Is there an additive/fertilizer that will not flash off ths time of year?

[dvcochran]

Our first cut was just a little off pace for yield from the last two years and the second cut is looking downright poor. The grass coming back looks good but it is seems to be growing back slow. It is grass hay, fescue, orchard grass, timothy, and clover. The fescue is not coming back at all. I soil sampled and everything was in range with the exception of lime that is actually high at 8.0-8.5. I have not done a forage sample but seen nothing to expect big changes from years past.
Temperatures in Tennessee will be in the 90's for the high now through the end of August. I would love to put down some coated urea or similar product but I think it will also flash off unless I spread it in the rain, which I am seriously considering.
Are there other options that work well this time of year in my area to give grass hay a kick?

 

[Hootowl]

If it's available there liquid Nitrogen.
But fescue and cool season grasses won't come back much until fall when it cools down.

 

[Caustic Burno]

If it's available there liquid Nitrogen.
But fescue and cool season grasses won't come back much until fall when it cools down.

Calcium nitrate if you have a big enough Ag sprayer. It's fairly cheap it's water soluble. I would have to research the pounds per acre being a foliage spray it's lower than broadcast. Doesn't last as long as broadcast.
Recently sprayed this field with 20 pounds per acre, I couldn't get the fertilizer buggy in this pasture.

 

[hillbilly beef man]

Anyone ever try aluminum sulfate? That is what our local co-op recommends for stockpiling fescue. It is $340 a ton for 24-0-0

 

[Stocker Steve]

Need to align fertilizer application with growth periods. Standard cool season grass advice in the upper midwest is 60 to 70% in the spring and the rest in the fall. Fall here usually starts in early August.

Some wait for the first good rain in August and then broadcast granules. Others spread compost after the first cutting. Compost does not flash.

 

[Ebenezer]

Anyone ever try aluminum sulfate? That is what our local co-op recommends for stockpiling fescue. It is $340 a ton for 24-0-0

It will drop your pH. For every pound of AS you use will require 7 pounds of ag lime to retain the same pH. But timing of fertilizer is key as others said.

 

[callmefence]

Agrotain treated urea

 

[Caustic Burno]

Anyone ever try aluminum sulfate? That is what our local co-op recommends for stockpiling fescue. It is $340 a ton for 24-0-0

It will drop your pH. For every pound of AS you use will require 7 pounds of ag lime to retain the same pH. But timing of fertilizer is key as others said.

Calcium Nitrate won't drop ph actually increases it.
Being it's a foliar spray it can still be beneficial sprayed at daylight.
It is not as effective as broadcast sometimes that's impossible like my case this year.

 

[Ebenezer]

Anyone ever try aluminum sulfate? That is what our local co-op recommends for stockpiling fescue. It is $340 a ton for 24-0-0

It will drop your pH. For every pound of AS you use will require 7 pounds of ag lime to retain the same pH. But timing of fertilizer is key as others said.

Calcium Nitrate won't drop ph actually increases it.
Being it's a foliar spray it can still be beneficial sprayed at daylight.
It is not as effective as broadcast sometimes that's impossible like my case this year.

Cal Nitrate has plant effects for about 15 days and is high as the devil in costs for equivalent fertility here. But it is great stuff especially for vegetables. I personally thing Ag got a kick in the gut when Amm. Nitrate got over regulated due to the OK bombing incident. Nothing like punishing the innocent. It really matched to pasture growth better and was less acidic.

 

[Caustic Burno]

It's not the cost that has me, it's too wet to get a fertilizer buggy in.

 

[Dave]

Anyone ever try aluminum sulfate? That is what our local co-op recommends for stockpiling fescue. It is $340 a ton for 24-0-0

It will drop your pH. For every pound of AS you use will require 7 pounds of ag lime to retain the same pH. But timing of fertilizer is key as others said.

Calcium Nitrate won't drop ph actually increases it.
Being it's a foliar spray it can still be beneficial sprayed at daylight.
It is not as effective as broadcast sometimes that's impossible like my case this year.

