# Topdressing After First Cutting



## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

For those of you who topdress with N after first cutting- what is too much of a good thing? I am all orchard grass and do 65# N as either stabilized urea or urea with 24 units of S per ac. Noticed a very neat dark green line about a foot wide this year ( overlap) and wondered if I should be using a slightly higher rate. From prior comments, I know the Bermuda grass guys apply higher amounts. So what do do put on and what is te grass?


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Is there any U studies on this by any chance?. I know there is for alfalfa.

I re-apply 50# (80# of actual product) of K, 20# of MAP/DAP & 12# of actual AMS per ton removed on my fields. Seems there should be some sort of correlation to tons removed/N needed. Up to a point, then it would become a 'luxury' amount. Luxury, meaning not economical for you. 

I tried to get some pics of a field that had the 1 foot or so stripes this spring, but at 55 didn't show well. I contributed the stripes to the spinners being turned off, being I could see the U pattern at the end of the field. I didn't think 1 foot overlap with spinners would be that accurate, but..................... anything is possible.

Larry


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

r82230 said:


> Is there any U studies on this by any chance?. I know there is for alfalfa.
> 
> I re-apply 50# (80# of actual product) of K, 20# of MAP/DAP & 12# of actual AMS per ton removed on my fields. Seems there should be some sort of correlation to tons removed/N needed. Up to a point, then it would become a 'luxury' amount. Luxury, meaning not economical for you.
> 
> ...


Don't know of the studies, but have not studiously looked either. The real issue is that it probably only matters if your fertility otherwise is not limiting. So if you are skimping generally, then adding more n isn't going to help. Overall fertility and ph is not a limiting factor for me, Both are addressed annually based on rigorous soil testing. I actually liked the green stripe. Much better than two prior years with another vendor that had a band under the spinners from bad fertilizer (or that was the claim). I could still see remnants this year so I am guessing it was the MAP they used, not the urea. It would not hold together so the spinners couldn't fling it About 15' wide band.


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## PaulN (Mar 4, 2014)

I don't believe that dark green strip was overlap. I worked at a co-op in the 80's. When we first started spreading impregnated fertilizer, we had to test our spread pattern. We set out cake pans every 10 feet for 100 feet and then drove the spreader through. The fertilizer in each pan was put in a test tube, and when all the test tubes were lined up side by side you could see the pattern plain as day.

Even though the spreader is designed for a 50 spread, it will actually spread 80 feet or more, but it is pretty thin out there. The spreader manufacturer is depending on overlap to even things out, and the evening out(overlap) takes place in about a 15 - 30 foot wide strip.

The one foot wide dark green strip is most likely coming from directly behind the spreader, perhaps a bent fin or diverter out of adjustment.


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## JLP (Aug 5, 2013)

That is my bet. Or the spinners weren't turning at all. Had that happen once.


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## FCF (Apr 23, 2010)

For orchard grass in our area UK recommends up to 50 lb/ac N between May 1 to 15 and up to 80 lb/ac N between August 1 to 15 when P and K are adequate. For early N application up to 100 lb/ac N between Feb 15 and March 15.


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## Trotwood2955 (Sep 4, 2012)

Yep I’m betting it was dropping right behind the spreader. Coop spread some for me once and had trouble with the gate on the spreader. Didn’t realize until they were finished. Streaked really bad and not the typical gradual streak patterns you get from them not overlapping enough.


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## PaulN (Mar 4, 2014)

I would think that if the spinners weren't turning and the fertilizer was dropped directly behind the spreader, you would have dead strips, not dark green.


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## Mellow (Jun 22, 2015)

I've changed from 50 to 60 for 2nd orchard grass. Also apply some P, K, and S in the mix. After about 3 weeks or so some of the dark green starts to fade at places but not in streaks.


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