Fertilizer shelf life?

[Whitetailer]

I am going to try to get to some plots that I disked and limed before my river flooded. There are drainage sloughs that have cut off my access to some plots along the Alapaha River. My question is, If I buy bagged fertilizer and do not use it this season will it be OK to use next year? Yes, I may get a chance to over fertilize later this season. I found, at home Depot, a bagged fertilizer called All American - All purpose - 10-10-10 in a 40# bag for $5.41 per bag. Ever hear of it and is the 10-10-10 alright to use?

Appreciate our input.

Whitetailer

 

[huntnnut]

Fertilizer if kept dry should last indefinitely. 10-10-10 is the same no matter who makes it and it's a general purpose fertilizer and probably used more than any other type. You should be fine with it on most anything that you would be planting at least at the time you plant. If you have clover planted you may not want to use it once it comes up as clover fixes it's on nitrogen and you shouldn't use fertilizer with Nitrogen once it's established because it will increase the wild grasses in your plot and choke out the clover.

 

[Whitetailer]

Thanks for the quick reply. I hope to get to the property this week and hope the river has gone down a little.... One of my members was up over the weekend and said the deep slough went down about nine inches. hope it is downnine inches a day!

Thanks again, Russ

 

[huntnnut]

Good luck with them!

 

[early riser]

Remember, 10-10-10 only means 10% of the bag is actual nutrients. So that is only 4 pounds each of nitrogen, 4 lbs phosphrus and 4 lbs potash. All total with only 12 pounds of nutrients coming from a 40 pound bag of 10-10-10, the other 28 pounds is inert non plant useable (filler) matter.

http://www.agr.state.nc.us/cyber/kidswrld/plant/label.htm

You may want to compare prices of a higher percentage balanced fertilizer to see if you are getting a deal or paying too much. Check a dealers price on 19-19-19 which usually comes in a 50# bag to the price you are paying for the 40# bag of 10-10-10 and see if possibly you won't get much more fertilizer for your money and have a lot less weight and numbers of bags to have to haul and spread to get the same thing. A 50# bag of 19-19-19 contains 9.5 lbs of each nutrient, 9.5 lbs of nitrogen, 9.5 lbs of phosphrus, and 9.5 lbs of potash, all total 28.5 lbs of useable nutrients from the 50# tripple 19 bag. Compare this 28.5 lbs to the 12 lbs from the 40# bag and consider price.

Compare the $5.41 for a 40# bag of 10-10-10 which only gives you 4 lbs of nutrients to the price of 19-19-19 to the price of a 50# bag of 19-19-19 which gives you 9.5 lbs of nutrients and is a 10 pound larger bag.

I know I paid $7ish something/bag for the 1200 lbs of tripple 19 I bought a few weeks ago. You may want to call Cooper seeds or your local seed fertilizer dealer and see just how much you may save by buying a different fertilizer with higher percentage numbers. You wind up with the same thing, only have to put out and use less to the acre.

My guess is for about $2.00 more a bag, (RIGHT OFF THE TOP) you will get 10 lbs more to distribute and 5.5 more pounds of each of the nutrients!

Call William at Cooper Seeds, and he can quote you his price on both 10-10-10 and ask his price on 19-19-19 to give you an idea of your savings, and the difference it makes by purchasing your fertilizer in higher percentage rates. http://www.cooperseeds.com

early riser

 

[Whitetailer]

ER,

Thank you for the info. I am not that well schooled on the subjecrt, but I am aware of what you are saying about weight and percentages of the matter!
I called the place where I get my supplies in Alapaha and they have only 10-10-10 @ $8.00 per 50#. They used to have 13-13-13, but not now. I have just called Adel Feed And Seed in Adel (it is on the way to my property) They only offer 16-4-8 @ $6.80 per bag. Now that being said, they have Ammoniun Nitrate for $7.25 per bag Or a potash mix of 15-0-14 for $8.91 per bag. Can I spread Ammonium Nitrate to get a big bang for my buck? (pun intended)
What do you think about the Potash mix? I buy my seeds from Coopers exclusivly, they ship to my address in the Keys, they are great, I just do not want to drive hours to get Fertillizer.

Whitetailer.

 

[early riser]

Whitetailer

Sorry, I see now how far away you are and the trouble with transportation. The perfect scenerio would be to know exactly what the fertilizer needs were by use of a soil test. Without one, a balanced fertilizer is probably your best bet. Not knowing what your nitrogen needs are or you phorsphus or potash levels are, it's hard to say as to using a potash mix per say.

You could sure get a bang using amoninum nitrate, but do so carefully and just before you know a rain is coming.

If you could find anything higher than a 10-10-10 it would be better on the pocket book, because you're paying for all that nonusable inert matter, bagging and packaging and transportion of weight for only a 10% nutrient levels. You have the same weight, packaging and transportation on a 19-19-19, or 0-20-20, plus you get more nutrients for the same costs of handling. Course if you went 0-20-20 you would also need to purchase the nitrogen seperately as in amoninum nitrate and an extra step in application.

Hopefully if you continue to look, you can find a supplier of tripple 19, that seems to have been my best use of fertilizer dollars when buying by the bag.

EDIT: Something else you may can do that will help is to ask the local seed fertilizer dealer in your aera what he suggests. Most times these guys have a general idea of how the soil runs in their surrounding county, by what others soil tests reads and what the majority of their customers are, or have been buying. That may be or is usually the reason they carry a selected blend of bulk fertilizers. That may help you with some idea of what to add to you plots.

e.r.