K31 Establishment

hearnc843 · Oct 21, 2020

I planted about an acre of K31 five weeks ago, its still young and bright green. I think its still too short for the first mow- some of the thicker areas are at about 5 inches- but most of it is about 3-4 inches.

Should I put down fertilizer soon? I had a soil test done and I put down 60% of the K, P and N recommended (This was all tilled in, it was new ground). I had heard that putting down too much fertilizer can actually hurt establishment. Is this grass still too young to handle extra fertilizer?

This is for a small horse pasture.

paul · Oct 22, 2020

Here everything is under 4-8 inches of snow, forcast low is 17 degrees over the weekend.

It’s difficult to think good green crop thoughts right now...... have 20 acres of corn left to harvest.

I maybe would have put down all the P and K and tilled it in, the P especially doesn’t move much in the ground it will need a lot of time now to help when surface applied.

Nitrogen is the one you can spoon feed pretty easy, tho you want a rain right after you apply it so it waters in.

I think you would be fine applying some more fertilizer now.

I wouldn’t cut it yet, let it grow, if things are still growing in your climate.

I probably should ask what soil type you have, here it is all peat or muck or heavy clay soil, CEC is in the 30s organic matter averages over 4 so my dirt can hold a lot of fertility. If you are on a sand patch then you need to spoon feed the fertilizer more so, as the ground just can’t store so much.

Paul

hearnc843 · Oct 23, 2020

Thanks for the advice. I am in the Raleigh area, NC- today's high/low is 78/57. Snow doesn't live long around here. Fairly sandy topsoil, with clay underneath, not a lot of organic material and hot during the summers. I will do the N several times through the winter, in small amounts as you suggest. When we get rain here it tends to pour, and runoff is a big issue in this part of NC with the ground not absorbing much.

Winters are pretty mild, the K31 will grow all winter. I had tried Bermuda a few years back, because of the sand and climate, but it is just too hard to establish. Its also 4X-5x the price of fescue. The Bermuda took about twice as long to germinate, and if you get a heavy storm (like I did) right after planting, you just might as well thrown a $300 bag of seed in the garbage.

I'm really trying to baby the K31 this winter season- the big test here for cool season grass is the summer. I had tried a spring planting earlier this year with k31 and not much made it through the summer.

Destroked 450 · Oct 23, 2020

I wouldn't put much nitrogen on in the winter, we usually load up the potash in the fall, especially hay grass

Texasmark1 · Nov 13, 2020

Too much N can burn the/any plant. I don't over do N as a general rule on anything..(I don't do wheat and corn). I'd let it get established, get the roots established (your P is an aid in that) and give it a year to get going. One thing I learned just this year is that the big objection to 31 is caused by the seed pods and they only occur once in the spring. Once you mow them off they don't come back for the rest of the year so you have this fabulous grass and you and your/others livestock can enjoy it.

Spring will put me in my 3rd year with a hay patch I developed for my spring hay cutting. 1st year I let it go and mowed it like once a month. Last year I fertilized reasonably and got 3 good (hay) cuttings....mother nature cooperating. Winter coming on and it's out there growing as it should.

Around here it only goes dormant in July and August time line. If the temps stay out of the 100s, dormancy period is short. Once the temp drops down in the 80's or less, and with moisture, it starts it's winter growth cycle. Would I plant it again.....you bet!

K31 Establishment

hearnc843

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paul

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hearnc843

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Destroked 450

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Texasmark1

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