Buck Hollow Sporting Goods - click or touch to visit their website Midwest Habitat Company

Planted the food plot yesterday,

I

IowaChiro

Member
It is my first time doing this. Worked the ground, put the seed down and got a great rain. However, I didn't get fertilizer on the ground. I am planning to do that next week prior to a rain...am I screwed?
 
We have never used fertilizer on our food plots. And they always look good if they get the rain. And it would have been expensive the last few years to fertilize, seed and nothing grows because of drought.
 
Depends on what fertilizer you are using. Most fertilizers will just sit there waiting for rain to dissolve them into soil. I think urea will either need to be incorporated into soil or needs rain soon or it is lost into the air.
 
IowaChiro said:
If I apply next week before a rain, is a 24 hour period going to make it weaker?
Click to expand...


Urea "evaporates" into the air, depends on time and temp. It will probably be cooler but there are no guarantees when it will rain. You would probably lose a lot in 24 hours. Thus, I'd go another route.
 
Urea is usually what I use. What else could you recommend, specifically? Don't know a whole lot about the different types of fertilizers out there.
 
KnuckleDragr said:
Urea is usually what I use. What else could you recommend, specifically? Don't know a whole lot about the different types of fertilizers out there.
Click to expand...

If your asking me, I use some organic fertilizers on my plots, one is 3% nitrogen but I also use one that is around 12% nitrogen. The lower nitrogen is made from fish and I use it on clover and alfalfa and other stuff that doesn't need high nitrogen. The higher nitrogen one I use on brassicas. The organic fertilizers will also help build the soil up. I'm not a hippie preaching organic fertilizer for commercial use but on a smaller scale I think it works good. My cousin has a company selling these and other products for food plots. I could get you his number if you wanted.
 
Brassicas and small grains want nitrogen. Clovers more so P and K. In my opinion, even though you may loose some through volatilization, it is still your best bet. When farmers side dress their corn around here, it's either urea or knifed in solution. I follow the farmer's protocol personally.
 
Slow release N (urea) can be found in many co-ops and what I use this yr because I had trouble covering immediately after applying. Slow or controlled release helped that and also helps on burning plants.

Organic route has great benefits as well- not dismissing above.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom