Need to fertilize

[AGRIMAN]

If nothing has been done in nearly 10 years, you may want to be seated when you get the cost. But you really never know, I have leased a little over 200 additional acres this year.... 25 of it was back in the spring of the year and I know nothing had been done to it in nearly 10 years. When the samples came back I was totally surprised as they weren't that bad. Part of it didn't need any lime and what did only needed a 1/2 ton and P & K was all in the mid range.

Get your sample sent off and then let the local fertilizer guys quote you a price. Remember it pays to shop around. If it's too much for you to handle at one time, then split it up. Stay away from the 3 pt spreads, you are just killing yourself and probably just making a mess. I have a dry fertilizer buggy and I'm building a liquid applicator so I'm trying to more self-sufficient. Mine works good with lime, but if you're putting out a lot of tonnage, you really need to have in dumped in the field or you will spend most of your time driving back and forth. Check into using their buggy or have them spread it for you.

As far as dry ver liquid, it just depends on what I'm doing. I use dry for the majority of my P & K, but sometimes I will add some pop up in row crops. For just N (with a little surfer) on grass, whatever is cheapest at the time.

 

[Egbert]

Having just retired, I'm trying not to make all of this a J O B It's supposed to be Fun!

Looks as though, if I tackle this fertilizer issue correctly, it IS going to cost me a kidney - lol.

I've done 2 years of treating some briar and sprayed the entire acreage with Remedy Ultra in late spring of this year. It helps greatly with the briar, and some other things, but that set me back about $1200. As for thistle, I remove it by hand ... one plant at a time ... and spray the root. With a few neighbors that do very little in thistle control, this has been a major challenge. But, I am glad to say, you won't find a single thistle in my pastures - unless it's just a rosette hiding somewhere. So far, weed control is financially manageable and allows me to turn a nice profit on the hay. Dropping multiple thousands on fertilizer will most certainly put me in a hole.

I'll get my soil test in the next few weeks and that will give me the story on just what is needed. Then a shopping I will go E I E I O It sounds like I may have to break this up into 3 or 4 parcels to keep from busting the budget.

 

[foreman Etexas]

I used GRASSHOPPER fertilizer a powder that is water soluble(30-8-10). Advanced Liquid Nutrition | Grasshopper Fertilizer They also have liquid lime,never used it MOJO.

 

[bigbull338]

i dont know what fert cost in your area but i can give you some rough figures.you need 11 tons of fert at a time.thats about $5500 or more.lime if needed 1 ton to the ac roughly $3000.an if you need 3tons to ac your at $9000.

 

[Egbert]

Do you mind sharing the approximate cost of the grasshopper fertilizer? From a quick read, it says about 10-15 lbs per acre on hay.

Did you get this in 25lb bags or some larger size?

 

[foreman Etexas]

Do you mind sharing the approximate cost of the grasshopper fertilizer? From a quick read, it says about 10-15 lbs per acre on hay.

Did you get this in 25lb bags or some larger size?

25lbs is $52bag,I have found it for 51 but wasn't worth the longer drive. I like it cause can add the weed killer and spray both at same time. Its not a lot only equal to about 150lbs of the dry but its better than putting nothing. I let the co-op but the dry lime out,this year done 2tons an acre. 50tons was around 2,000 put out.

 

[Paul N]

I've been reading lately on some other ag sites that we can expect potash to drop at least $100/ton, many are expecting an even bigger drop. This is because of the break up of a Russian fertilizer cartell. You might want to re think fall application.

 

[slowzuki]

I'll add, you likely won't want to add all the soil test recommendation in one shot. A good rain will send a lot of it into ditches and down the road money wasted. Ag advisor can tell you how much per application.

 

[Utopia Texas]

Do not consider adding lime to your soil until you have a good soil test run. Many soils, like mine, are extremely alkaline with a pH of 8.5 already. Adding more lime to my soil would be disastrous. In fact I add a lot of sulphur to lower the pH and generally use a lot of ammonium sulfate, 21-0-0, for a temporary drop in pH. When I need more calcium in the soil I use Gypsum which does not generally change the soil pH.

 

[Tx Jim]

25lbs is $52bag,I have found it for 51 but wasn't worth the longer drive. I like it cause can add the weed killer and spray both at same time. Its not a lot only equal to about 150lbs of the dry but its better than putting nothing. I let the co-op but the dry lime out,this year done 2tons an acre. 50tons was around 2,000 put out.

What type of production in tons per acre of hay do you get from Grasshopper Fert? Have you ever heard of Vitazyme?