If you’re starting a farm to harvest forage for animals, remember to always select the most suitable pasture fertilizer. This is because the health of the animals that will graze on your pasture depends on how well kept your grasses are. Your farm’s yield will improve.

What do you need to think about when selecting the right hay fertilizer?

The first thing you need to take into account is your soil’s mineral composition. Well-kept soils will have a good relative amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and will be free from plant pests and hazardous microorganisms. But soil factors don’t remain steady. Rigorous cropping may lead to soil fatigue, which just means the natural nutrient reserves in your soil may get used up. Your aim must be to regulate your fertilization plans according to the needs of your pasture soil

Most farms that have been used as browsing ground for years may show extremely low natural concentration of phosphorus. A series of soil tests will boost the chance that you can catch the nutritional deficiencies of your soil before you begin planting.

Grasses are fast growing and they need high quantities of nitrogen to grow. This means you should check each soil conditioner you use for enough nitrogen content. You will be able to monitor how your grass reacts to a nitrogen fertilizer immediately.

A suitable practice for new pasture farmers is to plant grasses with legume plants. Legumes are inherent nitrogen fixers and they can boost your soil’s nitrogen content in an organic manner. Planting these plants with your grass cultivars will boost production and minimize the costs of nitrogen fertilization.

Phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are also important in enhancing forage value for improved animal nutrition. These nutrients are returned to the soil in the urine and feces from the browsing animals, so get a formula that has sufficient quantities of phosphorus and potassium. Having sufficient potassium and phosphorus in your soil may encourage the budding of volunteer leguminous crops, which in turn supply your soil with the much desired nitrogen.