new planting of hay fields

steve in wi · Sep 10, 2009

Looking for opinions, i have a new hay field this year ,we planted in early may.We harvested the oats,cut when in milk stage and baled.Being the drought we had the new growth isn't real tall or blooming.but the weeds are starting up.We started green chopping a few rounds but being 15 arces don't get alot chopped.Would i be better of spraying next year for the weeds and just let this grow out. or continue to green chop? I would cut the field ,we been having alot of dew in the morning, not much drying time.The field is a mixture of alafafa,orhard,and timithy.I'am in south eastern wi Thanks Not sure what the best option is? Coop wants me to spray of course $ Thanks Steve

MN Scott · Sep 10, 2009

Frost will kill the weeds in a few weeks so don't bother spraying. Next spring the hay will outgrow any weeds that come up as the weeds are annuals and they have to start from seed every spring. Its getting to late to cut to as the alfalfa will not have time to regrow and save nutrients to survive the winter. If you must cut wait until we get a hard killing frost and the alfalfa is dormant. By cutting now or after a frost you greatly increase the chance of winter kill.

bradk · Sep 10, 2009

I've found alot that a first year hay crop isn't gonna win any beauty contests.My best field of alfala I have now was planted a year ago last spring.Pretty sorry looking all last year.

The more I cut it,the better weed control I got.I cut the oats at same stage you did and baled it up.

Here's the field now.

Anonymous-0 · Sep 10, 2009

Last spring my plan was to fall(late august Early Sept)seed some alfafa. time got away from me and without the 6 weeks of grow time it needs before a killing frost I will be waiting til spring. I would be careful cutting this close to the average frost date. Like was already said winter kill on a new seeding without 6 weeks of growth is very possible. gobble

blinwmiaol.com · Sep 10, 2009

I don't really agree. I am in West Michigan which should have a very similiar environment to the original poster. Every dairy around is starting 3rd cut now and will be doing it for the rest of the month. That easily allows enough time for the alfalfa to get a few inches of regrowth. With that management we still get 5 years or more out of a stand before it gets to thin.
The best option would be to let it go till the hard frost and then cut, it gives you the additional tonnage and the plant has safely stored all the needed reserves in the roots. It doesn't hurt the stand at all, and then next year you won't have the old dried nasty residue in the new first cutting.

DickL · Sep 10, 2009

I put a field to alfalfa in August a few years back that had not been planted to anything for two years. First year was bad weedy. I multched it down the first two cuttings before weeds could go to seed and baled the third cutting when the weeds were gone. The second year and since has been real good. I have all the hay for this year I need and am letting it go to seed. Plan on combining the seed.

Don-Wi · Sep 10, 2009

We plant with oats as a nurse crop as well. We swath it and combine it for grain, and then chop or bale the straw off for bedding.

We have managed to get a 4th crop the last few years in late September, right after a frost ussually. At the same time, we cut our new seeding at the same time. It's always a bit weedy the first year, but after that it clears up and looks great.

Ussually have a good bit of Fox tail, not to mention some velvet leaf, and rag weed. We also get some thistle, which is hard to get rid of if it's on the edge of the field, but if it's closer to the middle it dies out as it's cut several times throughout the summer.

This year we have about 10 acres of new seeding and about 35 of old, that varies from 1-5 years old.

We'll cut it and chop it along with our corn, which is way behind this year. Last year we had everything except our late planted corn off by this time. This year, it isn't even dented yet. Good news is this year the early and late planted corn should be ready around the same time. Probably gonna have to wait for a hard frost though...

Donovan from Wisconsin

new planting of hay fields

steve in wi

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MN Scott

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bradk

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Anonymous-0

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blinwmiaol.com

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DickL

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Don-Wi

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