What fertilizer for soybeans?
 

What fertilizer would you recommend for my plot of Eagle Forage Soybeans? Ive heard 5-20-20? 10-20-20? My plot has started coming up, its about 5 inches high. But ive been told to fertilize it to help it out a little because its been kinda slow growing lately. Thanks

RE: What fertilizer for soybeans?
 

A lot of people have recommended to me to use 13-13-13. But the best way to figure it out is to take a soil sample. When you send the soil sample to the lab you'll tell them what you're growing. Then they will recommend how much fertilizer to use and what kind. For my soil I don't need any nitrogen so that first character will be a 0. Then they recommended that I use 100 pounds of Phosphorus (P) and 100 pounds of Potassium (K) per acre. I have been accused of being a little anal when it comes to this stuff but I guess it all depends on your personal expectations of what you want your food plot to do.

Just remember, the numbers in the fertilizer code stands for the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the bag. So if you buy a 50 pound bag of 13-13-13 it's only going to have 13% of each of those in it. If I were to gowith the recommendations the lab gave me and decided to used 13-13-13 to accomplish that, I'd basically be wasting the nitrogen and I would need about2-3 50 pound bags of it being that I'm only planting a 1/4 acre.

What size is your plot?

RE: What fertilizer for soybeans?
 

I have 2 plots, one being about 1/3 acre or so and the other about 1/4 acre.

RE: What fertilizer for soybeans?
 

beans don't need fertilizer, lime most likely but you need to test for that.

RE: What fertilizer for soybeans?
 

Are you willing to take a soil sample? If so, you can probably find an extension office near you to take it to. It took me a week to get my results emailed to me once I dropped off the sample.

If you don't want to go through that, my estimate would be to use about 25 pounds of P and 25 pounds of K on your 1/4 acre plot and about 30-40 pounds of each on your 1/3 acre plot. You can usually find straight phosphorus and potassium fertilizer at farm stores or fertilizer suppliers. Or you could look for something like a 0-45-45. Just FYI, the potassium is commonly referred to as "potash". If you would rather just use the 5-20-20 because it's readily available, just use 2 bags on each plot and call it a day. Just make sure you apply your fertilizer right before it rains. Sit back and watch your plot explode!!!

RE: What fertilizer for soybeans?
 

Actually it depends on yoursoil and also how much yield you want out of your plants. But saying that they don't need fertilizer is incorrect.

RE: What fertilizer for soybeans?
 

Huh? Nitrogen they typically don't need, but P and K they do. Perhaps you were confused, but all plants can benefit from fertilizer.

RE: What fertilizer for soybeans?
 

If your plot is not a high fertility old farm field, it will probably respond to fertilizer. 5-14-42 is a popular alfalfa blend that would work for soybeans, 9-23-30 is a popular corn starter fertilizer that would work. With a soil sample, you could apply the proper amount of P and K (soybeans fix their own N if they are properly innoculated). Without a soil test, 100 lbs/a of either blend should help (200 lbs/a wouldn't hurt, but you may be wasting money). Take a soil test for next year at the very least. Soil can be sampled and tested at any time of the year.

Hey i went today and put out about 100lbs of 19-19-19. Ill see how it works. Its supposed to rain today so hopefully itll work the fertilizer in.

Is that for both plots? If so it's not nearly enough. It's not really enough for even one of them. The 19% Nitrogen isn't going to do anything and the other two are just small amounts. 19% Phosphorus and 19% Potash per bag. I imagine you use (2) 50 pound bags?... It'll help but not that much. You really should get a soil sample.