Educate me on Fertilizer please...

[OklaBrangusBreeder]

So I just called my local farm store to get a fertilizer spreader tomorrow to spread before the forecasted rain this weekend.

Obviously, they have several fertilizer options. Seems like my family have always used "triple 19" on bermuda grass in central Oklahoma.

Can you tell me your opinion of using "triple 19" on bermuda and/or what other "mixes" you would consider to be appropriate?

 

[skyhightree1]

So I just called my local farm store to get a fertilizer spreader tomorrow to spread before the forecasted rain this weekend.

Obviously, they have several fertilizer options. Seems like my family have always used "triple 19" on bermuda grass in central Oklahoma.

Can you tell me your opinion of using "triple 19" on bermuda and/or what other "mixes" you would consider to be appropriate?

Right or wrong this is what I do.. 19-19-19 is not going on my pastures I use 10-10-10 and ever so often i will spray liquid nitrogen. I raise fescue-orchard grass with ladino mixed pastures or with cinnamon clover and 10-10-10 does me justice and is kicking my butt trying to keep up with it. I fertilize every other year.

 

[Deepsouth]

The only answer to fertilizer questions is SOIL TEST.

 

[skyhightree1]

The only answer to fertilizer questions is SOIL TEST.

true but i spread a lil every other year but lime each year.. now for row crop fields i test and fertilize and lime to specs each year pasture not so much.

 

[J&D Cattle]

The only answer to fertilizer questions is SOIL TEST.

X2. You are guessing without a soil test. I'm to dollar sensitive to guess.

Edited to add; if I was going to guess I would apply based on estimated nutrient removal rates per bale.

 

[kenny thomas]

So I just called my local farm store to get a fertilizer spreader tomorrow to spread before the forecasted rain this weekend.

Obviously, they have several fertilizer options. Seems like my family have always used "triple 19" on bermuda grass in central Oklahoma.

Can you tell me your opinion of using "triple 19" on bermuda and/or what other "mixes" you would consider to be appropriate?

Right or wrong this is what I do.. 19-19-19 is not going on my pastures I use 10-10-10 and ever so often i will spray liquid nitrogen. I raise fescue-orchard grass with ladino mixed pastures or with cinnamon clover and 10-10-10 does me justice and is kicking my butt trying to keep up with it. I fertilize every other year.

Sky since 19-19-19 is not nearly double the price of 10-10-10 why not ue it at half the rate and save yourself a bunch of money.

 

[pricefarm]

Ya never understood way anyone would use 10-10-10 as a pasture or hay fertilizer. 19-19-19 isn't nearly double the cost and u can use half as much and still be putting down the same amount of nutrition. If u spread 300 lbs of 10-10-10 that 30 lbs of each if u spread 300 lbs of 19-19-19 that's 57 lbs of each.

 

[pricefarm]

The only answer to fertilizer questions is SOIL TEST.

true but i spread a lil every other year but lime each year.. now for row crop fields i test and fertilize and lime to specs each year pasture not so much.

Is lime really necessary every year where u leave?? Around here about every 3-5 years will do usually putting down 2-3 tons per acre.

 

[skyhightree1]

Yes sir in this sandy soil it is. Lime that is. As far as fertilizer I just use 10-10-10 cause my grandpa used it. I have hay growing out my ears and pastures and works for me. I know its not big difference in price I buy a lot of fertilizer.

 

[ousoonerfan22]

The Amish that bale our hay said they use 30-11-11 on Bermuda. Last summer we put out 2 tons of nitrogen on a 30 acre Bermuda meadow just before a good rain and it made 146 round bales. We are going to try 3 tons of 30-11-11 if we can get a decent forecast for rain but we're still waiting!!!

 

[BC]

Bermuda uses nutrients in a 4 - 1 - 3 ratio. In East Texas, we have found that to produce 2 tons of forage per acre ( 4 - 1000 lb rolls / acre) removes 100 lbs of N, 40 lbs of P, and 85 lbs of K from the soil. If you don't replace the nutrients, then you wind up mining the soil over a period of years.

 

[RoanDurham]

I like about a hundred lbs of nitrogen per acre beginning of June-- Makes my coastal turn damn near blue and last year I baled 4 (5x6) bales per acre of it.. Been doin that for several years and it just seems to be getting better every year.

 

[Nesikep]

Fertilizer? isn't that what comes out the back end of a cow? lol

A soil test is a good starting point though

 

[NWMoAngus]

It is always interesting reading how other parts of the country do things. Here in northwest Missouri we are fortunate to have both warm and cool season grass stands. All of my pasture and grass hay ground is made up of a combination of grasses. Primarily bluegrass, orchardgrass, brome, timothy and of course fescue. Nobody plants fescue in their pastures or hayfields, but it makes an appearance anyway. I usually apply fertilizer about April 1. I prefer ammonium nitrate, vs. urea. This year I applied 65 pounds N, 30 pounds P and 30 pounds K per acre. About $ 70 to $75 per acre cost, currently. We don't bother to soil test the hay and pasture, because those are minimal rates and we have experience to indicate a 65-30-30 is good enough. In corn fields I usually apply 180 N, 100 P and 80 K per acre.

 

[B&M Farms]

It is always interesting reading how other parts of the country do things. Here in northwest Missouri we are fortunate to have both warm and cool season grass stands. All of my pasture and grass hay ground is made up of a combination of grasses. Primarily bluegrass, orchardgrass, brome, timothy and of course fescue. Nobody plants fescue in their pastures or hayfields, but it makes an appearance anyway. I usually apply fertilizer about April 1. I prefer ammonium nitrate, vs. urea. This year I applied 65 pounds N, 30 pounds P and 30 pounds K per acre. About $ 70 to $75 per acre cost, currently. We don't bother to soil test the hay and pasture, because those are minimal rates and we have experience to indicate a 65-30-30 is good enough. In corn fields I usually apply 180 N, 100 P and 80 K per acre.

It's good enough for sure but a $10 soil test may tell you you spent $10 an acre too much on fertilizer.

 

[ibetyamissedme]

Yes sir in this sandy soil it is. Lime that is. As far as fertilizer I just use 10-10-10 cause my grandpa used it. I have hay growing out my ears and pastures and works for me. I know its not big difference in price I buy a lot of fertilizer.

When I buy fertilizer I always try to manage my workload and find ways to reduce it if possible. When you say you buy a lot of fertilizer why would you want your workload to be 100% more than it needs to be?

 

[NWMoAngus]

It is always interesting reading how other parts of the country do things. Here in northwest Missouri we are fortunate to have both warm and cool season grass stands. All of my pasture and grass hay ground is made up of a combination of grasses. Primarily bluegrass, orchardgrass, brome, timothy and of course fescue. Nobody plants fescue in their pastures or hayfields, but it makes an appearance anyway. I usually apply fertilizer about April 1. I prefer ammonium nitrate, vs. urea. This year I applied 65 pounds N, 30 pounds P and 30 pounds K per acre. About $ 70 to $75 per acre cost, currently. We don't bother to soil test the hay and pasture, because those are minimal rates and we have experience to indicate a 65-30-30 is good enough. In corn fields I usually apply 180 N, 100 P and 80 K per acre.

It's good enough for sure but a $10 soil test may tell you you spent $10 an acre too much on fertilizer.

Any excess P & K applied is left in the bank. 65 pounds of N is not excessive at all in our area.