When to fertilize?

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Walker

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East Tennessee
We bought a small farm in East Tennessee about 2 years ago. The farm had been leased out prior to our purchase of it, and had been poorly managed. We sent off soil samples and are (as we get the money) trying to get our pastures & hay ground back into shape. 95% Fescue the rest is clovers. my question is should I fertilize this week (march 9) or wait till it warms a little. temps 20"s & 30's @ nite 30"s & 40's daytime.
 
i dont know your state.but seems to me if you fertalize with temps in the 50s.that your wasting your money.id wait till the daytime temps was in the 60s.so that when you put fert out the gass will start growing good.maybe others will come along an answer your q better than i did.
 
The rule of thumb is that nitrogen is only good for 30 days, the other stuff you can put down anytime.
 
I'd say in East TN around the first week or so in April. Just check with your local dristributer and check on the availibilty of renting a fert buggy. I bet the first few weekends in april are booked up. :D Like they said anytime for everything else and nitrogen around greenup.
 
alabama":1smv2iq4 said:
If your grass is growing put the fertelizer to it.

That's kind of my philosophy. Put the fertilizer on when the grass can use it. When it starts the spring flush, it needs nutrients, and the quicker the grass gets it, the less will wash away.
 
Dun's got it right. Put nitrogen on after greenup. Put potash and phosphorus on any time, I prefer fall for root development.
 
What's y'alls ideas about rain with respect to application of nitrogen? I try to get mine spread just before a rain (nice slow one in excess of .25" is ideal). Recently I read that soon after a rain is good. Temperatures above 70 degrees and nitrogen lying on top of the ground is not a good thing.
 
to get the most from your fert.its best to apply before a good rain.that way the rain puts the fert in the ground.an the fert doesnt have to lay on top of the ground.
 
The 96 year old farmer down the road told me the following about putting out fertelizer in the spring. He said when momma kicks the sheets off at night it was tome to put out fertelizer. And he is about right. Our grass starts to grow when the night temps pick up a little.
 
alabama":2gr6a4sz said:
The 96 year old farmer down the road told me the following about putting out fertelizer in the spring. He said when momma kicks the sheets off at night it was tome to put out fertelizer. And he is about right. Our grass starts to grow when the night temps pick up a little.


HAHAHA...heard another one say something similiar about planting. "Watch the folks fishing at the creek. If they're sitting on buckets it's too early but if they're sitting on the ground, then the ground is warm enough to plant".
 

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