fertilizer

[Eric_Phillips]

I have seen several times people recommending to get soil tests done before fertilizing things like food patches. I am putting together some pasture for horses and had the soil tests done. I was told about one place that does custom fertilizer blends and seed blends. When I called them he almost laughed when I told him I was needing fertilizer in the 100s lb not tons. Do you guys really put custom blends on you food plots or just get close with commercial stuff out there? What types of stores should I be looking at to get things like straight potash and phosphate to supplement the commercial stuff I can find?

 

[Robert_in_NY]

What did your soil test call for? Generally, for small amounts you get something close and make due.

 

[Mickey_Fx]

You can make due but you can also mix/blend your own if there is a large imbalance between what the soil needs and what std blend you can get in your area. Start out with a std blend then add in a concentrate for what is lacking in the std blend to bring it up to what the soil report said is needed.

I'm fortunate to have a fertilizer Co in town so I don't have as big a problem getting what I need as I'm sure most are.

 

[Western]

One soil analysis I got for a coastal field, showed I need about 5 lbs an acre of potash, Texas A&M recommended I burn off my fields (if practical) to acheive this small amount. So that what I did.

I used a blend like in the spring and Fall and str8 38-0-0 through the cutting season. I took soil samples almost every year and Nitrates were usually the lowest reading ( leached out the most). I had a nieghbor who put out ALOT of 15-15-15 in the Spring and Fall, the first and last, and went 32-0-0 through the cutting season.
His hay looked good, but mine tested out better trying to reach the soil sample recommendations.