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Well, you will get more tree problem if you don't cut it. As well as other weeds. If you cut it & don't bale it off, it kinda builds up, chokes off alfalfa, hard to cut the second time.... So, best option by far with alfalfa is to cut & harvest it. In my part of the country it is common for someone to come cut, rake, bale the hay and leave 1/2 in the field for the land owner, take 1/2 home. Adjustments can be made for too small fields (he gets more for the travel time vs worth of crop...), who does the fertilizing, etc. What about spraying for aphids, or when the alfalfa thins out, who works & reseeds the field, etc.? The first year 1 - 2 cuttings is normal around 'here', for the next 3-7 years you would get 3-4 cuttings every year 'here'. Different parts of the country average 2-7 cutting per year, I'd expect you to get 3-5 depending on rainfall where you are? If you don't want the hay, you can sell it, or you can 'sell' it to your haymaker for the going rate of hay. But this establishes a price by splitting the crop. As well, you both share the risk of a good vs bad crop, if you get aphids or drought you get less bales, in a good year you get many bales.... What is the size of the trees in your other field, a good brush hog will take down a lot, BUT then I would never run a sickle bar or good tires through that field until it was worked over & started over.... If real small, deal with it NOW while you can, will be a lost cause in 2 years..... --->Paul
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