Fertilizing question

Trying to figure up expenses for fert/lime on our lease. We are planting soy beans for spring/summer.Soil tests done and require 80/100 mix to bring up. Question we have is, we will be planting clover on @3ac of this come fall. Will we need to reapply fert. then or should the initial application suffice in order for clover to prosper in fall?

10ptdawg said:

Trying to figure up expenses for fert/lime on our lease. We are planting soy beans for spring/summer.Soil tests done and require 80/100 mix to bring up. Question we have is, we will be planting clover on @3ac of this come fall. Will we need to reapply fert. then or should the initial application suffice in order for clover to prosper in fall?

Click to expand...

Not sure what the 80/100 mix is or what your soil tests recommended, but I will assume your ph is good and that you're adding the right amount of P & K, for soybeans or something close to it. We're not harvesting a crop, but both soybeans and clover do well with P&K.

Assuming you get a good crop of soybeans and they don't get wiped out and they last until early October, the soybeans will add "some" nitrogen back in to your soil, so that is a component, you don't need to add. You will still want to add some P&K.

If you have a bad crop and the soybeans are wiped out in June, then adding some nitrogen for the next clover crop, just a little, will help get it started. If you've added lots of P&K to start with (again, I don't know what you're adding), then you might not need to add anything else for the clover crop. It didn't get used and is still there.

Is this going to be a perennial clover crop? If it is, go ahead and add 200 lbs/acre of 0-20-20 and you won't need to add any more till next fall. Take a soil test again in March of 2018 and let it guide you.

I am sorry, it's 80 lbs/ac P and 100 lbs/ac K. Yes it is perenial clover and the ph is fine.I should probably just do another soil test in Aug?

Another soil test in August would be great and likely will tell you that you don't need to add anymore. (Assuming you are applying 80 and 100 lbs of actual P&K!) That would be the cheapest $10 you've ever invested!

I'll just add that if you have a bad crop or get wiped out with soybeans, adding 10 lbs/acre of Nitrogen to help give your clover a jump start, would not hurt!

Hopefully we won't get wiped out (16+ac soybeans) clover only in part of powerline. Thanks for feedback,much appreciated!

I'm sure it's in your plans, but make sure you innoculate the soybeans.

Will do thanks!

If you could post your soil test results we could help you out alot more.