[Hoytshooter]

I have always fertilized my existing perennial (clover) plots early in the spring. With this rain that we've been getting I'm wanting to get it put out.
I went to the local co-op today and they are mixing me up some 18-48-62 for the plots and I'm picking it up tomorrow. It looks like there is a break in the rain so I can get it on in the next couple of days and there is more rain coming this weekend.

My question is when does everyone else fertilize their existing plots?
The reason I asked is because the guy down there I was talking to said that it would be better to not put it on until early may because it wouldn't do much good this spring. I have a hard time believing that. He said that the P and K take a long time to get in and start their work so by waiting until may, the fertilizer is doing it's work while it's only benefitting the clover and not the weeds. All but one of my plots are pretty pure stands so I'm not overly concerned with weeds in them, particularly with a low nitrogen fertilizer. It seems to me that I should be getting it on now, like usual, so the clover is being benefitted while it's in its initial growth.

Any thoughts??

 

[alwyshntn]

I'm not a farming expert but I would put it on now.

First if you have a relatively pure stand there isn't much concern for weeds

Second I would want to make sure I had it on when it is putting all its energy in growing.

Next I would want to get it in with all these good spring rains ahead of us and not in May when the rain can soon get few and far between.

Just my .02....

Also if you find you are having a problem with weeds later just go thru and spray 'em.

 

[Redonthehead]

For an existing clover field I would definately put it on now. Might even have put it on last fall if I would of had time.

 

[henry]

I'd do it now if that was all I was fertilizing. We wait ,,but only for the convienience of doing it while the buggy is there for row crop.

:cheers::cheers:

 

[Hoytshooter]

Thanks all, I think I'll be doing it tomorrow if I get a chance and the weather cooperates.

Henry
It's not the only thing we will be fertilizing, but the only other thing will be milo which we won't be planting for a few months and I'm not waiting that long!

 

[henry]

Originally posted by Hoytshooter
Thanks all, I think I'll be doing it tomorrow if I get a chance and the weather cooperates.

Henry
It's not the only thing we will be fertilizing, but the only other thing will be milo which we won't be planting for a few months and I'm not waiting that long!

I hear ya,,,you'll probably be putting a different mix on the milo too. I will have to fertilize sunflowers with bagged, because we don't have any wheat or milo this year, so the high nitrogen stuff will go on out of a bag.

:cheers::cheers:

 

[Hoytshooter]

Same here Henry. I've never bought it by the truckload or in the huge sacks. I always buy it by the bag even if I am applying it with an e-z flow. I'll be fertilizing the milo at planting but will go with a higher nitrogen. I usually just put down triple 12 or 13 on my initial plantings.

 

[henry]

I like to avoid N on my legumes if at all possible. I don't think alittle hurts anything,,,but man that stuffs gone thru the roof.

:cheers::cheers:

 

[Hoytshooter]

Same here Henry, that's why the 18-48-62 mix I'm picking up tomorrow. It was the lowest I could get.

 

[Whitemarsh]

Hoyt, Pand K, in the form of Potash and Phosphate, are not readily water soluble and when topically applied, take approximately 6 months to reach the the effective root zone of forages. So spring broadcast-applied P and K becomes readily available to the plants in the fall and fall broadcast-applied P and K becomes readily available in the spring.

N, on the other hand, in the form of nitrate or urea, is highly water soluble and moves to the root zone almost immediately after a rain and becomes effective almost immediately.

This is why many folks apply P and K in the fall and N in the spring. On the other hand if you want to only make one trip over the plot apply your NPK in the spring.


You can purchase highly water soluble P and K but the cost is much higher and harder to get in the Mid-west. These are usually used in irrigation systems.

On the other hand if you incorporate P and K into the soil root zone, you can apply it any time and it beomes effective in a very short time.

You are getting N in your fertilizer blend because the fertilizer plant is using Diammonium phosphate (18-46-0) or Monoammonium phosphate (11-52-0). If they would use Triple- super-phosphate (0-46-0) you would be getting 0 N and your fertilizer bill will be a lot cheaper. N is terribly high priced this year. Just my 2cents about a favorite subject.

 

[PFR]

So, what is everyones opinion on when frost seeded (nothing growing yet) clover should be fertilized? It has been frost seeded into wheat and rye which were fertilzed when planted last fall. I have always fertilized the newly seeded clover now but I am also starting to think that by doing it that way it gives the weeds alot more of a head start over the clover. I was actually thinking about not fertilizing the clover I frost seeded until fall, hoping that the fertilizer from last fall would carry over for now and at the same time the weed growth would be held back a little.

So basically what is the general consensus on when a new, frost seeded into wheat, clover patch should be fertilized?

 

[Hoytshooter]

PFR
That is what he was talking about. I generally, and most people that I know that are into food plots fertilize in the spring and will fertilize again in the fall with an even fertilizer like 13-13-13 just prior to deer season to give it another little boost.

 

[Thayer]

Whitemarsh, a couple questions....

First a point...your clovers could always use a good dose of potash and phosphate to strengthen their root systems and out compete their counterparts...weeds and grasses..I always try to put down a low nitrogen and high P,K fertilizer during the frost seeding season...my feeling is that the fert gives the clover an extra boost and limits the grasses from over competition.

Question 1 Your phosphate ferts have no potash in them...how would you rectifiy that part of the fertilizer equation?

#2 How would you incorporate your fertilizer, in the soil, for established clovers and other perrenials?


Thank you sir!

 

[Whitemarsh]

PFR
I believe you are doing it correctly.


Thayer
P and K applied during the frost seeding will really boost fall growth of your clovers. Nitrogen is what generally causes the grasses and weeds to compete with the clovers.

1. When your fertilizer plant blends your fertilizer they will use Potash (potassium chloride) which can range from 0-0-60 to 0-0-63 and mix it with one of the various types of phosphate ingredients such as DAP MAP or TSP. If you are applying nitrogen they would include ammonium nitrate (34-0-0) or Urea (46-0-0) as the nitrogen source.

2. The only practical way to incorporate fertilizer in perrenials is at the time of planting. In established forages it can be injected in liquid or dry form by knifing it in, but it is expensive and takes heavy equipment and high horsepower, so it isn't practical for food plots.
Hope this helps.