that the pH they cited as a lab result is not indicating action is required

(which making me wonder if they are just giving the general statements to insure hardware stores sell lime and fertilizer regularly despite any injury to lawns)

Soil chem is complex but honest mudders note that levels of K, mg, mn, b, etc are RARELY low where established lawns are (most of VA), and adding more does not mean the plant needs more or needs exact %, meaning adjusting ratios is USELESS (excepting N).

I then see in the appendix that some VA Tech results are inferred by electrical resistance only: and stipulate the test is invalid if pH or minerals of soil are not normal. Hey what good is it then? I only need results when things are NOT normal, surely.

finally: too much lime to reduce acidity with calcium (yes, allot like ant-acid tabs) and your in huge trouble: increasing acidity can be near impossibly complicated (chemistry, runoff, more) and costly to say the least.

all of this leaving me with more of: todo, todo, todo, todo, todo: allot of wasted todos and time and more todos due to the (what appears to be: mail fraud)

YOU BE THE JUDGE. Tell me what chemistry lesson I'm missing here - because I'm sure I did miss some but not all college chemistry courses.

did i mess up on the hardware store kit? did VA Tech give me generic advice and give me only cheap results?

note the below had fertilizer added to check if titration coloring was actually working or agents shelf life were toast

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I did forget to say there's a reason for this "madness". I have a problem area that grows new grass 1 season then all dies a year later. I hear that "run-off" water can carry pesticides and fertilizer - run-off runs over this area when it rains - and wonder if I'm too high on it, or just add as usual with rest of lawn. Pretty simple logic really. Anyone would say "have it tested". ugh!