Fertilising when rain is promised-yay or nay?

Western Pomise · 24-04-2015 2:25pm #1

Saw there was a recent thread on Fertilising in bone dry weather,well by all accounts here in West we are in for heavy rain the weekend and up till next Thurs on long term forecasts...
Only spread 18:6:12 in one go here when marginal ground is dry(is now)....so part of me is saying spread it this wkd as can always cover the spreader if its wet and get grass coming.
OR
Should I hope it doesn't piss rain to wet the land and spread it next wkd as the forecast looks decent from Thurs on.

Also it would be a pity to put fert out and then see a few days heavy rain wash the good out of it!!Timewise next weekend suits me better.
Any advice appreciated.

24-04-2015 3:01pm

Western Pomise wrote: »

Saw there was a recent thread on Fertilising in bone dry weather,well by all accounts here in West we are in for heavy rain the weekend and up till next Thurs on long term forecasts...
Only spread 18:6:12 in one go here when marginal ground is dry(is now)....so part of me is saying spread it this wkd as can always cover the spreader if its wet and get grass coming.
OR
Should I hope it doesn't piss rain to wet the land and spread it next wkd as the forecast looks decent from Thurs on.

Also it would be a pity to put fert out and then see a few days heavy rain wash the good out of it!!Timewise next weekend suits me better.
Any advice appreciated.

Just done a load of paddocks with urea it works best with some rain

Western Pomise · 24-04-2015 4:12pm

Double edged sword situation here,PT farming so realistically tomorrow or next wkd only time I can spread,7 or 8 tonne to put out,would hate to fert tomorrow and for it to piss from the heavens on it for next few days,some of ground hilly and most of it wouldn't be long going from dry to non trafficable again so that would be the danger of waiting till next wkd.
Fertiliser is that dear now you want to get maximum from it.

Connemara Farmer · 24-04-2015 5:31pm

I wouldn't spread if heavy rain is forecast.

Reggie. · 24-04-2015 5:34pm

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

I wouldn't spread if heavy rain is forecast.

One real heavy downpour would wash all away on ya. If it's only a mist or light showers work away

Connemara Farmer · 24-04-2015 5:51pm

Reggie. wrote: »

One real heavy downpour would wash all away on ya. If it's only a mist or light showers work away

Yeah mist or light showers is perfect.

ABlur · 24-04-2015 6:05pm

Get one of these weather apps which predicts rainfall:

http://m.yr.no/place/Ireland/Munster/Cork/

Blackgrass · 24-04-2015 7:52pm

ABlur wrote: »

Get one of these weather apps which predicts rainfall:

http://m.yr.no/place/Ireland/Munster/Cork/

Use Yr.no aswel, most accurate/reliable we can find...

Western Pomise · 24-04-2015 8:44pm

ABlur wrote: »

Get one of these weather apps which predicts rainfall:

http://m.yr.no/place/Ireland/Munster/Cork/

That's the weather site I go by...find it quite accurate,it's giving tomorrow morning wet,then dry rest of the day and drizzly Sun about 4mm rain in total Sun (what's that in terms of inches?)

Then Mon and Tues wet with up to 10mm each day but I would hope that the damp grass would have melted in the fertiliser even by Sunday morning so it would be relatively safe from the wetter spells on Mon and Tues???

Connemara Farmer · 24-04-2015 8:52pm

Western Pomise wrote: »

That's the weather site I go by...find it quite accurate,it's giving tomorrow morning wet,then dry rest of the day and drizzly Sun about 4mm rain in total Sun (what's that in terms of inches?)

Then Mon and Tues wet with up to 10mm each day but I would hope that the damp grass would have melted in the fertiliser even by Sunday morning so it would be relatively safe from the wetter spells on Mon and Tues???

25mm (roughly) in 1 inch.

tanko · 24-04-2015 8:56pm

It's funny, last week was too dry to spread, now it's going to be to wet to spread, next week there'll be too much snow on the ground to spread.

I spread mine on the 10/11th this month and it did well this week anyway.

Dawggone · 24-04-2015 9:06pm

FFS!!!
You're missing out on the best ROI in the early months of the year.
Does anyone listen to Frazzled, Stan, Mahoney etc.

Chuck it out FFS!

Haven't had rain here with over a month with temps in the high twenties, but we still went with final split these last few days.

Is it that yeez are short of something to fret about?

