Texasmark":10xjectr said:
You need some P and K to go along with N for a new planting....if it's not already in the soil you need to incorporate it in the root zone before planting. N top dressing on a growing plant is ok, but you have to get it growing first.....ref. Agricultural Research Center at Renner (Texas), joint operation of TAMU research fellows and local businessmen formed back in the '60's to get Texas crop production going again after "king cotton" almost wiped us out.
I harvested a field of Austrian Field peas and Jumbo Rye this spring at about 30" tall and very thick. The peas used the rye as a trellis is the reason they were up so tall. Otherwise they would have hugged the ground and been a tangled mess....but that's ok. A tangled mess chops up just fine.
I came right back with SS and it's up about 8" now and nice and green, no additional fertilizer. The peas died off but probably 60% of the rye clumps recovered even though I ran a 3 pt rototiller over the field between crops and did a good job of disrupting the rye. Rains came at the right time and it is back strong with the SS. Interesting watching the SS plants. They were showing tomato worm green till the roots got long enough to find the N nodules left by the peas...then they turned a pretty Kelly Green.
Good info mark.
Every acre of tillable land I have is old cotton ground. For the first couple of years we soil tested and fertilized to recommendation. Now we use a 30-10-0
Which is the general recipe in this area.
I double crop oats and crimson clover on the same ground over the winter.