Liquid Fertilizer Questions?? Tillage...

[Deerherd]

A full coverage NPK application of 20-20-10 is sure to promote weed growth and sounds ok for native grasses, but not for clover or young grape vines. But then again you are in Texas and I'm in upstate NY so things are a little different.

If I had three weeks until the young vines were being delivered I would roundup the whole area today. Let that work over the next couple of weeks and disc it all up, drag and cultipack the whole thing.

Talk with the nursery and find out what they have been using and not get too crazy and go on their fertilizer recommendation to carry over until spring. I would plant clover and grasses at the same time or frost seed late winter/early spring. This would give you a great leg up on weed control.

With any plant, your ability to identify nutrient deficiencies is key, especially when the three you are trying to grow (grapes, clover and native grasses) nutrient requirements are different. Good luck!

 

[SanDucerro]

Thanks Dave! The soil report I had done was specific to my soil and the grapes I wanted to grow. I had Texas A&M run the test and then make recommendations for Blanc Du Bois and Black Spanish. As such, I'm just following their lead. I have to put faith in what they are saying as I don't have any experience otherwise.

I like your suggestions on the roundup and will probably kick myself for not following them, but I have a bit less than 3 weeks (more like 2) and I needed to get the ball rolling. This is something I should have done over the summer when I had 3 months to play with, but there were other issues that came up.

At any rate, the fertilizer truck was here this morning and finished about 15 minutes after they arrived. Evidently it doesn't take much time to lay down liquid fertilizer over 5 acres when you've got 60 foot booms on your truck! And - as luck would have it - we just got a STRONG shower that didn't last long, but dropped a 1/4" of rain (more expected later). I'll hold off discing until late next week.

Thanks!

 

[SanDucerro]

The Crimson Clover "fact sheet" from the USDA says to not apply additional Nitrogen UNLESS the soil site is degraded. Mine is, so I "think" I'll be OK on the clover. But I'll wait until after the vines are in before putting the seed down - that will give us about 3+ weeks. It's still pretty hot down here, so there's still some time left...

 

[foreman Etexas]

Hope things go well for you,I rarely hook up to my disc now that I have a 74"Tiller. If didn't won't to use weed killers,when weeds come up till them again and again,usually works. Just don't spray anything with Pictural(spelling probably wrong)(residual) it will hurt your seeds.

 

[SanDucerro]

I like the big 8' disc harrow I've got. Once the site was plowed and then I ran the disc it looked like I had used a tiller - nice and fluffy. Actually, a little too fluffly - I ran it too deep the first time. But now that the soil is resetting - firming up - I can go about 6" down with just the disc and it turns up real purty... Discs VERY easy too.

The only real weed I had issues with was the Wooly Corton - and that weed is suppose to HATE fertilizer. It likes it's soil a bit more barren. We'll see what a good spray of liquid fertilizer does for it - should be interesting. The rest of the pasture just regrew the Costal Bermuda.

 

[SanDucerro]

Here's a shot of the liquid fertilizer truck...

 

[foreman Etexas]

Haven't ever had any dealing with that weed. How has that new tractor been? You got the white dually also right?

 

[SanDucerro]

New tractor is GREAT! But it did tear the heck out of the Bush Hog SQ600. Gonna need a bit more heavy duty rotary cutter for the M7040! It loves to pull the 8' disc though - and did a pretty fair job with the root plow (although I wouldn't want to do that every day).

As for the "tour bus" - it ain't quite as fast as the '09 Corvette I traded in on it, but it sure is a nice truck! Took it on a 2000+ mile trip to Colorado Springs in June. That was the most comfortable I've ever been on a long trip.

The "Woolly Corton" is more commonly known as Dove Weed, or Hogwart, or Texas Goat Weed. They normally come up when there is a soil disturbance (like me plowing and then discing).... The weed prefers dry open areas in sandy or rocky soil. I'm pretty sure the fertilizer will kill it. It doesn't like competition from grasses or anything else for that matter... It had a good run during the dry hot summer, but now that the winter rains are in play I don't think it will be much of an issue.

 

[foreman Etexas]

Well heck,why didn't you just say Goat weed,:laughing:its everywhere

 

[SanDucerro]

Well heck,why didn't you just say Goat weed,:laughing:its everywhere

I just like to say "shred the Woolly"... :laughing:

I had to look the weed up to find out what it was actually called so I could figure out what to do about it. Now I know more about the Woolly than I'd care too... But yes - the dang stuff is EVERYWHERE!