Fertilizing Grass

In progressive grass farming, we distinguish between "analyzing soil health" and "fertilizing grass." In simplest terms, you can have healthy soil, but still need to add fertilizer to increase the production of the grass. Specifically, this is the amount of Nitrogen (N) that is required to maximize hay or pasture production of the grass. The standard formula is 50 pounds of N for each ton of hay production.

The important thing to remember is that you should keep the ecology of your soil in mind when you are selecting your N strategy. You don’t want to spend a lot of time and money building up the microbial and organic life of the soil and then kill it all by over-applying or misapplying N in a harmful form.

World Feeder Bermuda Grass is highly responsive to fertility efforts. We have seen yields of over ten tons of hay per acre, when the N is present and the rainfall/irrigation is adequate to maximize production.

Good Practices for Grass Fertilization

• Work with a professional agronomist who is specifically knowledgeable about maximizing production from high-performance Bermuda grass. If you cannot find one, let us know and we will be glad to help you connect with one.
  
• Remember that you can send samples of your grass to a laboratory as well as soil samples. An annual grass test will help you track the success of your program.
  
• "If you don’t read, you can’t lead." (Dr. Gary North) You simply must read to be a successful progressive grass farmer. Some recommended reading:
  • The Stockman Grass Farmer magazine
  • Any book by Allan Nation
  • Any book by Joel Salatin
  • Acres U.S.A. magazine