# What to Fertilize Hay Fields with for a 2nd cutting?



## whitmerlegacyfarm (Aug 26, 2011)

So now that i finally got my first cut off, though it took a lot of work to get it to dry and was really nice looking hay until it got rained on. Now it's a bleached and barely any color to it. But it was fun. I want to fertilize atleast my good fields. Should i be putting on Urea or should i just go w/ a 20-10-10 fertilizer? What does everyone else do. I only have a 15 gallon sprayer as of now w/ a 10ft boom so only does an acre at a time but i really only have a total of 8.5 acres that i hay. Oh and i have new seeding that i no tilled in early spring so need to keep that in the equation also. Thanks guys your help is also appreciated. I have mainly Orchard and Timothy mix. Probably more O grass and T.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

My wife is trying something different this year. She is applying something called Hay Maker from Tractor Supply on some of her small plots. It's slow release 18-3-4 and is applied after the first cutting 2.5 gallons mixed with a certain amount of water will do 2.5 acres. It's $40 a jug.


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Whitmer, I would think that a soil test would be the first thing to do and then go from there. Mike


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## whitmerlegacyfarm (Aug 26, 2011)

I bought some Haymaker today gonna give that a shot. I was going to wait till end of summer to take a few soil samples. I may do some round up on weedy patches and start over w/ new seeding in the fall. The mixture for the Haymaker says 1 gallon of haymaker per 50 gallons of water per acre. Guess i need a bigger sprayer lol.


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## shortrow (Feb 21, 2012)

I'm with NDVA, get your soil tests. That liquid stuff may be a bust.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

If my math is correct you'll need about a 3rd of a gallon to 15 gallons of water in your 15 gallon sprayer.

My wife and son picked up a 110gallon Fimco with a 28' boom back in the spring, seems to be working out well. They are using it with a stainless Delavan pump.

http://www.agrisupply.com/Gallon-Point-Hitch-Sprayer/p/73315/&sid=&eid=/


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## Canderson012 (Jan 17, 2012)

Stick to the basics for fertile hay guys, Nitrogen, lots of Potash, and Sulfur and Phosphorus as called for. And as far as weedcontrol goes, I would only roundup in the late winter, when grass is dormant and weeds are just coming up. I had good luck with Pastureguard from Dow agrosciences to control broadleaf.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

whitmerlegacyfarm said:


> So now that i finally got my first cut off, though it took a lot of work to get it to dry and was really nice looking hay until it got rained on. I want to fertilize atleast my good fields. Should i be putting on Urea or should i just go w/ a 20-10-10 fertilizer? What does everyone else do.


I try to stay very current on soil testing(every fall and sometimes summer), with that being said I will typically put down 65 pounds of Urea to the acre after I get first cutting of Tim or Tim/Orch grass off. That gives me 30 pounds of Nitrogen/acre which is a nice boost for the second cutting without alot of expense.

Regards, Mike


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## whitmerlegacyfarm (Aug 26, 2011)

Thanks all, i gona try the spray and then put some Urea on also i guess. I'm hoping to boost the new seeding from the spring, before it gets real hot.


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## Waterway64 (Dec 2, 2011)

Have any of you experimented with folier growth stimulants?


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

We tried em years ago, never really showed any improvement on hay. WE do use foliar feed on beans, but only as part of the spray mix, we don't make a separate pass just to apply foliar feed. Shouldn't really need it for alfalfa if your soil fertility is correct.


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## whitmerlegacyfarm (Aug 26, 2011)

What's Triple 19 fertilizer like? I know i need it my soil is in bad shape in some fields that i No Till T and O Grass in in the spring. So would that help boost the new seed?


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Great fertilizer and expensive.....do a soil test also for future references.

Regards, Mike


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## whitmerlegacyfarm (Aug 26, 2011)

Well i tried about 400lbs of Urea on about 2 acres of a good stand of Orchard so will see that goes. Was 21 bucks per 50lb bag. I think the Triple 19 was somthing like 14 or 15 bucks per 50lb bag.


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