According to the official Met Office stats, spring 2024 was the sixth wettest on record. Their records date all the way back to 1836, giving an indication of how much rain there was every year. With an average of 301.7mm, it was 32% wetter than a typical year. That leads to questions about what people should do in regards to fertiliser. We want to look at that today to offer some useful insights.

Best practice

Whenever anyone uses any type of fertiliser, whether it is on the lawn at home or in a farmer’s field, you want the best results. It is crucial to think about the weather. Typically you want a dry few days to reduce the risk of issues. However, it can’t be too hot or you risk losses because of evaporation.

The sweet spot for best practice is to give the land a chance to dry after rain. You want the moisture level to be relatively low. Ideally, you then want the few days afterwards to be dry as well.

Issues with fertilising wet ground

Moisture can lead to three major problems. Most importantly, it can cause excessive runoff. What you want is to give the fertiliser enough time to penetrate the soil and get taken up by the plants. However, if it wet or it rains soon after spreading, it can wash away. This can lead to wastage and damage local waterways.

Another issue is uneven growth. When it is wet, fertilisers can clump together rather than spreading evenly. What you end up with is pockets with high concentrations of nutrients and others with a lack of them. Anything growing in spots with an excess can suffer nutrient burn. Those areas with a lack of nutrients won’t grow as effectively.

Finally, fertilising when it is wet can lead to soil compaction. Whether you are simply walking around or using heavy machinery like tractors, it can compress and compact the wet soil. That can hinder root growth; roots will always grow better in looser soils as they don’t need as much energy to push through them.

Do you want to order fertiliser?

JS Hubbuck Ltd has been working with fertilisers for decades. Supplying quality products is a cornerstone of our business. We work with clients to ensure they can order what they need for great prices, and then get efficient delivery solutions. Whether it is a single farm or a co-op, we can arrange a fantastic service for you.

So, get in touch today and find out more. We’d be happy to advise about products, how to use them effectively, storage, and other important topics.