Author	[Modern View]
Larry NEIL 01-22-2013 14:29:09 75.63.56.224 Report to Moderator	Just sitten here thinking that I should get some fertilizer on the hay field but without any water it won't do much good. So far this fall and winter have been as dry as the summer so I'm thinking I'd just forget about it until the spring. What plans do you all have for the coming year? [Reply]   [No Email]
kyhayman 01-27-2013 08:44:46 99.196.32.58 Report to Moderator	Re: Fertilize hay now, or wait and see? in reply to Larry NEIL, 01-22-2013 14:29:09   Ive prepaid for mine. Urea 540, Potash at 580, and DAP at 700. Our beginning window is late Feb, I usually try to put mine down mid March. Right now Ive got enough water with the winter rains to make a first cutting, as long as there is enough rain after application to get it in the ground. We've had ample supplies of outside stored summer and fall hay, good first cut is scarce and expensive if its inside stored. I upped my order this year. Almost double the tonnage of fertilizer. Its the blessing/curse of farming. The drought north and west of here has really meant we've moved a lot of hay in places and directions it doesnt normally go. But all thats at the expense of someone else. If we ever get a bumper crop all over with the number of hay eating animals weve lost things get tight here in a hurry. Looks like this years foal crop is going to be off another 25%. Thats a 75% reduction in 3 years plus the ever shrinking cow herd... If I had the money, I'd prepay it. If water doesnt come dont have to put it on. [Reply]  [No Email]
ihman73 01-23-2013 22:33:11 38.104.162.142 Report to Moderator	Re: Fertilize hay now, or wait and see? in reply to Larry NEIL, 01-22-2013 14:29:09   I usually put my removal replenishment on alfalfa on after I take the first cutting off. It worked well this year the "complimentary" nitrogen from the DAP made my 2nd cutting yield almost as good as the first despite the heat and lack of rain. [Reply]  [No Email]
GordoSD 01-23-2013 15:01:17 216.106.244.137 Report to Moderator	Re: Fertilize hay now, or wait and see? in reply to Larry NEIL, 01-22-2013 14:29:09   Take your soil samples now and send them off too the state ag college. There's place on the form to state what crop you will have. When you get results wait until spring but not long enough for the fields to be too soft to get in. What kind of yield did you get last year. It was bad year for hay here. About 50% of 2011. [Reply]  [No Email]
Shetland Sheepdog 01-23-2013 04:52:22 72.71.210.222 Report to Moderator	Re: Fertilize hay now, or wait and see? in reply to Larry NEIL, 01-22-2013 14:29:09   Most around here, (New England), fertilize hay ground when it first starts to green up in the spring. That's assuming that you are talking commercial fertilizer, not manure. HTH, Dave Edit: Many also top dress again after 1st crop is off. This post was edited by Shetland Sheepdog at 04:54:21 01/23/13. [Reply]  [No Email]
Erik Ks farmer 01-22-2013 17:28:03 199.241.240.16 Report to Moderator	Re: Fertilize hay now, or wait and see? in reply to Larry NEIL, 01-22-2013 14:29:09   it doesn't grow in the bag. Mines going on now. Farming is an act of faith. [Reply]  [No Email]
bg/mo 01-22-2013 16:56:11 166.216.128.77 Report to Moderator	Re: Fertilize hay now, or wait and see? in reply to Larry NEIL, 01-22-2013 14:29:09   Last year I spread the first week of march, thinking about the same time this year ,thats the grass hay and alfafa. [Reply]  [No Email]
GordoSD 01-22-2013 16:33:12 216.106.252.37 Report to Moderator	Re: Fertilize hay now, or wait and see? in reply to Larry NEIL, 01-22-2013 14:29:09   What kind of hay? Nowadays "hay" means everything from pure alfalfa to pure prairie grass. [Reply]  [No Email]
Larry NEIL 01-23-2013 10:20:35 75.63.56.224 Report to Moderator	Re: Fertilize hay now, or wait and see? in reply to GordoSD, 01-22-2013 16:33:12   Timothy/orchard/alfalfa/quack/weeds!!! [Reply]  [No Email]
Animal 01-22-2013 15:43:13 71.51.217.13 Report to Moderator	Re: Fertilize hay now, or wait and see? in reply to Larry NEIL, 01-22-2013 14:29:09   I was at my New Holland dealership today, and he made me a deal on a used disc bine that I could not believe. This is what I told him."If we get 20 inches of rain between now and May the first get the paper work ready, if not I won't have any use for it." If we do not get any rain here I am not going to spend a nickel for any thing that I can do with out. [Reply]  [No Email]
paul 01-22-2013 19:09:52 66.60.223.232 Report to Moderator	Re: Fertilize hay now, or wait and see? in reply to Animal, 01-22-2013 15:43:13   We are 3 months before typically worrying about fertilizer or any field activity around here, actually above zero right now, been 2 days below... Yea, this dry ground is something. Wonder what comes of it this year. Sounds like the eastern corn belt got fall rains, and is getting spotty snow and moisture this winter? So they might be looking good in spring. The western side, we are mighty dry yet. These hot and cold snaps are promising, when weather changes, it offers chances for moisture. But we have mostly bare ground here, with a lot of very slippery ice where the little bit of snow got compressed. Oh well, gotta plan and move forward like always, I'd plan for making good hay early, because 'here' that is the best chance to make a crop, try to sit this year out and wait and see and you might miss out on the only chance you get. Farming, try to make enough last year to try doing it again next year. :) --->Paul [Reply]  [No Email]
JMS/.MN 01-22-2013 20:21:08 173.84.115.227 Report to Moderator	Re: Fertilize hay now, or wait and see? in reply to paul, 01-22-2013 19:09:52   A year ago we were in a similar position as we are now......might have had a bit more subsoil moisture then but not much. First week Nov 2011 I buried rock, got 8 feet down before getting out of powder dry. Tiled in Dec 2011 thru 10 inches of crystalline frost. We had good recharge this Spring, similar dryness now. [Reply]  [No Email]