Fertilizer Help Please!

Hi All, Sorry for the numerous question but am not getting much help here in Maine at the local feed stores. This area isn't a big farming destination, so item can be hard to find. So far the only fertilizer I can find is 5-10-10, 10-10-10, and 19-19-19 and I have called numerous places (I can find the 0-0-60 I need). Below is what my plots are calling for. If anyone could help me with figure out what to put out I would greatly appreciate it. I'll give the acre numbers just to make it easier, but my plots are only 1/4 acre and I'm planting clover. (ladino and medium red)

Front Field:
10-10-10 = 150lb
0-20-20 = 525lb

Rear Field:
10-10-10 = 150lb
0-20-20 = 225lb
0-0-60 = 100lb
 
Fertilizer numbers on a bag are listed in this order: N (nitrogen), P (phosphorous) and K (potassium). A 50# bag of 19-19-19 gives you 9.5# of N, P and K per bag. It's easier to do the math with 2 bags or 100#....you get 19# of N,P,K per 100# of fertilizer.

If I read your requirements correctly, you want to boost your P and K and minimize your N (clover makes its own nitrogen). Since you aren't able to find 0-60-0 and 0-0-60 to address P and K directly, it looks like your best bet is to go 19-19-19. That puts down nitrogen that is not needed, so you will be feeding weeds and grasses more than the clover, but you don't have much choice with the options you have.

To attain 100# of K on the front field, you would need 500# of 19-19-19. (10 bags)
To attain 60# of K on the rear field, you would need 300# of 19-19-19. (6 bags)

That is a LOT of fertilizer for such a small area. For a 1/4 acre plot, I would just do 3 bags of 19-19-19 initially for each plot and see what happens. Maybe hit it again in 60 days or so.
 
What FL PLOTTER said!

Back to the question....
That's a weird way to express a fertilizer application. I read it, not as actual plant food, but source and amount of fertilizer material.
No fertilizer supplies straight plant food elements.

Skipping a couple steps and assuming what I said above is true(?), what you're looking for in actual plant food units is:
Front field
4 lbs of N; 55 lbs of P; and 30 lbs of K.
That's 5 - 50 lb bags of 10-10-10 or 2 1/2 bags of 19-19-19 (Don't worry about a couple lbs difference one way or another).
What you get out of the application, again in actual plant food is:
15 lbs of N; 50 lbs of P; 50 lbs of K.
This fulfills the large need for additional phosphorus while supplying more potassium than recommended and that shouldn't be a problem. The application of a "large" surplus of nitrogen can push grass and weed growth, but it might help the clover get started. Most here will argue the additional N is a problem , not a help. If you agree, then apply 3 50-lb bags of 10-10-10 rather than 5 bags. If you choose 19-19-19, cut the number of bags by half.

Back field
4 lbs of N; 55 lbs of P; and 55 lbs of K.
I'd do the same thing here. 5 50 lb bags of 10-10-10 or half that if you buy 19-19-19.

All this brings two questions (at least) to mind. One, if the soil is this deficient in available nutrients, is it wise to expect an adequate crop of clover. Two, did you take a "good" soil sample?

More questions? What's you soils' pH? Do the test results offer a CEC number?
 
Don't sweat it but the above answers are correct. For a small plot and doing clover, get the ph going with lime if needed and just do 3 bags or so of the 19-19-19 especially on a new plot the N added can be a bonus. Hit again in fall and spray grasses with Cleth if needed and don't tell the deer, they will eat it anyways. In non ag areas, it is hard to get certain Fert. I can't get it in my home town but in my farm county, easy stuff to get.
Read the Lickcreek thread on here and he gives basically that recipe if you don't know the soil sample. Plant your clover with a grain and maybe oats, personally doing as a fall planting. Good luck.
 
What FL PLOTTER said!

Back to the question....
That's a weird way to express a fertilizer application. I read it, not as actual plant food, but source and amount of fertilizer material.
No fertilizer supplies straight plant food elements.

Skipping a couple steps and assuming what I said above is true(?), what you're looking for in actual plant food units is:
Front field
4 lbs of N; 55 lbs of P; and 30 lbs of K.
That's 5 - 50 lb bags of 10-10-10 or 2 1/2 bags of 19-19-19 (Don't worry about a couple lbs difference one way or another).
What you get out of the application, again in actual plant food is:
15 lbs of N; 50 lbs of P; 50 lbs of K.
This fulfills the large need for additional phosphorus while supplying more potassium than recommended and that shouldn't be a problem. The application of a "large" surplus of nitrogen can push grass and weed growth, but it might help the clover get started. Most here will argue the additional N is a problem , not a help. If you agree, then apply 3 50-lb bags of 10-10-10 rather than 5 bags. If you choose 19-19-19, cut the number of bags by half.

Back field
4 lbs of N; 55 lbs of P; and 55 lbs of K.
I'd do the same thing here. 5 50 lb bags of 10-10-10 or half that if you buy 19-19-19.

All this brings two questions (at least) to mind. One, if the soil is this deficient in available nutrients, is it wise to expect an adequate crop of clover. Two, did you take a "good" soil sample?

More questions? What's you soils' pH? Do the test results offer a CEC number?

Soil sample was done correctly. I did add pelletized lime and WR last year to try and help it out some before trying clover. I am going off of the soil sample that I had done before the WR. CEC number is 2.3 on both. Soil PH was 5.3
 
Front Field:
10-10-10 = 150lb
0-20-20 = 525lb

If this is a per acre recommendation you would end up with.
5lb N-5lbP-5lbK per 50 lb bag of 10-10-10. They call for 150 lb. so you end up with 15lbn-15lbp-15lbK per acre
0lbN-10lbP-10lbK per 50 lb bag 0f 0-20-20. They call for 525 lb so you end up with 0lbN-105lbP-105lbK per acre
Total =15lbN-120lbP-120lbK per acre
So divide by 4 and you get the total for a 1/4 acre. @ 4lbN- 30lbP-30lbK
So like was said above 3 bags of 19-19-19 will provide 28.5lb of each N-P&K to a 1/4 acre plot. Close enough.
 
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