Fertilizer for horse pasture

[Tscott9330]

Thanks everyone for the replies, Especially WTA. I really appreciate you taking the time to answer in such detail. I have found the local extension office and will swing by next time i am in the area to get some soil sample kits. I will be at least 6 month before we get anything grazing on the field, but I do appreciate the heads up about the nitrogen. So far with all the rain we have had and the preliminary mowing, I have the weeds on the run without any fertilizer. For now I just want to get a good thick stand of grass. So, until the soil tests are done I will continue to regularly cut the field at about 6" and give the grass a chance to continue choking the weeds.

Tom

 

[meadowlarkponds]

Tom,

If you have one of the bahia varieties, you might consider letting the grass go to seed and then mow to disperse the seed. Its the quickest way I've found to get a thick stand of bahia which in turn will choke out just about all the weeds.

 

[Tscott9330]

Yeah, we have planted Pensacola Bahia. That is the plan, we are just starting to see seed heads in the more mature stands of grass. I think we will be seeing a lot more in the next week or so. I am going to try and set up the mower deck high enough to get the weeds and seed heads and at the same time leave the newer grass uncut.

Tom

 

[Renze]

One very old horse we had suffered kidney failure and a yearling we had the same thing plus she also had chronic choke. Both were blamed on way too high nitrate levels in the hay we were buying and also dirty mouldy hay.

My father and brother have around 30 horses, here in the Netherlands.
From here, i can confirm that high nitrate levels are very dangerous, we try to wait a week before horses graze fertilised fields.

You dont need to spread crazy amounts of fertiliser, or it will all wash out into the subsoil, contaminating your cattle drinking wells. Above a certain amount of nitrogen the cost is way more than the result.

 

[49tandc]

You are located half way between me (Gainesville) & Mr. Jimi (Jacksonville)Call Southern States... They are a local Ag Co-Op and can give you good prices on quantity. Get some soil samples & give them to your Ag Agent. They will probably go to UF and for $7.50, the analysis is EXACTLY what you need. That info will tell you how much/what mixture of fertilizer your land needs.

49T&C