Fertilizing grassland: Tips & Tricks

Grass can only grow well if sufficient nutrients are available for uptake by the plant roots. Fertilizing the grassland is necessary to increase the number of nutrients in the grass. Care must be taken to ensure that the nutrients are available to the plant in the correct proportions. The purpose of grassland fertilization is:

• To increase grass production
• Ensure that the grass produced is palatable and of good composition.

The optimal fertilization depends on grassland use. When grazing only, few nutrients are removed and fertilization of the grassland may be much lower than when mowing. Ample fertilization is necessary if the field is first hayed once in the spring. How often you fertilize is up to you; if you fertilize once, it is best done in April/May. When a grassland is fertilized twice, the second time is best done in August.

Animal manure

Livestock manure has excellent fertilizing value. The advantage of animal manure is that the fertilizer is released from the manure over the course of the grazing season. Precisely because this happens so slowly, your pasture will benefit throughout the season. For a horse pasture, 10 m3 per hectare is sufficient. Otherwise, potassium levels will be too high, making it difficult for grass to absorb magnesium and other trace elements important to horses.

Fertilizer

There are special types of fertilizer for horse pastures for sale. Here the nitrogen is released very slowly: in 2-3 months, this form of nitrogen is called ENTEC nitrogen and is made by the company BASF. Nitrogen in normal fertilizer is released within a few days after spreading. Result: a huge growth spurt and relatively high protein levels in the grass, which is not good for horses.

If you grow grass or Lucerne under contract for Hartog, for fertilization, see Grass growing information or Lucerne growing information for more information on this.

Soil analyses

Fertilizing the grassland must be tailored to the nutritional status of the soil. This means the stock of nutrients present in the top centimeters (0-6 cm) of the soil.

With the help of a soil analysis, a fertilization recommendation is calculated. Fertilization recommendations are calculated for three consecutive years. The calculation of the recommendations takes into account the leaching losses during the intervening winter periods and any fertilization already carried out. You can contact Eurofins for soil analysis and fertilization recommendations.

The following nutrients are absorbed by grass in large quantities:

Nitrogen

Nitrogen is the basic element for building plant protein. It is the engine of grass growth. Leaching of nitrogen from the soil occurs easily, therefore it is advisable to apply nitrogen several times a year. This way you ensure that there is sufficient grass growth throughout the growing season. On horse pastures, nitrogen fertilization should not be too high; the grass then becomes too high in protein and too poor in crude fiber, which can cause intestinal disorders.

Phosphorus

Phosphorus is used in plants to build certain proteins and other organic matter, it promotes root growth. For the health of grazing livestock, it is important to achieve an adequate level of phosphorus in the grass. Leaching from the soil is low, fertilization can build up a reserve of phosphorus in the soil. On horse pastures, phosphorus fertilization is best done early in the spring (March). Phosphorus is utilized by horses for bone formation and energy function, among other things.

Potassium

Magnesium

Magnesium is necessary for the plant to build its chlorophyll. It is important to maintain magnesium levels for animal health reasons. Magnesium is difficult for plants to absorb in cold weather conditions. It is therefore advised to administer two-thirds of the recommended dose in spring and one-third during August.

Calcium