# Fertilizing Yesterday.



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

I spread fertilizer yesterday knowing that there was a fair chance of rain this morning. We have received .28 so far and might get a little more rain. That should be enough to get the nitrogen in the ground. There were no lines at the blender and no wait for the buggies. Seems a $1000 per ton has changed things dramatically. Many have said they would not fertilize this year. That is fine with me. Maybe the co ops and other pirates will get the message. I reduced my pounds per acre myself. No sense to stick your neck out for a highly unstable and volatile forage market. I am not going to make it difficult on myself...just handle it as it comes.

On a side note, I used a brand new Doyle fertilizer buggy. It was very nice and all hydraulically operated. One small addition that it had that made a significant difference in operator comfort was that it had a built in sight window on the front of the buggy where you could glance your load. I could see the very back of the conveyor chain and with a glance I knew how much fertilizer I had left. Maybe these windows have been out for awhile, but my vendor has not updated their buggies in several years.

Regards, Mike


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## paoutdoorsman (Apr 23, 2016)

Sounds good Mike. I haven't seen the Doyle's, but it sounds nice. I'm still on the fence as to how much I'm cutting back this season as well.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

I figured I would put on the regular amt of N this spring and gage the customer response to price increases. I hate to forgo topdressing not due to yield or return, but because it helps maintain the grass health against weed pressure. But if no one wants to pay the freight, I certainly am not going to throw myself up against the wall multiple times wondering each time anew why it hurts.


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## VA Haymaker (Jul 1, 2014)

No fertilizer here this year. I think the difference between our hay and some of my local competitors will be weeds. We spray for them, they don't. Yields should be similar as they never fertilize or lime.

We'll see...


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

VA Haymaker said:


> No fertilizer here this year. I think the difference between our hay and some of my local competitors will be weeds. We spray for them, they don't. Yields should be similar as they never fertilize or lime.
> 
> We'll see...


Are you utilizing legumes if you have grass hay? Spraying only is more of bandaid then a fix. A good producing grass stand can choke out weeds but needs nitrogen.


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

I am glad I fertilized heavy the last 2 years. Still planning on Urea at a slightly lower rates.


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## VA Haymaker (Jul 1, 2014)

IH 1586 said, "Are you utilizing legumes if you have grass hay? Spraying only is more of bandaid then a fix. A good producing grass stand can choke out weeds but needs nitrogen."

I wouldn’t recommend our fertilizing plans to anyone, but it is the right thing for our farm this year and maybe next.

Thanks!
Bill


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Spread 28% yesterday, no potash or MESZ this year--had soil tests done last fall and all fields were good to excellent on PH/K/P because I overdo when prices were low.

Ralph


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

I am glad to hear that many of you fellas are cutting back or cutting out certain components. These criminal vendors need to feel the pain from loss of sales just like we feel the pain because of their piracy and inflation brought on by incredibly poor leadership. We have the worst leadership in the history of the United States. Pretty sure we will see change this fall and in 2024. Now it's just a matter of "can we wait it out"?

Regards, Mike


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Liming has went up 50% here just this spring. Wouldn't you know that it is time for me to be spreading lime this fall.

I bought a new Ogden wheel rake a couple of weeks ago. It has 60" wheels and a few other perks, but the thing I like best is having the rake wheels in front of the frame. That will allow me to rake at a little higher speeds without as much fear of plugs.

I also bought a new John Deere 15' folding rotary mower. I plan to use it to make my life easier by mowing my upland with it. I have decided to cut back on my baling and to take some yield out of production. This is my way of dealing with some of the lunacy that has been brought on by leadership in this country. I am also concerned that the forced upon price increases that forage producers will have to make this fall will cause a noticeable decline in sales at our levels. Plus, I feel that the inflation that we will see in the next 6 months will be the largest this country has ever seen. These incredible fuel price hikes will affect every single person in this country in one form or another. I have already seen some pretty incredible hikes in transportation cost.

Sincerely, Mike


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## AndyH359 (Jan 3, 2012)

10 years ago I bought a new F-350 and had it converted to run on compressed natural gas (CNG) coming out of the gas well on my property. Really makes a competitive difference when I can keep my delivery rates down due to very low (and stable) fuel costs compared to gasoline or diesel. The wife and I also run both of our cars on CNG.

I plan to skip P & K on my fields and just got with Urea per recommendations I am seeing coming out of Penn State Extension. Keeping up on the soil sample recommendations the last 10 years is really paying off this year.


