My yard is approx. 3 acres and I have never fertilized the grass.I also have a pasture thats approx. 5 acres. Its pretty obvious that I need to fertilize but need to know what to use that won't cost a fortune.Is there a product that would be"affordable"to use on this size lot?? Or do I need to remortgage my house??What do farmers use? Any help would be appreciated,Thanks,Gary
Cheap fertilizer?
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schmism
Super Member
best to get a soil test to see what you need.
Virtually everyone says they need some amount of lime.
What i see put down by the farms round hear is lime and anhydrous ammonia, and old fashion manure. either by spreader or by semi-liquid injector rig.
Virtually everyone says they need some amount of lime.
What i see put down by the farms round hear is lime and anhydrous ammonia, and old fashion manure. either by spreader or by semi-liquid injector rig.
jimg
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I agree w/ the soil test recommendation. Usually the state thru the extension service/state university system has a soil/plant test lab. Prices are usually quite reasonable. (Think I paid $5 or $6/sample.) Once you get the results youll know pretty much what needs to be added. You also might want to get the input of your extension agent. He could look at your ground and make some recommendations etc that could save you some $$$.
I just got done putting down fertilizer based on soil testing and I only needed N and K. That cost me a bit less than $60/ac + the $20 rental fee for the spreader buggy. I bought bulk from the local coop and they mix to the customers spec.
Anhydrous is usually used for row crops and requires some fairly expensive equipment to apply. I think in your case (small acres/pasture) spreading solid fertilizer would work best.
I just got done putting down fertilizer based on soil testing and I only needed N and K. That cost me a bit less than $60/ac + the $20 rental fee for the spreader buggy. I bought bulk from the local coop and they mix to the customers spec.
Anhydrous is usually used for row crops and requires some fairly expensive equipment to apply. I think in your case (small acres/pasture) spreading solid fertilizer would work best.
Western
Super Member
Call your local co-op or feed store, they will give you current prices for your area, Fertilizer is sky high right now, at least here in Texas.
As far a liquid fert. I would pay the dealer the fee to put it out, I used to have them put out my first liquid fert with broadleaf weed killer in mid to late march here. They didn't use the injection system, it was spray on.
Or if you go with bulk granual fertilizer such as 15-15-15 or all nitrogen like 38-0-0 you can put it out your self with a fertilizer spreader from the supplier that hooks up to a pickup.
Like schmism said, you need a soil sample to find out just what you need so you don't waste money on something you don't, that should be your 1st priority.
As far a liquid fert. I would pay the dealer the fee to put it out, I used to have them put out my first liquid fert with broadleaf weed killer in mid to late march here. They didn't use the injection system, it was spray on.
Or if you go with bulk granual fertilizer such as 15-15-15 or all nitrogen like 38-0-0 you can put it out your self with a fertilizer spreader from the supplier that hooks up to a pickup.
Like schmism said, you need a soil sample to find out just what you need so you don't waste money on something you don't, that should be your 1st priority.
MarkV
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Bester this is about the worst year I can remember for “cheap fertilizer”. If you find it I sure would like to know where. Transportation costs have driven fertilizer costs way up. Your best bet is to get a soil test done through you county extension agent. You will at least know then what type or mix of fertilizer you need. For your pasture a fertilizer company that will send out a spreader truck will be cheaper than buying bags. Farmers in our area generally do that and spread manure if it is available to them.
Not sure where you are but balancing the PH of the soil so the plants can utilize the nutrients in the soil is as important as fertilizing. In the south that almost always calls for adding lime to the soil. A soil test will also recommend what to add for the PH.
MarkV
Not sure where you are but balancing the PH of the soil so the plants can utilize the nutrients in the soil is as important as fertilizing. In the south that almost always calls for adding lime to the soil. A soil test will also recommend what to add for the PH.
MarkV
Z-Michigan
Veteran Member
bester said:
As Jim said, this isn't a DIY item. Highly toxic to humans and very specialized equipment. And if you even ask about small quantities people may start thinking you're running a meth lab.
Call a local spreader company and see about having them run a spreader truck, assuming your soil is dry enough. Another option is "chicken litter" aka chicken poop, would be spread in the same way. If you have livestock farmers nearby you MIGHT get them to spread manure on your property for free or cheap - but that number of acres may not be worth their time, and the smell would be noticeable. Finally you can sometimes get horse manure for free, but it's not nearly as rich in nutrients as most other animal manures. Almost more of a compost than a fertilizer.
Podunkadunk
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Bought 3 (50lb) bags of 10-10-10 yesterday. Paid $13.70 a bag (tax not included). It's gone up a few dollars a bag since last year this time.
It works well on anything. Soil test....blah. It won't hurt your yard, no matter if your grass is on sandy, loamy or clay soil. If you were big time farming a large field or something, I could see the extra effort to get a soil test, but you won't need it for your lawn.
I use it on my centipede grass, used it on St. Augustine when I lived in Florida...works like a champ and won't burn it.
Podunk
It works well on anything. Soil test....blah. It won't hurt your yard, no matter if your grass is on sandy, loamy or clay soil. If you were big time farming a large field or something, I could see the extra effort to get a soil test, but you won't need it for your lawn.
I use it on my centipede grass, used it on St. Augustine when I lived in Florida...works like a champ and won't burn it.
Podunk