Got Soil Test Back...Need Advice

Hay Dude · Feb 27, 2021

I do my own compost fertilizing, which makes a tremendous difference in my yields. When it comes to chemical fertilizers & herbicides I sold my spraying equipment a few years ago. Too much scrutiny & liability around here. ‘sides,,, the pros can do it for not much more than DIY and I have too much acreage now to do. I was thinkin about a lime cart last summer though.

Complete Turf Care · Feb 27, 2021

SkylineAcres16 said:
I am just a small hobby guy who makes some orchardgrass/bluegrass/fescue square bales on the side. For the last several years I have just been fertilizing with 19-19-19 and had been putting off getting a soil sample taken. I finally did a sample this fall and got it back and now I need some direction on interpreting and also what to use as the fertilizer since I am used to just using triple 19. This would be done using a 3pt broadcast spreader. A buddy of mine recommended using DAP for my phosphorous and muriate of potash for the Potassium. Can these be bought in bags? Being new to this, if I went this route would I apply 1 product on the entire field and then apply the 2nd product afterwards since I would be buying in bags and have no way of mixing? Thanks in advance.

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I suggest you take this soil test to your local co-op or farm supply store. If you have a significant amount of acres, they can custom blend a fertilizer to meet your specific needs. The 'DAP' and 'muriate of potash' your friend recommends are some of the raw materials that can be used to make custom blends. And they will usually have a spreader cart they will rent to you.

Most farm supply stores will not want to blend less than about 2000 lbs. A full batch is usually a 6 ton batch.

If you don't need close to a ton, you can ask them what they have in 50 lb bags that will be close to what you need. The 19-19-19 you have been using may be your best option.

According to your soil test, you don't need any lime, so don't worry about that.
I worked at a farm supply store for 16 years and we blended thousands of tons of fertilizer every year, based on soil test results

Farmer495 · Feb 28, 2021

Let's not confuse that there are two reports at play here, the OP (SkylineAcres16) report shows what is needed.

ZERO lime is needed

For three passes:

First with 18-46-0

40lb/a of P

18-46-0 for example, 46% = P 46 lb/100lb of fertilizer by 40lb need= 87 lb/acre application rate
Also get N 87lb x 18% = 15lb/ acre

Second with 46-0-0

70 lb/a of N. (Now 55lb an acre since we just put on 15lb/acre with the 18-46-0)

46-0-0 for example, 46% = 46 lb/100lb of fertilizer by 55lb needed= 119 lb/acre application rate

Third with 0-0-60

120lb/a of K

0-0-60 for example, 60% = 60lb/100lb of fertilizer = 200 lb/acre application rate.

Not sure what size of bags you buy, but I get them in 500kg (1102lb) bags

For 10 acre field you need:

1 bag 18-46-0 (need 870/ get 1102)
1 bag of 46-0-0 (need 1190/ get 1102) (up the 18-46-0 rate slightly)
2 bags of 0-0-60 (need 2000/ get 2204)

4 bags to buy = but three calibrations to do and three field passes.

From calibrating my Vicon broadcaster, good luck getting exact rates you need, you will find you might be applying what spreader is capable of, i.e. gear, PTO RPM, swatch, granule size, slide opening. I spend a day doing various calibrations and If I wanted 400lb/acre and I found a setting that gave 375lb/acre, and next one up gave 440lb/acre I used the 375.

I'd do it in ONE pass to save time.

12-24-24

550lb an acre = 5500 lb needed, but buy = 5 bags, 5510 lb

One calibration and one field pass.

Nothing says you have to get the numbers exact either, or even use as much as the report asks for.