# Urea fertilizer on grass hay, cold spring, late application, even worth it still?



## dmiller (Apr 4, 2011)

Dryland hay has had 70 lbs of N the past 2 years in a row, got the rec. app. of P and K last year Gave about 1 2/3 ton to the acre the past 2 years. Ave. for the county is about 1 1/2 (dryland and irrigated combined ave.).
Last few years applied the pelleted urea the first week of april due to frozen ground and snow (south central Montana) This year the rain keeps coming so the ground is pretty soft.
I'm beginning to wonder if maybe this would be a year to not apply at all due to the strong possibility of a wet cold spring. Will the temps be high enough for the crop to even use well the fertilizer??? Usually cut it the last week of June first couple weeks of July.
Price for 70lbs/acre was quoted to me at $40/acre Sell the hay for $100 a ton in small squares. Fertilizer needs to increase crop by 1/2 ton to the acre to pay for itself and the application.
Ideas or suggestions.


----------



## K WEST FARMS (Apr 4, 2011)

Hi there! I am new too Haytalk also. I live in Nor. Cent. Wis. We also are going to have a late and cold Spring. I usually do not apply any N to first crop. I like to cut first crop grass early June and can cut about every 35 days or so after that. Obviously moisture is not a problem. I apply 30 to 40 lbs N after first cut and again in early Aug. if cash flow permits !!!! Here 1st crop comes fast and thick and any N at that time makes it harder to dry down. I market most of my hay to horse people, riding or cart horses or work horses ( Amish ). Hope you have a good year !! John


----------



## Toyes Hill Angus (Dec 21, 2010)

In the days when I did use fertilizer, I did not apply until after 1st cut. There always seemed to be enough nutrients in the ground in the early parts of the year. Once first cut was off of the feild I would hit it up then. You never seem to know if you are going to be able to get hay off in time due to weather these days and late cutting and fertilizer do not make good bedfellows to say the least. It's pretty dis-heartening to watch a nice crop of lush hay grow thick coarse and fall down and ultimately wind up looking like a bundle of sticks held together by two strings!! Without fertilizer seems to give you that extra week or so. Of course I could be looking at this the wrong way, maybe more fertilizer and I would be done before the rain ever came! six of one or a half dozen of another.


----------

