[Reed]

Was in the coop in st peters, they didn't have 10-10-10, but had 12-12-12, will this be ok? I am going to mix 50-50 with ag lime and then till under, then seed and drag. We are doing several small plots for fall food plot in heavy timber around Warrenton. Was hoping 50-50 will do the trick.

Any comments/suggestions?

won't have time for a soil analysis.

 

[MercerMonster]

Reed,
As long as you are not planting legumes, your fert. should be fine. If you are planting any type of legumes, they will make their own nitrogen and therefore, I would go with a 0-20-20. Otherwise, you are just feeding the competing weeds.

 

[Reed]

should I do roundup treatment before fertilizer and seed?

 

[pinwheel]

What are you planning to plant? As a general rule, unless I'm planting clover, corn or milo, I spread 200# / acre 13-13-13. With no soil sample, I'd put a minimum of 500# / acre lime. You'll have easier luck spreading pellet lime with a broadcast spreader than ag lime. But you'll pay considerably more. Your local fertilizer plant fertilizer & pellet lime in bulk if you've got a trailer to haul it on. It's considerably cheaper this way. Pellet lime will be half price in bulk verses bagged lime.

Around here, pellet lime in bulk is $95/ton or $5.25 for 50# bagged. That's over $200/ton. Ag lime is $7/ton at the local quarry.

If I fertilizing clover, I spread 200#/acre 6-24-24

Corn & milo I have them mix bulk fertilizer with a high nitrogen count.

 

[Hannibal]

Reed
the numbers are in order nitrogen - phosphorus - potassium. when it says 12-12-12 those are in 100 pound increments, so the bags are 50 pounds you need two bags to get 12 pounds of fertilizer n,p,k. the difference in 10-10-10 and 12-12-12 is 2 pounds per 100 pounds of fert. not much..........i hope i didnt confuse

 

[pinwheel]

Thanks Hannibal, I never knew that. Good info.

 

[Hoytshooter]

I disagree a little with some of the above, but it isn't a big deal. I personally use an even fertilizer, generally 12-12-12 on all my initial plantings, legumes included. Then when I fertilize after it's established I'll go with a low or 0 nitrogen fertilizer. Just a personal preference. It's true the legumes will produce their own N, but they have to be growing first so I give them a boost to start out with, havn't had any weed problems this way.

 

[Reed]

I wish I had all the "farm implements" to do a big <1acre plot. We are just going to scatter some small area appox. 15x15. The blend I am putting down is:

34% dwarf essex rape
26% Buckwheat
18% bridger rape
18% purple top clover
.50 % sugar beets

It's heavily wooded area and we have some spots that get quite a bit of sun near some stands. This is basically an experiment to see if this helps to hold some animals as they pass through the area.

It's suggested by the manufacturer to not plant until 15 August and will not be consumed until after the first frost.

reed

 

[pinwheel]

If you've got a large deer population, plots smaller than 1/4 acre can be wiped out in a matter of days. You mentioned your plots are in wooded areas. #1, you'll definately need quite a bit of lime. Several hundred # would not be out of line. That small of an area, it won't be hard to buy ag lime (cheaper) & just sling it around the plot. The other recomendation I would make is to get your chainsaw out. You need to provide as much sunlight to the floor as possible. For plots like this, wheat & rye are a good choice because they're cheap, they grow fast, they grow decent on lower quality soil & deer like them during bow & rifle season. From what I've read, (no first hand experience here) the rape & turnips are prefered later in the year. After we're done hunting.

Hoyt,
When I first planted my clover, I fertilized according to the fertilizer plants recomendations. (200# 6-24-24/acre)I have since read exatly what you explained when the clover was starting it needed the nitrogen. I also recently read that by adding nitrogen late in the year, it will sweeten the clover & make it more palatable. Don't know if thats true or not, but I'm going to experiment a little with it this fall. Got a 1.5 acre plot that I'm going to put extra nitrogen on half & see if it gets more use than the other half.

 

[Hannibal]

legumes fix N like hoyt said, when they get established they form nodules on their roots to do the job. kick startin with some N is the thing to do. once established they shouldnt need ant N, N wont sweetin clover but it will make it grow more, new young shoots are sweeter and tender, its just not necessary. mow it and new stuff will come