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## VA Haymaker (Jul 1, 2014)

Everyone I know is cutting back except one farmer. He has bought fertilizer ahead for next year at today's prices. He feels fertilizer prices will be even higher in 2023 - if you can get it.

I don't think the horse customers in our area have a clue about what I think will be a dramatic reduction in yield due to everyone cutting back on fertilizer. Much higher priced squares are coming IMHO and if the buyer says, to high - I'll feed round bales, I think the cattle folks will gobble up that supply as their own fields/yield will be down this summer - those folks will be buying plenty of round bales making demand for squares even higher.

Hang on - it's going to be a very interesting hay season - and if a drought hits, oh boy...


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## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

Hard to say where fertilizer is going to be for next year. I bought my fertilizer for this year last November; my agronomist was say it was going up way back then. I am going to have about 36 tons left over, I decided not to sell it, and will feed it up next fall. Fortunately I have picked up about another 200 acres for this year; all I have to do is cut and bale for half the hay.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

VA Haymaker said:


> Everyone I know is cutting back except one farmer. He has bought fertilizer ahead for next year at today's prices. He feels fertilizer prices will be even higher in 2023 - if you can get it.
> 
> I don't think the horse customers in our area have a clue about what I think will be a dramatic reduction in yield due to everyone cutting back on fertilizer. Much higher priced squares are coming IMHO and if the buyer says, to high - I'll feed round bales, I think the cattle folks will gobble up that supply as their own fields/yield will be down this summer - those folks will be buying plenty of round bales making demand for squares even higher.
> 
> Hang on - it's going to be a very interesting hay season - and if a drought hits, oh boy...


Well, it’s already a dry spring here. Finished my light overseeding yesterday and some rain is coming today, enough to get germination going. But I was talking to my fertilizer guy yesterday trying to plan when to put liquid N on. No further rain for more than 10 days. I want it to count when I apply so will keep my eye on the 10 day. Every day into April increases the burn risk with liquid


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## ACDII (Oct 1, 2021)

Up where I am, the ground is still soft and nothing but Tulips or whatever those early blooming flowers are, are coming up. I just picked up a no till drill that can apply fertilizer and seed at the same time. Watching the latest farm reports, Fertilizer is now $1200 a short ton. Thankfully I only have 3 1/2 acres, but still looking at spending at least $500 just in fertilizer to get started with provided it is the propere mix I need, still waiting on FS to get back to me with what I actually need and how much, if not, I will just go grab the 50 pound bags of 16-8-16 and use that as a starter. Not expecting any high yields the first couple years, but do want to start out with something.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

ACDII said:


> Up where I am, the ground is still soft and nothing but Tulips or whatever those early blooming flowers are, are coming up. I just picked up a no till drill that can apply fertilizer and seed at the same time. Watching the latest farm reports, Fertilizer is now $1200 a short ton. Thankfully I only have 3 1/2 acres, but still looking at spending at least $500 just in fertilizer to get started with provided it is the propere mix I need, still waiting on FS to get back to me with what I actually need and how much, if not, I will just go grab the 50 pound bags of 16-8-16 and use that as a starter. Not expecting any high yields the first couple years, but do want to start out with something.


I don't know what you paid for your drill but with mine which is owned in a two man partnership, no fertilizer is going to touch it, Just too dang expensive to let it get eaten up. Cheap 3 pt spreaders that can be washed and oiled are the way to go for that. jomo


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

BTW- really glad I did not get too bad an itch to spread N a couple of weeks ago. We have had no rain since, many freezing nights and constant wind. Not bodacious conditions for effective application and use of N at any price and especially now. Germination is taking longer than it should. May get to 70 thurs but then plunge again. It is beginning to look like there will be no banner yields this year.


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

ACDII said:


> Up where I am, the ground is still soft and nothing but Tulips or whatever those early blooming flowers are, are coming up. I just picked up a no till drill that can apply fertilizer and seed at the same time. Watching the latest farm reports, Fertilizer is now $1200 a short ton. Thankfully I only have 3 1/2 acres, but still looking at spending at least $500 just in fertilizer to get started with provided it is the propere mix I need, still waiting on FS to get back to me with what I actually need and how much, if not, I will just go grab the 50 pound bags of 16-8-16 and use that as a starter. Not expecting any high yields the first couple years, but do want to start out with something.


Keep your fertilizer out of that. It will rot it out in no time. Fertilizer is extremely corrosive. Honestly for only 3.5 acres I’d get a little pull behind spreader for a lawn mower and use that.