Reggie. · 24-04-2015 9:08pm

Dawggone wrote: »

FFS!!!
You're missing out on the best ROI in the early months of the year.
Does anyone listen to Frazzled, Stan, Mahoney etc.

Chuck it out FFS!

Haven't had rain here with over a month with temps in the high twenties, but we still went with final split these last few days.

Is it that yeez are short of something to fret about?

Making friends again dawg

ABlur · 24-04-2015 9:08pm

As far as I recall the P & K is fairly stable in soil and hard to leach out in rain. For the N the advise is to avoid spreading if very heavy rain forecast in the next 48 hours.

Dawggone · 24-04-2015 9:19pm

Reggie. wrote: »

Making friends again dawg

Jeez Reg, how many times do the top grassland managers, on very dry land, have to repeat themselves before people listen?
BTW, I certainly don't include myself in the bracket of the top grass growers, but I DO learn from them.
I've front loaded nitrogen and sulphur this year (from advice gleaned from here) and I've got grass when everyone else is burning up....

Western Pomise · 24-04-2015 9:19pm

Dawggone wrote: »

FFS!!!
You're missing out on the best ROI in the early months of the year.
Does anyone listen to Frazzled, Stan, Mahoney etc.

Chuck it out FFS!

Haven't had rain here with over a month with temps in the high twenties, but we still went with final split these last few days.

Is it that yeez are short of something to fret about?

Ah but you see Dawggone this land would be nothing like Stanfits....fert expensive stuff so no pt putting it out to be lost overnight.

Reggie. · 24-04-2015 9:21pm

Dawggone wrote: »

Jeez Reg, how many times does the top grassland managers, on very dry land, have to repeat themselves before people listen?
BTW, I certainly don't include myself in the bracket of the top grass growers, but I DO learn from them.
I've front loaded nitrogen and sulphur this year (from advice gleaned from here) and I've got grass when everyone else is burning up....

Completely different land to all them lads you just mentioned have

Dawggone · 24-04-2015 9:26pm

Reggie. wrote: »

Completely different land to all them lads you just mentioned have

Just for the craic...chance just one paddock/field THEIR way.

I'm a loooong way from the aforementioned and it's working for me...

Western Pomise · 24-04-2015 9:28pm

ABlur wrote: »

As far as I recall the P & K is fairly stable in soil and hard to leach out in rain. For the N the advise is to avoid spreading if very heavy rain forecast in the next 48 hours.

Thanks,will sleep on it for the night and see what tomorrow brings.

Blackgrass · 24-04-2015 9:29pm

In that case front load alll P/K then go with pack away fert spinner for year and lads can go all liquid urea to make use of these sprayer nct's and bugger all rain risk

Dawggone · 24-04-2015 9:30pm

Blackgrass wrote: »

In that case front load alll P/K then go with pack away fert spinner for year and lads can go all liquid urea to make use of these sprayer nct's and bugger all rain risk

Excellent.

:)

Greengrass1 · 24-04-2015 9:33pm

Blackgrass wrote: »

In that case front load alll P/K then go with pack away fert spinner for year and lads can go all liquid urea to make use of these sprayer nct's and bugger all rain risk

Front loaded alot of P and k here last two yrs.
sone job. Grass always a punch behind it.

Sure wasn't it supposed to lash here today. Got a few squibs.

Reggie. · 24-04-2015 9:33pm

Dawggone wrote: »

Just for the craic...chance just one paddock/field THEIR way.

I'm a loooong way from the aforementioned and it's working for me...

I've mine all done same as them but the west is completely different ground and nearly a different climate

Western Pomise · 24-04-2015 9:41pm

ABlur wrote: »

As far as I recall the P & K is fairly stable in soil and hard to leach out in rain. For the N the advise is to avoid spreading if very heavy rain forecast in the next 48 hours.

Thanks,will sleep on it for the night and see what tomorrow brings.

caseman · 24-04-2015 10:09pm

Western Pomise wrote: »

Ah but you see Dawggone this land would be nothing like Stanfits....fert expensive stuff so no pt putting it out to be lost overnight.

I'm in the west as well an heavy land.You have to make the best of what you have. Nearly all my neighbours are growing white grass because they won't spread fert. But if land is up for sale most of them are trying to buy it.

frazzledhome · 25-04-2015 7:01am

Lads Ive looked at forecast and its not as bad as people thought or hopedÃ°ÂŸÂ˜Â„

I'd be banging in with it. When land is dry enough to travel I'd go. If very worried spread half this weekend and the rest next weekend.

