How much would you spend?

[kenny thomas]

How much is too much to spend on fertilize for pasture? I soil tested earlier in the winter and had 15 acres of steep pasture that shows it needs 175lb of P and 125lb of K per acre. I added 50lb of N to the mix plus the filler and it adds up to $172.50 per acre. The PH is 6.5 so I am good there. I will re-seed it this fall after I get the soil in order. How long till it pays off?

 

[highgrit]

I did a new piece of property awhile back it cost, $41.60 per acre for lime and $84.00 per acre for fertilizer. They spread 18-7-15-3 at 350lbs per acre.

 

[kenny thomas]

I did a new piece of property awhile back it cost, $41.60 per acre for lime and $84.00 per acre for fertilizer. They spread 18-7-15-3 at 350lbs per acre.

Was you happy with the results?

 

[tom4018]

Sure is pricey. What I did on ours when trying to build it up I just put a percentage of what the soil test said. Maybe go half this year and half next year.

 

[Supa Dexta]

Will you be able to run a pair an acre? If so I'd put the money out while prices are high on calves. That would only be 2400 out of atleast 17k for calves. Around 13%

 

[plumber_greg]

If you could grid it and variable spread, it could save you some money. Either way, I would build it up over a 5 year period intstead of trying all at once. gs

 

[highgrit]

Kenny, we're fairly happy. You can sure see the spots where the fertilizer missed. Spreading lime is a different deal, my soil samples called for 1 ton of lime every year for 4 years. Now it's down to less than half ton per year. Fertilizer is needed as grass is used. Pastures take half as much fertilizer as hay fields.

 

[J&D Cattle]

If you could grid it and variable spread, it could save you some money. Either way, I would build it up over a 5 year period intstead of trying all at once. gs

I would do like Greg and build up the soil over a few years if I owned it or had a long term lease. On a couple of leased farms I fertilize enough to put back the nutrients I will remove when cutting hay. I'm not gaining on the ground but at least I'm not robbing fertility either.

 

[kenny thomas]

Will you be able to run a pair an acre? If so I'd put the money out while prices are high on calves. That would only be 2400 out of atleast 17k for calves. Around 13%

I am not sure if I can run a cow and calf per acre but it is good soil just steeper pasture. I think over time that I can get to at least a pair per 1 1/2 acres. This is a farm I bought and cleaned up and it is still a long way from being good yet. I have fenced and cross fenced, put in a water system, built a corral and working facilities so far. I have spent more on it than I gave for the land.
I am trying to spend my money on land I own instead of leasing more farms. I actually can lease pretty cheap and until the prices got high there were lots of free grazing around.

 

[Jogeephus]

I'd spend the money. The P and K on pasture should be relatively stable. You just need to get the soil right else you'll find yourself with a host of other problems that are expensive and avoidable.

 

[littletom]

If it was my money I would try and get it down a little per acre and do it. If it was out of a operating note I would cheapin it up a good bit.

 

[kenny thomas]

If it was my money I would try and get it down a little per acre and do it. If it was out of a operating note I would cheapin it up a good bit.

Its paid for already out of calf money. Sold less calves this winter than I have in a long time and they brought more money.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Yes.
Run some numbers on bale grazing to get the fertility up.

 

[sim.-ang.king]

If you could grid it and variable spread, it could save you some money. Either way, I would build it up over a 5 year period intstead of trying all at once. gs

That would probably be the best bet since your not working it in, or running high production crops on it.

 

[Dave]

I can't imagine needing to apply 175 pounds of P per acre to a pasture. Was it a fertilizer salesman who told you that? I give a bunch of fertilizer recommendations based on soil tests every week. I never tell people to add additional P if the test results are above 30 ppm. The primary use of P in plants is in root growth. So no matter how you harvest the grass most of the P stays in the soil.

 

[Jogeephus]

I've seen a field in that bad of shape before. It was the result of years of neglect. Guy offered it to me for nothing if I'd keep it cut for him but without a long term lease agreement from him I couldn't see myself correcting someone else's mistake on my dime. It was the poorest stand of grass I'd seen in a long time.

If the field hasn't been just neglected it might pay you to pull another soil test to be sure something wasn't done wrong. If not, I would get the soil right before I wasted my money on overseeding.

 

[kenny thomas]

I can't imagine needing to apply 175 pounds of P per acre to a pasture. Was it a fertilizer salesman who told you that? I give a bunch of fertilizer recommendations based on soil tests every week. I never tell people to add additional P if the test results are above 30 ppm. The primary use of P in plants is in root growth. So no matter how you harvest the grass most of the P stays in the soil.

Dave, the tests were done by Virginia Tech. I took the samples myself with a soil probe and taking 10 samples per acre and when all samples were taken mixing the samples very well and then pulling the test samples from the mixture. So I am sure the sampling is correct.
Sim.ang king, the soil is a gravely soil listed as being on 15% to 25% slope so no high production crops can be done there except grass.

 

[Jogeephus]

When was the last time you fertilized it and pulled a soil test?

 

[kenny thomas]

When was the last time you fertilized it and pulled a soil test?

Jo, this is a place I bought a few years ago and I seriously doubt it has ever had soil test pulled on it. Also I pretty sure it has been at least 50 years, if ever, since any fertilizer was added. The PH is 6.5 so it must have been limed at some time.

 

[Jogeephus]

Sounds like the test may be right but if it were me I'd pull another test just to be sure because someone somewhere could have screwed up and this would be cheap insurance. If the second showed the same I'd bite the bullet and fix it now rather than postponing it because you can't reap the benefits of your soil as long as it's out of balance.