To fertilize or not to fertilize.... That's the question

[Kscattle]

Well this year so far we have gotten very little moisture, even worse than last year. I'm wondering what you guys have been doing the last couple yrs during the drought. I don't mind spending the money for fertilizer but the weather man keeps saying " no significant rains until late summer", and I don't see the point in fertilizing when we don't have any subsoil moisture right now. Now if we get rains by April it'll be a different story but my question is, will it do any good or not? I got virtually nothing back from the nitrogen I put down last year, and I hate to do it again in this drought.
Your thoughts please
Kscattle

 

[dun]

We did lime, K & P in the fall, holding off on N until we get some moisture

 

[cowgirl_jenna]

We did lime, K & P in the fall, holding off on N until we get some moisture

Agree, If any thing, we will put down half (or less) of our nitrogen early, and then see what happens later, if it rains we will "spoon feed" the N. P and K, if you need it and the price is acceptable, we spread it, it will wait until it rains. Just our plan I guess... You can do everything right management, fert, ect., but mother nature has the final say with moisture.

 

[TexasBred]

Well this year so far we have gotten very little moisture, even worse than last year. I'm wondering what you guys have been doing the last couple yrs during the drought. I don't mind spending the money for fertilizer but the weather man keeps saying " no significant rains until late summer", and I don't see the point in fertilizing when we don't have any subsoil moisture right now. Now if we get rains by April it'll be a different story but my question is, will it do any good or not? I got virtually nothing back from the nitrogen I put down last year, and I hate to do it again in this drought.
Your thoughts please
Kscattle

Might think about saving the fertilizer money and buy hay early before it goes thru the roof.

 

[Kscattle]

I've already cut my herd by 1/3 to stretch my hay out a while longer. Most of those were needing culled anyway but I'm hoping to get by this summer without nitrogen. If it does rain I've got enough pasture but if it doesn't, then it won't matter anymore.
Texasbred, the hay has been thru the roof since August and will get worse. $135 for 5x6 bales. I refuse to buy hay, I'll sell cows first. I'll play the waiting game with Mother Nature first and see what happens.

 

[Kscattle]

I've already cut my herd by 1/3 to stretch my hay out a while longer. Most of those were needing culled anyway but I'm hoping to get by this summer without nitrogen. If it does rain I've got enough pasture but if it doesn't, then it won't matter anymore.
Texasbred, the hay has been thru the roof since August and will get worse. $135 for 5x6 bales. I refuse to buy hay, I'll sell cows first. I'll play the waiting game with Mother Nature first and see what happens.

 

[plumber_greg]

I'm gonna' go ahead and put down 1/2 the nitrogen I ususally do. If it rains, I'll put the rest on in Aug. One thing I did right last year, and will do it again is put the fert down early. Usually we turn out by May 1, but last year it was April 5 on most pastures, because I fertilized early, Mar. 10 or so. It was an early spring and I got what rain there was. It was an accident that the fert went on that early, not that I was that smart. I'll just watch the forcast and call just before a rain is supposed to come.
Also, we're warmer than most winters again, so I can maybe count on another early turnout on grass. I don't know what to do, I'm changing my mind as I type. Of course, I type slow, so I have a lot of time to think.
The hay ground, I think I'll just go ahead and put it on. gs

 

[dun]

I'm gonna' go ahead and put down 1/2 the nitrogen I ususally do. If it rains, I'll put the rest on in Aug. One thing I did right last year, and will do it again is put the fert down early. Usually we turn out by May 1, but last year it was April 5 on most pastures, because I fertilized early, Mar. 10 or so. It was an early spring and I got what rain there was. It was an accident that the fert went on that early, not that I was that smart. I'll just watch the forcast and call just before a rain is supposed to come.
Also, we're warmer than most winters again, so I can maybe count on another early turnout on grass. I don't know what to do, I'm changing my mind as I type. Of course, I type slow, so I have a lot of time to think.
The hay ground, I think I'll just go ahead and put it on. gs

What would be this rain thing you refer to? Is it fairly common?

 

[hayray]

I know fertilizer is important but I don't see how cattle can pay for this expensive commercial fertilizer? I would be flat broke if I had to fertilize my pastures with purchased fertilizers. I use other options to get buy and I am sure those are not as productive as if I bought granualr fertilizer but I am pretty sure about the economics.

 

[midtncattle]

Please expound upon your "other options."

 

[SconnieBeef]

How about a stablized form of Nitrogen such as ESN or Urea coated with Agrotain or Instinct? Both of these products can also be mixed with 28% and 32% as well. Obviously I don't know your situation or if these are options, just some ideas for if you wanted to put some N down and you didn't get timely rains. Of course you need water no matter what though.

 

[1982vett]

Please expound upon your "other options."

I've bought 7 tons of "commercial" fertilizer in the past two years where I'd normally use 20 tons or more a year....I now have around 50 cows where I used to have 120 or so....actually had to pay self-employment taxes last year for the first time since 1992...let the land produce to the potential the Good Lord made it....be darn sure your invested risk is a whole lot less than it's potential return.


That's my take on "other options" ;-)

 

[Banjo]

We must learn how to grow grass. Nobody here probably fertilizes their lawn, but yet it needs mowing frequently. if you want it to grow back slow, you mow it real short. Thats because it is so short it can't photosynthesize sunlight, so it has to regrow from its root reserves..same way in pastures....if you graze it too short it can't photosynthesize sunlight, so then it is constantly pulling energy from the roots, therefore making a weaker root system and a sluggish plant that will die under stress.
In 2007, we made the decision to stop using commercial fertilize. That year was a bad drought year here along with 2008. This will be the 7th year with no fertilize. My brood cow numbers are as high as ever. It can be done, you just gotta overcome the fear of not using fertilize......we've been conditioned to use fertilize for so long that we think nothing can grow without it.

 

[hawkeye78]

I have never used fertilizer on my pastures the cows chould put out enough manure to maintain with the excess grass to be put back in the ground