No other input will give you the return of fert. Please when all this grass grows and hay is made Dont leave in the field. See it all the time all over the country lads loosing sleep over hay and not bringing it in. SinfulÃ°ÂŸÂ˜ÂŸ

Milked out · 25-04-2015 7:28am

Unless it's torrential rain fire it out, we have wet ground in parts here too but can only hold on for so long if it's make ruts in a field or have no grass we make ruts. 2 rounds of fert gone out on it so far. Use the time while d ground is trafficable and get it out without making ruts. If not sure still do as dawg said and do half or one paddock and compare for yerselves

Bullocks · 25-04-2015 7:30am

With the dash of rain we are getting now the grass is flying without any fertilizer

I agree its a good job to lash out plenty of fert early in the year and take full advantage of growth as early as possible BUT some of our ground would fail the utilisation ye talk about .
We could grow plenty but getting it utilised isn't always easy as a few wet days is enough to stop a tractor travelling for a couple of weeks even during the summer

CloughCasey1 · 25-04-2015 7:46am

caseman wrote: »

I'm in the west as well an heavy land.You have to make the best of what you have. Nearly all my neighbours are growing white grass because they won't spread fert. But if land is up for sale most of them are trying to buy it.

That would sicken your h***!!! If they spent a fraction of it on a good reseeeing plan and get soil up to standard if would probably give them 200% more production than what they have. Ive two bags of lime, one round of 24%N+S and one round of 18-6-12+S at a bag per acre out with 2 bags lime FYM (start of March) and 2 bags cut sward on silage ground. All started first week of march to mid first week of april. The sulphur makes a massive job here. Dry ground so try and avoid very very heavy rain within 48 hours but if mist or drizzle promised id lash it out. Tried out urea on a few acres early on and wasn't happy with results.

onyerbikepat · 25-04-2015 9:30am

When you say front load with P & K, what month would you be talking about?
Teagasc say to put it out in December, if I remember right.
I do believe that you do need to get the P K out well ahead of the Nitrogen for silage. Spreading a compound like Cut Sward is no way near as good. Silage doesn't have the same bulk to it.

Reggie. · 25-04-2015 10:13am

4 acre paddock that got 1500 gal per acre 4 weeks ago and 8 bags of 10-10-20 2 weeks ago. Fert can still be seen

frazzledhome · 25-04-2015 10:21am

Reggie
N gone in all you're seeing are the shells p&k will go in with rain

Question earlier on best time for p&k. Deffo back end and plenty of time to get into soil. K can spread any month P not later that Sept 15

Greengrass1 · 25-04-2015 10:25am

onyerbikepat wrote: »

When you say front load with P & K, what month would you be talking about?
Teagasc say to put it out in December, if I remember right.
I do believe that you do need to get the P K out well ahead of the Nitrogen for silage. Spreading a compound like Cut Sward is no way near as good. Silage doesn't have the same bulk to it.

Last two yrd first round has always been high p and k compound with N Think it's working well. Will go with 2 rounds of pasture sward mid summer.
Going to go with 2 bags of potash on silage ground after 3rd cut and 1 bag on any index 1 and 2 k ground.

CloughCasey1 · 25-04-2015 10:35am

onyerbikepat wrote: »

When you say front load with P & K, what month would you be talking about?
Teagasc say to put it out in December, if I remember right.
I do believe that you do need to get the P K out well ahead of the Nitrogen for silage. Spreading a compound like Cut Sward is no way near as good. Silage doesn't have the same bulk to it.

For P&K on silage ground I give it FYM at closing Oct/Nov and same after early grazing in March. We have straw shed so why buy it in.

Blackgrass · 25-04-2015 10:37am

onyerbikepat wrote: »

When you say front load with P & K, what month would you be talking about?
Teagasc say to put it out in December, if I remember right.
I do believe that you do need to get the P K out well ahead of the Nitrogen for silage. Spreading a compound like Cut Sward is no way near as good. Silage doesn't have the same bulk to it.

Completely different set of rules but pair of 900 tyres on back and travel on early morning frosts any time after christmas using straight ferts rather than blends.

orm0nd · 25-04-2015 10:45am

Dawggone wrote: »

FFS!!!
You're missing out on the best ROI in the early months of the year.
Does anyone listen to Frazzled, Stan, Mahoney etc.