The ammonium sulfate would be good. Yes it would cause the pH to drop but the OP said the pH was 8.0-8.5 which is too high. Cool season grasses like it best a touch to the acid side of neutral. Between 6.0 and 7.0. With a pH in the 8 range I sure wouldn't spread anything with calcium.

 

[cowrancher75]

sulfur coated urea will not go anywhere until the rain dissolves it.

 

[dvcochran]

Need to align fertilizer application with growth periods. Standard cool season grass advice in the upper midwest is 60 to 70% in the spring and the rest in the fall. Fall here usually starts in early August.

Some wait for the first good rain in August and then broadcast granules. Others spread compost after the first cutting. Compost does not flash.

Yes, that is our normal procedure. We have already done our spring application of 55-30-45. The grass is not coming back as well as usual and wondered what others have done.
We will lime and fertilize in the fall.

 

[dvcochran]

Agrotain treated urea

We have a coated urea source but says it will flash if not rained on in a 24 hour period. That works for you in TX?

 

[Stocker Steve]

Yes, that is our normal procedure. We have already done our spring application of 55-30-45. The grass is not coming back as well as usual and wondered what others have done.
We will lime and fertilize in the fall.

For grass you mostly need N. Not sure where your spring blend comes from? Looks expensive.

Most N is gone in 30 days. Also a big several inch rainfall leaches N and S immediately. Ether way, chemical N is soon gone. :cry2: That is why the better corn farmers apply dress N several times per season.

But you need water for N to work, and forage grass does not like heat like corn grass. Thus the spring fall split ap, unless you are spreading compost.

 

[callmefence]

Agrotain treated urea

We have a coated urea source but says it will flash if not rained on in a 24 hour period. That works for you in TX?

Yes agrotain is a nitrogen stabilizer. Different than coated urea.

 

[callmefence]

Agrotain treated urea

We have a coated urea source but says it will flash if not rained on in a 24 hour period. That works for you in TX?

Yes agrotain is a nitrogen stabilizer. Different than coated urea.

Untreated urea should show minimum loss of nitrogen for several days even in bad condition.
A product that only gives 24 hours would be useless.
Rain
Incorporation into soil
Temps below 75
Treated with a product like agrotain
Any of the above should keep your investment safe for weeks, not hours.

 

[dvcochran]

Our supplier (local CO-OP) says it's coated urea needs 3 days where the temp never exceeds 75, rain, or incorporation.
I misspoke on the hours; I meant 72.
We will not have 3 days that sustain below 72 until September most likely.

Do you use the Dri Maxx? Do you have your own mixing capabilities?

 

[Dave]

Need to align fertilizer application with growth periods. Standard cool season grass advice in the upper midwest is 60 to 70% in the spring and the rest in the fall. Fall here usually starts in early August.

Some wait for the first good rain in August and then broadcast granules. Others spread compost after the first cutting. Compost does not flash.

Yes, that is our normal procedure. We have already done our spring application of 55-30-45. The grass is not coming back as well as usual and wondered what others have done.
We will lime and fertilize in the fall.

If your pH is at 8.0-8.5 why would you apply lime in the fall? That would be spending money to make your field less productive. The fact is that your high pH could very well be the reason your grass doesn't seem to be doing well.

 

[callmefence]

Our supplier (local CO-OP) says it's coated urea needs 3 days where the temp never exceeds 75, rain, or incorporation.
I misspoke on the hours; I meant 72.
We will not have 3 days that sustain below 72 until September most likely.

Do you use the Dri Maxx? Do you have your own mixing capabilities?

No I use agrotain
https://kochagronomicservices.com/solutions/agricultural-nutrient-efficiency/agrotain

No I don't have my own mixer. The dealer I buy my fertilizer from does. It's a liquid that's dribbled out on the conveyor as it goes to the mixer...if you're trying to protect your nitrogen from hot weather you want a nitrogen stabilizer, coated urea does not necessarily have that.