Winter is hard on pastures. This is especially true for places like Idaho with winters that are long and harsh.
Successful fall pasture management with the right fertilizer can help—not for producing crop yields, but for building up root reserves. This is important because roots are where a plant stores energy, water and nutrients. The more roots a plant has, the better it can withstand winter conditions.
When spring comes and your pasture starts to grow again, the extra roots will help the plants recover quickly and produce more forage.
Simmons Sports & Services provides the pasture services Idaho Falls residents can rely on, including Fall pasture fertilization and much more.
Fall Nitrogen Applications
Nitrogen is the key element in pasture fertilizer that helps build up root reserves. That’s because nitrogen helps plants produce more chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is what gives plants their green color and helps them convert sunlight into energy.
More energy means more grass growth. And that extra grass growth will go into building bigger, healthier roots.
The best time to apply nitrogen fertilizer is in the middle of the fall, before your pasture goes dormant for the winter.
The roots will continue to grow throughout the winter and into the spring. That means they’ll be able to take up more water and nutrients when they start growing again.
It’s important to fertilize in the fall because that’s when the plants are actively growing their root systems.
If you wait until spring to fertilize, you’ll miss the chance to give your plants a boost before they really start growing.
Plus, fall pasture fertilizer is typically more affordable than spring fertilizer because there’s less demand for it.
So if you’re looking to save some money, fertilizing in the fall is the way to go.
Other Benefits of Nitrogen Fertilizer
Nitrogen fertilizer isn’t just good for your pasture. It can also help with:
- The growth of other plants in your pasture, such as clover
- The health of your soil
- The growth of your grass
- The health of your cattle
By adding nitrogen fertilizer to your pasture in the fall, you’ll be doing yourself and your cattle a big favor. Your pasture will be lusher and healthier, and your cattle will be able to get the nutrients they need to stay healthy and grow.
Nitrogen fertilizer also helps your pasture recover from the winter and maintain its integrity. Pastures don’t recover from grazing livestock or foot traffic if they aren’t growing—and nitrogen is key to growth.
If you want your pasture to be in top condition, fertilize it in the fall with nitrogen fertilizer.
Simmons Sports & Services — Fertilizing in the Fall for a Healthy Spring Pasture
You can rely on Simmons Sports & Services—your Idaho Falls tractor service provider—for all your pasture needs. We carry a wide variety of fertilizers, seed and other products to help you get the most out of your pasture. We’ll make sure your pasture gets the nutrients it needs to stay healthy and productive.
Give us a call today. We’ll be happy to help you find the right products for your pasture and schedule a time to fertilize.