Alfalfa in dry climates??

Thanks

Thanks for the info on alfalfa. When you do have to irrigate,woud you have any idea of the amount of water that you use (ie - how much water per acre and how often)?

Thanks,

Ted

Yea, guess the amount of water and how often would be on a case by case basis.

Your thoughts on rotational grazing and pasture renovator implement??

See that you are in NC. many years ago I owned a few acres near Johnson City, Tenn very near the NC border. Beautiful country in those parts.

Thanks,

Ted

I am headed over to Mountain City in a few minutes to watch my nephew play T-Ball. I am up here in Sugar Grove for Fathers Day visiting Dad. Was born and raised up here in the hills work and live in Raleigh now but this is home.

As for Pasture renovation, I am more of believer in rotational grazing and good fertilizer practices. Find a grass that does good IN YOUR Area and plant it. Get soil samples and come spring get soil samples and plant tissue samples for analysis. This will tell you more about what you need to do. No-Till can be used to get a good stand of most grasses but the real secret is to let it have a year or so to get established before it gets grazed or be judicial about the rotation. Rotational grazing can accomplish some great things if the rules are followed. The Rules are

Soil Samples religiously
Fertilize and Lime per instruction
Don't overgraze
Spread droppings

I have used a 3pt drag spike harrow to spread droppings. It does it well and they are not that expensive since not many people use them anymore. It also helps aerate.

Thats my 2 bits and I am sure that there is someone on this forum that really does know. LOL

Jerry D sitting in the Hills

Usually the question is how to get the hay in before it gets rained on in late June. We tried to plant alfalfa in some subirrigated ground when I was a kid, but it didn't work well. My Dad thought the alfalfa drowned. Sprinkling is expensive and a LOT OF WORK, but you do what you have to do.

Do you really get 32 inches of moisture per year? I would not consider that too dry of an area compared to where I live. We get less than half of that in a GOOD year!

I have a friend from high school that has a hay ranch over around Walla Walla. Of course it is all irrigated. Tremendous investment in equipment and in electricity. He has claimed 7 cuttings in a few really good years and seems to have done quite well. I'm sure he knows his banker intimately!

A lot of the Columbia Basin would go back to sagebrush in less than a generation without irrigation. I get mad whenever somebody starts saying how good it would be if we breeched the dams. They haven't a clue of what is important.

I don't know the ag of the region that well other than dry land wheat,and a few farmers who irrigate their wheat and get huge crops, so didn't know about the bluegrass. I also just heard yesterday abour somebody who was getting 7 cuttings in a good year! Amazing!

I know a few folks over around your neck of the woods - involved in Walk to Emmaus, and there are a lot of farmers involved...all over the Palouse, Connell, Washtucna, Eltopia, Ritzville, Colfax, Pullman, Moscow, and all down through there. Good folks! Good friends!

Nice to "meet" you! :)

Will be just starting out with this irrigating stuff and would appreciate your recommendations.

Thanks,

Ted

Thanks

Anyhow, there is a fellow over at www.talk.newagtalk.com who grows a lot of dryland alfalfa in Texas, & he loves to talk about it. Guess it goes dormant for 2-3 months over the summer. Bill 'Hay' Wilson is who you are looking for....

--->Paul