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## Aaroncboo (Sep 21, 2014)

Or those 3pt spreaders. That's what I use. Can get one from the farm stores easily and I've had mine for 4 or 5 years and still works beautiful.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Aaroncboo said:


> Or those 3pt spreaders. That's what I use. Can get one from the farm stores easily and I've had mine for 4 or 5 years and still works beautiful.


It’s amazing what hose washing with water for 5 minutes followed by a liberal coating of oil on the metering plates will do!


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

Vol said:


> Liming has went up 50% here just this spring. Wouldn't you know that it is time for me to be spreading lime this fall.
> 
> I bought a new Ogden wheel rake a couple of weeks ago. It has 60" wheels and a few other perks, but the thing I like best is having the rake wheels in front of the frame. That will allow me to rake at a little higher speeds without as much fear of plugs.
> 
> ...


Here is wishing you an enjoyable run with your new rake!

Agree, inflation has gotten nutty. We were going to start building a new cattle barn this year, but with steel sheeting about 45 cents a square foot higher than when I first did my budget estimation, and lumber back up again, we said forget it. Do the preliminary dirt work and wait and see. Hoping to spend some money on a different aspect of our operation where hopefully the return will be better.


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## ACDII (Oct 1, 2021)

Well in a bit of good news, I called a different FS company that is across the border from me. Nice guy too. Gave him the numbers from my soil report, he said I only need Lime and Nitrogen. He will get back to me on the seed I need,  actually called as I was writing this up and gave me a quote for what I need. The drill I got has stainless steel bins and plastic feeders, so as long as I power wash it after spreading it, and keep it clean, it should do fine. I am going to get a hopper spreader for the 3 point for fertilizing, the only reason I would use the drill to fertilize is to get it into the soil where it will do the most good, such as Nitrogen. Would be less wasteful, especially with the price of it today.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

ACDII said:


> Well in a bit of good news, I called a different FS company that is across the border from me. Nice guy too. Gave him the numbers from my soil report, he said I only need Lime and Nitrogen. He will get back to me on the seed I need,  actually called as I was writing this up and gave me a quote for what I need. The drill I got has stainless steel bins and plastic feeders, so as long as I power wash it after spreading it, and keep it clean, it should do fine. I am going to get a hopper spreader for the 3 point for fertilizing, the only reason I would use the drill to fertilize is to get it into the soil where it will do the most good, such as Nitrogen. Would be less wasteful, especially with the price of it today.


Whatever…. You should see what a little horse pee does to aluminum, eats the snot out of it


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

Hayman1 said:


> Whatever…. You should see what a little horse pee does to aluminum, eats the snot out of it


Yessir. And highly corrosive materials will still eat up stainless steel. I’m not even talking about whatever cheap grade of stainless steel they’d be using on ag equipment but medical grade SS we use in my labs.


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

Aaroncboo said:


> Or those 3pt spreaders. That's what I use. Can get one from the farm stores easily and I've had mine for 4 or 5 years and still works beautiful.


I owned one for about 5 minutes. I thought it would be handy to buy bulk urea and then I could top dress when there was imminent rain.

Instead me and the tractor just got pelted by urea the entire time because the canes weren’t in the right position on the beater. Wasted a lot of urea and more importantly, I had a hard time calibrating it. So I sold it and ended up just staying with the spreader buggies I can rent from coop for $30. They do a much more accurate and even Spread anyway.


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## ACDII (Oct 1, 2021)

Well, If I find my horse peeing in the drill, he and I will have some words to say!!! If you think HP is bad, you should see what cat pee can do!


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

ACDII said:


> Well, If I find my horse peeing in the drill, he and I will have some words to say!!! If you think HP is bad, you should see what cat pee can do!


Urea, KCl, and ammonium nitrate will all put horse pee to shame. Go ahead, screw up your drill, you obviously have more money than I have


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## PaulN (Mar 4, 2014)

Most of the frost is out here, but yesterday morning is was down to 20*, so I thought it would be a good time to spread fertilizer on the alfalfa. I got finished before 9 am, and didn't leave any tracks. By 10 am, the sun was high enough to make everything smeary on top, and by evening it was snowing again.
Sometimes, things do actually work out right.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Hayman1 said:


> It’s amazing what hose washing with water for 5 minutes followed by a liberal coating of oil on the metering plates will do!


Always, always wash and WD-40 after fertilizer or mag chloride.

Ralph


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