Fert/Lime prices

[Robert_in_NY]

I will be doing a soil test - In fact I just did my own with a kit I bought, but I'll do another through the extension agent.

I'm just wonder though if there are popular combinations of NP&K that are more cost efficient rather than getting the exact #'s the test will say to get.

Tripple 19 (19-19-19) is the best bang for the buck you can get with fertilzers. Every fertilizer dealer I have talked to (2 of them I trust 100%) have told me this when I have inquired about various mixes.

 

[jimg]

We have a good Farmer's Exchange. Owned by a friend. They'll have it in bags, but they've never been real cheap (compared to Lowes, Home Depot, etc. But, its a local,old, family business with very knowledgeable employees so I bite the bullet and pay a little extra. Service and friendliness are worth it I think.

I was just wondering if, for instance, a bag of 0-10-10 is less than a bag of 10-10-10. As you say, seems like it would be. But, I have to wonder if the high price of fertilizer is in part due to shipping costs. The stuff is heavy and 50 pounds of 0-10-10 costs as much to ship as 50 pounds of 10-10-10.

Seems like shipping costs when up when gas was $4 a gallon but did not go down now that its $1.65 a gallon.

If they have a mixing plant then theyre buying bulk and its coming in via RR or truck. Id think that would reduce shipping costs + theyre getting a bulk rate on the fertilizer itself. Around here the bagged stuff at the big box stores is limited to certain mixes. At one time long ago I inquired about getting something non-std and while they could accommodate me it would be expensive. Come to think of it last yr I did get K in 50# bags at the coop and the price / lb was considerably more than buying bulk at their mixing plant. For whatever reason they only bagged at a certain location (not mine) and shipped it to the various stores. So while all stores (almost) have mixing mills not all would be able to give you bags of custom mix.

How much fertilizer do you est youll need for your acres? Here when I buy bilk I can also rent a spreader buggy.

 

[N80]

I don't need much at all, so buying bagged is the way to go for me. I probably don't need more than 400 pounds. Maybe less. Food plots are small.

 

[jimg]

BTW when I got prices the other day I asked where they thought prices were headed. They had no idea and mentioned the prices are only good for that day. Anyone heard anything about where fertilizer prices are likely to go...up, down or its anyones guess??

 

[jimg]

This week everything is up:N $440/t, DAP $570/t and potash $788/t.

 

[N80]

I have impecable timing. I need to buy this weekend. Rats.

 

[jimg]

Im sure prices will differ in your area. Ive seen them from all over and there seems to be little rhyme or reason to how prices are set. Some are well above what I can get and others about the same. To me the prices seem well out of line.

 

[bumpercrop]

Bulk Fertilizer on the open market is down (%50 from last year). However, many fertilizer companies built up their supplies last fall when prices were thru the roof. They cannot charge $700 for urea when the current market is $350. So they are trying to buy (which they don't need) new inventory to offset their loss.

Fertilizer Co's and large scale farmers are currently playing a cat and mouse game.

 

[charlz]

I was just in the local farm store and a 50# bag of 46-0-0 is $40..... it was $28 when I bought some at the end of June last year. Good thing I have plenty left over for this year.

 

[rgood]

Well here is an update on my post - Tomorrow, I'm getting 300 pounds per acre of 21-7-14 for $86 an acre on the ground. That is about $100 more than I paid last year and I put it on the ground myself.