Too Late for Nitrogen?

Should I put urea down, or is it too late (or maybe just need more rain?)

 

 

Been in a major drought for all of 2021 here in mid Michigan (little to no snow or spring rain). I decided to overseed my pure orchard grass field this spring in April, right after I put down cow manure (normally I use horse manure but I couldn't find any for a decent price). I was maybe a month late as I was waiting on our new tractor to arrive.

 

I read after the fact that cow manure is much LOWER in nitrogen

 

Anyway, we got next to no rain for the next 30 days, an really NO rain until just Sunday night. It's been scattered rain in the evenings since. So neither the manure, nor the seed has had a chance to kick in.

 

Normally I cut last week of May (this weekend), but the hay is unusually thin and looks quite sad. The winter was warmer than normal, so temps shouldn't have killed any off...

 

I'm wondering if I can still somehow get some urea down to give a good pop or should I just cut it as it stands?  It hasn't really gone to boot yet, and is maybe 8-10 inches tall (normally 24+).

 

This is horse hay, so I try to keep the protien up and sugar down. If I wait too long, protien will fall to 8%. Out here we only get 2 cuts too, and normally 1st cut is my big one..

 

I just don't want to worry about nitrate poisoning, or wasting my $$$. I normally put urea down right after 1st cut, or at least 3 weeks before any cutting.

 

This field is only 4 years old, and has been overseeded every year except for last year, so it SHOULD be standing tall and proud.

 

***I have not done a soil sample this year, but could do one as a check. soil has always checked out great. All my fields with this grass variety seem to be faring poorly though.

 

Thanks for your input!

Too Late for Nitrogen?