Chuck it out FFS!

Haven't had rain here with over a month with temps in the high twenties, but we still went with final split these last few days.

Is it that yeez are short of something to fret about?

No I dont listen to F S & M when it comes to spending almost €1k on a pallet of fert , these guys have some of the best land in the country & think that every ones else will respond accordingly, was a meeting in Ennis a few year ago and some head bottle washer from Moorepark was preaching sh1te

a guy at the back stood up and asked him road he came , answered up the cork to lk and out the dual carriage way
you man told him when your're going home swing back & do a tour of west clare, then get the ferry to tarbert and he told him a few areas to check out in west lk a ky & then report to us here , for some reason the moorepark guy had very little to say for the rest of the evening

Western Pomise wrote: »

Ah but you see Dawggone this land would be nothing like Stanfits....fert expensive stuff so no pt putting it out to be lost overnight.

+1000

if any one wants to pay for my fertilizer , then I ll f£$k it out, but until then I will spread when I know i get maximum kick

trixi2011 · 25-04-2015 12:15pm

Blackgrass wrote: »

In that case front load alll P/K then go with pack away fert spinner for year and lads can go all liquid urea to make use of these sprayer nct's and bugger all rain risk

What sort of cost would liquid urea be in the uk? and do you need storage tanks to handle it ?

Reggie. · 25-04-2015 8:07pm

ABlur wrote: »

4.5 acre paddock with no fertiliser this year!

No pic blur

ABlur · 25-04-2015 8:10pm

Reggie. wrote: »

No pic blur

Oops here it is 4.5 acre paddock with no fertiliser

Reggie. · 25-04-2015 8:11pm

ABlur wrote: »

Oops here it is!

Very nice. That paddock of mine was grazed upto Dec so needed a bit of a kick

ABlur · 25-04-2015 8:12pm

Reggie. wrote: »

Very nice. That paddock of mine was grazed upto Dec so needed a bit of a kick

That one grazed til December best field I have you should see some of the others!

Mad4simmental · 25-04-2015 8:42pm

I think I get ye now fraz, gg, mj it's P&K that ye front load very early and top up with urea(N) as required? Quicker response better utilisation ect?

Connemara Farmer · 25-04-2015 8:51pm

Bullocks wrote: »

We could grow plenty but getting it utilised isn't always easy as a few wet days is enough to stop a tractor travelling for a couple of weeks even during the summer

Don't mind them tractors, pure liabilities. Got a spreader for the quad, will do ya a good rate :pac:

Fierce selection of yellow MF's down your way today.

Bullocks · 25-04-2015 9:07pm

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

Don't mind them tractors, pure liabilities. Got a spreader for the quad, will do ya a good rate :pac:

Fierce selection of yellow MF's down your way today.

Happy spreading ! If you supply the fert and give me a good length of credit we could work something

Yellow MF's ? The only yellow one i know around is belong to the local politician

Connemara Farmer · 25-04-2015 9:32pm

Bullocks wrote: »

Happy spreading ! If you supply the fert and give me a good length of credit we could work something

Yellow MF's ? The only yellow one i know around is belong to the local politician

Seen two of them today, different models, don't ask me what kind.

Sorry, no credit, I'm not crooked enough to be a bank

Bullocks · 25-04-2015 9:37pm

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

Seen two of them today, different models, don't ask me what kind.

Sorry, no credit, I'm not crooked enough to be a bank

Why didn't you pop in for the tae ?

Reggie. · 25-04-2015 9:43pm

Bullocks wrote: »

Why didn't you pop in for the tae ?

He knew he wouldn't get any

Connemara Farmer · 25-04-2015 9:45pm

Bullocks wrote: »

Why didn't you pop in for the tae ?

I will, I couldn't today as I still had work for doing and was burning daylight.

Western Pomise · 25-04-2015 9:52pm

Mitigating circumstances meant I only got two tonne out today,will hopefully do rest next Saturday,might be plenty to have spread as it feels like a minus temp outside here tonight and they forecasting sleet on Monday!

Farrell · 28-04-2015 9:53am

With the current weather, should we give much chance to fertiliser spread at the weekend on bare ground?

Fertilising when rain is promised-yay or nay?

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