Fertilizer question
- Thread starter Snoop
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Bassattackr
5 year old buck +
Loaded question.
Short answer - The quicker the better..
Short answer - The quicker the better..
There are much more qualified on here than me, and a lot of factors, but FWIW- what I do- If it's a new plot where my soil test has called for it- is do whatever tillage I am going to do, apply fertilizer, work it in- but not too deep, then plant. If you are planting a non-legume- i have had some luck with giving it a top dress shot of N- after you've got some good growth and before a rain. I do all my P and K at time of seeding, and only an N top dressing after- and I don't always have time of want to allocate funds to the top dressing.
Bassattackr
5 year old buck +
No one cares Jack.
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
I think you will get a better answer with a few more shared facts Snoop. What crop are you planing to fertilize? Are you looking to apply a blend or nitrogen? Have your seeds germinated? What is your growing zone or location. Do you have any recs from a soil sample? Type of dirt? (sandy loam? Clay? etc).
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
That is not consistent with the current trends. More and more folks care about soil health and reducing input costs while managing for deer!
Tree Spud
5 year old buck +
They all care about soil health until they can't grow something.
Tree Spud
5 year old buck +
In addition to some of the positive input you received above, the type of fertilizer form you use may have different requirements. Some will be slow release by their nature and can be added will seeding. Nitrogen based Urea should be planted within 3-4 days of a good rain as it will lose potency exposed to air. Your soil type may also have an impact as more sandy content will be susceptible to leaching nitrogen when applied if there isn't enough OM in your soil.
A good place to contact is your local feed mill. They are good with your local soils and can help with recommendations.
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
There is no one thing that you must grow to manage deer. It does take some effort to find the right balance of of methods and crops for your area and soils. I'm on marginal soil, more suitable for growing pines than farming. The more marginal the soil, the more important soil health is in the long run. There is no doubt that one can grow food plots with high cost, high import traditional farming techniques.
FarmerDan
5 year old buck +
There's a long answer and a short answer. If we were talking about production agriculture where the plant requires a lot of nitrogen at a critical time (like corn) and where yield is a prime consideration then split applications of nitrogen would be required - some at planting and some later. Then there's the P and K requirement. But, for habitat located food plots it really doesn't matter - although there's much debate and myth about timing of nitrogen application. Me? For small scale application I don't think it matters. Apply when it's convenient for you.
Thanks for the reply‘s. The reason for asking is a friend works at a seed distributor & has some bags that they can’t sell & offering to me at a significant discount. I was asked about putting it on this 3 acre plot i seeded last weekend. It’s Green Covers fall release with some extra oat’s I had around.
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
Looks great my man. I can’t imagine it would do anything but help to throw it out there now.
I agree, apply it now.
I dont use much tillage anymore - but have to admit - I cant remember direct seeding by any method into untilled ground and standing back when finished and think “man, that looks good!”
Your plot looks good!
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
Totally agree. I don’t do much tillage either now but had this field cleaned up with dozer (got guy digging some ponds) and I love how it looks. So excited to plant.
S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
Around here phosphorous is generally put down in the fall prior to tillage. Nitrogen for food plots My view is when needed. I'm not sure on potasium.
If it's just p&k id say get it on the soil. If there is heavy amounts of nitrogen I'd hold off. To much N and you will have some weed issues.
If it's just p&k id say get it on the soil. If there is heavy amounts of nitrogen I'd hold off. To much N and you will have some weed issues.
Nightvision
5 year old buck +
I know you have already seeded but here is my .02
Fertilizer needs to be in the root zone which is down 4-6” or so. Nitrogen will leach into the soil rather quickly if there’s rain but will also evaporate rather quickly in hot, dry weather.
Phosphorus and Potassium do not leach into the soil that quickly and one is them is very slow to do so. Never can remember which one.
So my final answer is till it in when possible. If that’s not an option, broadcast before a rain. They’ll all get where they need to eventually.
Fertilizer needs to be in the root zone which is down 4-6” or so. Nitrogen will leach into the soil rather quickly if there’s rain but will also evaporate rather quickly in hot, dry weather.
Phosphorus and Potassium do not leach into the soil that quickly and one is them is very slow to do so. Never can remember which one.
So my final answer is till it in when possible. If that’s not an option, broadcast before a rain. They’ll all get where they need to eventually.
FarmerDan
5 year old buck +
One day, some day we need to get a thread started for a discussion of fertilizer, nitrogen especially. We need to beat the life out of it like we have with lime. We debated high calcium lime and high magnesium lime; particle size; pelleted vs ag vs barn lime. And just about anything else of perceived great importance. Nitrogen is even more complicated in source and form, how it acts in the soil, effects of temperature & humidity. What happens to it if it rains a lot or doesn't rain at all - and a whole lot more.
That really sounds serious and I don't mean for it to be. It would be an interesting conversation over a couple glasses of sweet tea, don't ya' think? Where's the winking smiley face icon?
That really sounds serious and I don't mean for it to be. It would be an interesting conversation over a couple glasses of sweet tea, don't ya' think? Where's the winking smiley face icon?
