Time to spread the Gold’?!

Bleating Lamb

Well folks,

We have seen fertiliser prices increase crazily since last backend so with that in mind those that aren’t that heavily stocked definitely seem to be spreading a bit or even a lot less bag stuff this Spring.

Part time here on mainly average Leitrim land that is only dry enough now to get around on with fertiliser.Would usually go with 1 and a half to two bags of 18:6:12 on grazing ground in Spring.

Cutting back to 1 bag per acre this Spring. Am not overstocked so hopefully that grows enough grass for me,mainly sheep here and they tend to prefer short grass so at least if there is a growth stunt over the Summer they will get by on shorter grass and continue to thrive in comparison to how Cattle would do if grass was very tight.

Forecast here (and countrywide) is for another dry day tomorrow, then it looks like a fair bit of rain on Saturday,a cloudy day with showers on Sunday and a dry Bank Holiday Monday.

Wonder would it be as well to hold off starting spreading stuff tomorrow evening after work in case rain Saturday would leach some of bag stuff off ground.

At the price of it it would be annoying to spread it only to lose it! Could wait till Monday if needs be.

Anyone else intending on putting out stuff this Weekend?

Thanks for anyones thoughts.

Jb1989

I personally, always rather spread fertiliser or slurry in the rain or Just after the rain.

I rather have them hitting a damp grass and melting straight away, rather than putting out on dry hard ground, and a heavy downpour, run all into the drains.

I personally would wait till Monday.

Danzy

I'm waiting till Monday.

JustJoe7240

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058243704/time-to-spread-the-gold

I'd be spreading for the rain unless there's a monsoon forecast

patsy_mccabe

When rain gets into the spreader, it's a right pain. I'm a spread in the wet guy too. This year especially.

_Brian

Be interesting to see if there is any change in water quality stats after this spring.

lads being very cautious with all lads I’ve been chatting with spreading less and being more careful with it too.

same for slurry, much more talk of little and often.

would always try avoid spreading with a full day heavy rain forecast after a dry spell.

Bleating Lamb

Thanks for replies….left off spreading anything……mowed the lawn to get a few brownie points:)

Say my name

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118994319#Comment_118994319

If we get a dry summer, we'll have high soil nitrogen mineralisation regardless and flushing the following autumn. It's a bit early for high biology activity yet to get that soil nitrogen up unless one has been actively feeding and building that biology up.

So you could have spread zero nitrogen but a dry summer to crack open the soil, release carbon and then the weather gets cooler and wetter and there's a flush of nitrogen into groundwater.

This is partly why you see high nitrate release in continental europe. We have still the 2nd best water quality in europe. Finland I believe is number 1. Even there though there's critics of their tillage systems the same as our pastoral systems here.

Nitrogen and Carbon are life. Both come from the air we breathe. Wash away or and go back to the air we breathe again.

blue5000

If we get a dry summer, we'll have high soil nitrogen mineralisation regardless and flushing the following autumn. It's a bit early for high biology activity yet to get that soil nitrogen up unless one has been actively feeding and building that biology up.

think so say, this winter soil temperatures didn't dip as low as other years. I hear that P levels are a bit higher in soil samples taken this spring, perhaps that is part of the reason. I know K is soluble in water, especially in sandy soil.

https://www.met.ie/climate/available-data/monthly-data look at the Dec and Jan soil temperatures compared to LTA.

Say my name

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119035794#Comment_119035794

A neighbour (ish) to me would have been fairly on the ball with soil samples I'd say every year.

We are in an extremely naturally low phosphorus area. Indexes for most come in at 2 no matter what they spread. I've some coming in at 1. Even some at half.

Anyway they were coming in at 2 every year. After the 2018 drought they went up to 3. Years after back to 2. Same amount of P spread every year.

Other farmers on the Web say they've an increase in soil P just by helping biology.

Nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur, boron, sodium, are the most soluble nutrients going.

Dinzee Conlee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119036008#Comment_119036008

Did you ever spread rock phosphate Say, or think about spreading it?

We are in a low P like you, and half thinking of getting some to throw out to see if twould improve things…

Say my name

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119037898#Comment_119037898

I have thought about it. That's as far as my research went.

The phosphorus in fertiliser comes from mines too.

The rock phosphate is just supposed to be slower acting and longer lasting. Favoured in forestry. I think if you were using it you'd still have to put a bit out every year.

Dinzee Conlee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119037957#Comment_119037957

I tend not to out out any chemical fertiliser, not that I’m organic - just mean maybe 😆

But I might get some rock phosphate from your man in fruithill farm and see what it does… (or like yourself, I might just think about it, and that could be that too) 🙂

Good loser

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119038527#Comment_119038527

Basic slag might be a better option. Rock phosphate is suitable for acidic soils i.e. low pH. It's slow acting as P is locked in the mineral which decomposes slowly to release the P. Better stick to the superphosphate 16%.

Bass Reeves

Spread a big bag of 18-6-12 accross 15 acres yesterday. 2/3 of a bag/acre or 12, 4&8 units respectively. It cost 25 euro / acre.

wrangler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119049874#Comment_119049874

We've been putting out 8 - 12 units N/acre in each application during the summer the last 2 or 3yrs , It's great for maintaining quality without driving the grass mad. We don't want to have to make silage so it's a fine line between enough grass and too much.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119050034#Comment_119050034

It's the ideal way. There are two catches it takes time between spreading and putting spreader on and off tractor. The other factor is a big bag will do 15 acres with 18-6-12. If it can it's 22 acres. If it's protected urea or urea it could be 40 acres. I would have no issue shoveling 150-200 kgs urea. 3/4 of a bag of can is another story

Grueller

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119050113#Comment_119050113

Buy a vidbag or some other big bag dispenser. They're a handy job

Good loser

I have a steel bucket for big bags. 3 buckets CAN etc = 50 kgs. 4 buckets urea = 50 kgs. Water level.