How much are you willing to spend for fertilizer on your plots this year?

[Foggy47]

How much will you spend on fertilizer this year?

 

[SwampCat]

If I was just managing deer and turkey - not a dime. But I also manage for doves - and the worst of them all - ducks. Have to produce seeds for those two. More fertilizer equals more seed.

 

[FarmerDan]

It depends. I've never been a fan of crops that require a lot of nitrogen. Here in this forum we are always discussing soil test results - lbs/acre, ppm. low ---->>very high. When I was in a position where I could make recommendations to farm operators I would challenge them to keep P & K at high to very high levels if their wallets could afford it. This for many reasons. This year will prove to be one of them. Agriculturally, lots of prior applied P & K will be mined - extracted from the bank. But first, always and everywhere keep pH correct for whatever you plan to grow. Maybe change your plan? Idle land that requires so much amendment it become too costly a burden. It seems to me there's lots of opportunity to produce the same outcome at the same soil fertility costs as last year. And finally KUDOS to those of you in soil improvement mode! This is your year!

 

[Wild Thing]

I plan to fertilize my apple trees once and my lawn once this year. I do not plan to fertilize any of my 16 acres of food plots.

This will be my 7th year since going 100% no-till and I have been using reduced amounts of fertilizer the past 2 years. I used to buy tons of fertilizers but I am happy to say that my soils really don't need it anymore. All 6 of my soil tests last year showed pH in the range of 6.9 - 7.5. The last time I added ag-lime was in 2014 when I opened up 10 more acres of food plots. Have not needed any lime since then either.

Go Green!



I will continue to monitor my soils from time to time but as long as the results continue to look like this I don't expect to ever go back to using synthetic fertilizers.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I have a bag of triple 10 from last year, my apple trees will get some. My plots are in decent shape, and they have a decent crop of clover growing in them, and they all have winter rye planted in them from last summer. I will probably keep it simple and toss a mix into the standing clover, that wont require any urea, and let the clover give it the boost for nitrogen.

My P&K , and PH is in good shape.

 

[Skeeter]

Going the biological route this year. Have been running a worm bin for over a year. Inoculating with vermicast both through the planter and treating seed that I broadcast. Going to play around with applying extracts as a foliar. Seed drilled last year with vermicast looked great considering the drought.

 

[PatinPA]

I bought 2 bags of triple 10. some for fruit trees the rest I'll put on the plots. My plots are recently established and I'm trying to get them up to where they need to be. Hopefully will eventually just be able to do no till every year.

 

[Peeps]

Just for my fruit trees and garden.

 

[Trinktrink]

Going the biological route this year. Have been running a worm bin for over a year. Inoculating with vermicast both through the planter and treating seed that I broadcast. Going to play around with applying extracts as a foliar. Seed drilled last year with vermicast looked great considering the drought.

Nice! I’m experimenting with similar things. Plan on brewing some different compost teas to try this year. Curious though about how you are treating your seeds. Are you making a slurry to treat them or just running a dry mix?

 

[Barndog56]

No chemical fertilizer, no lime. Never used them, never will.

It's way too easy to turn 'weeds' into liquid fertilizer for my fruit trees and garden.

 

[buckdeer1]

I fertilized 2 acres of orchard this year as it had not been before.It was 900.00 for half of a ground drive spreader.

 

[Skeeter]

Nice! I’m experimenting with similar things. Plan on brewing some different compost teas to try this year. Curious though about how you are treating your seeds. Are you making a slurry to treat them or just running a dry mix?

Through the drill or planter I just mix screened castings with the seed and plant. If I'm broadcasting, I make an extract and lightly wet the seeds with that. After a little mixing they're usually dry enough to broadcast. Tempted to try and make a slurry to coat the seeds but I'm not quite set up for that the way I'd like to be. Will likely wait until next year to play with that.

 

[Tree Spud]

I have fertilized ~1000 confers by hand this past spring. Took about 8-9 50 lbs bags of 20-20-20. Still have my apple trees and about 8 acres of beans to fertilize.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

No idea how much I'll spend but since almost all of my plots will be new plots this year I'll be willing to spend a fair bit after I get soil tests if they call for it. Hopefully with diverse mixes and no-till planting i can get to minimal fertilizer use soon.

 

[Wild Thing]

No idea how much I'll spend but since almost all of my plots will be new plots this year I'll be willing to spend a fair bit after I get soil tests if they call for it. Hopefully with diverse mixes and no-till planting i can get to minimal fertilizer use soon.

For your new plots I think getting your pH right is priority 1. If your pH isn't somewhere near neutral it won't make much difference how much fertilizer you apply.

I opened up 10 acres of new food plots in 2013 after a timber harvest. In 2014 I applied ag-lime (26 tons) a little heavier than recommended. I applied fertilizer pretty much as recommended by soil tests. In 2016 I went 100% no till. The past 2 years I have used less than recommended fertilizer inputs. All of my plots are in the 6.9 - 7.5 pH range and this will be my first year of applying zero synthetic fertilizers. No question in my mind that the no-till practice and cover cropping has helped my soil a lot.

Initially my cover crops were usually just rye or in some cases rye and clover. The past few years my cover crops have been a blend of 8-12 different plants and I believe this has helped tremendously.

You have the right idea.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

I selected the 50-200 but more than likely will not spend a dime.

 

[bigboreblr]

I am fertilizing my home 1/3 acre plot. I see it everyday. Debating leaving the clover till fall, or giving buckwheat a try. Got creeping charlie in in I dont like. Its has crabgrass, timothy, and plantains which I dont mind. Sprayed it last fall.

The extra price for fertilizer is offset by the extra price of my truck getting up to camp 200 miles away. so.... an extra $25 in fertilizer that saves me a extra trip to camp, that'll sav me. Instead of several trips to break in a wild area to a new plot, I am dumping lime and fertilzer on (2) old log landings. 2 extra places for the deer to eat, plus virtually no site prep except a mow or spray maybe. one log landing is tough, but blueberry and some weeds are growing. Much like a plot I didnt have much hope for last year, but converted to a great spot.

 

[Wild Thing]

Blueberries like acidic soil so you know that plot is going to need some lime for sure.

 

[Wild Thing]

The extra price for fertilizer is offset by the extra price of my truck getting up to camp 200 miles away. so.... an extra $25 in fertilizer that saves me a extra trip to camp, that'll sav me. I

Not sure how higher fertilizer prices AND higher gas/fuel prices equate to a savings anywhere but I hope it works out for you.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I'll probably spend more on fertilizer than I should. I have better luck drawing bucks in shooting range when I have soybeans and corn and they do a lot better with fertilizer. I do plant some of the cover crop type blends that have lower fertilizer requirements, but the deer don't like them as much.