# Liquid vs Granular fertilizer on Coastal



## BGB Hay

I'm new to this...I live in Central Texas with very sandy soil. The coastal bermuda has not yet come out in the hay fields but the weeds are starting to. I was wanting to fertilize with weed kill added but I need to know if it is the right time and whether to use solid or liquid fertilizer.

Is the liquid fertilizer absorbed through the leaves and therefore do I need to wait until the coastal starts to leaf out? Does the solid fertilizer just stay in the soil for a while until rain helps it to get absorbed through the roots?

Also, I was going to use Chaparral for weed kill since I do not have and applicator license. For this to be effective do I need to wait utnil the weeds have leafed out really well or can I spray when they are small or have yet to emerge?

Thanks for any help.


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## ralph2

hi, i can speak alittle about liquid vs grandular. i tried liquid (25-5-20) last year during what i think were good conditions for putting it out. i put it out on 100 acres (two applications) two weeks apart. i think it was a total waste. fields with NO fertilizer had just as much growth while fields with grandular had much more growth, at least twice as much, maybe more. BUT i tested hay from both kinds of fertilizers and they tested the same for protien (14%) thats a plus for the liquid. if you include your time putting out the liquid, with my sprayer it takes alittle more than an hour to cover 10 acres not including the time it takes to fill the sprayer, the cost of the grandular is still 2 times higher but you get twice as much hay. i can bale just as many acres of heavy hay as i can light hay. after i sell it, ive got more money in my pocket. course all this doesnt mean anything if you dont get the rain needed to grow hay. just my opinion. others may have had better luck with the liquid.


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## somedevildawg

BGB Hay said:


> I'm new to this...I live in Central Texas with very sandy soil. The coastal bermuda has not yet come out in the hay fields but the weeds are starting to. I was wanting to fertilize with weed kill added but I need to know if it is the right time and whether to use solid or liquid fertilizer.
> 
> Is the liquid fertilizer absorbed through the leaves and therefore do I need to wait until the coastal starts to leaf out? Does the solid fertilizer just stay in the soil for a while until rain helps it to get absorbed through the roots?
> 
> Also, I was going to use Chaparral for weed kill since I do not have and applicator license. For this to be effective do I need to wait utnil the weeds have leafed out really well or can I spray when they are small or have yet to emerge?
> 
> Thanks for any help.


Lots of guys on here that can speak to your microclimate in the vast state of Texas, btw put your location in your profile so future post will have it denoted. I have fields that I fertilize with granular (urea) N and I have field that I have sprayed, lots of fertilizer coops and dealers don't have the setup to spray NPK. My fields yield about the same, test about the same both from the standpoint of the forage test and the soil test. This is interesting because I didn't think I could possibly apply enough potash through liquid, and I may not, only time and tests will tell, so far so good. But, I f I were you, and I had a somewhat predictable weather pattern, I usually hit my granular field with half the required K at spring green-up, btw did you test your soil? Ph? And I would hit it with recommended Np at that time. Now bear in mind, Bermuda has a thirst for N.....about 3# per day per acre, so apply according to your soil samples. 
Weed control.....what kind of weeds? 2-4d controls most broad leafs, but then again someone from your area is probably more privy to your weed types there. I don't use chaparral, I do however have a chaparral boat that I love to take out but can't seem to find the time, I use DuPont Pastora in my Bermuda fields, it is the best, bar none, but it comes at a premium price.....15-17$ an ounce....that's pricey for hay.....BUT it does control sandbur, Baha'i, and Vassey grass for us, and that's a big plus. It requires two (2) applications one (1) once per acre, 15 days apart with the first coming at spring green-up, on that application I mix with 2-4d 1(quart pa), the second I usually don't mix with 2-4d just surfactant (both applications). My herbicide cost run about $50pa, the Pastora or any of the other selective herbicides will stunt your Bermuda for the first cutting, I usually apply about 50#pa initially of N to give that Bermuda some help, my first cut is sold as cow hay, it's usually a bad yield with dead weeds, not horsey material. The Bermuda will quickly recover after 30 days with Pastora and yield will return to normal, that can't be said for some of the others.....
My routine, #400 of N pa...0 P pa...#200-300 K pa. That's per year totals, based on soil samples, skimp and it hurts yield and quality on the forage analysis .....another thing, apply N and the rest of your pk throughout the summer, usually spread out so that you, cut, bale, fertilize, repeat.....every 29-31 days, good lord willing, usually 3-4 times per year, so divide accordingly.... Hope this helps and I didn't leave anything out


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