# Redoing the Hay Field



## Cazenovia (Aug 10, 2010)

We are thinking about tearing up and starting over. We were wondering if we could plant alfalfa, with oats as a nurse crop. Harvest oat/alfalfa hay, harvest 2nd cutting alfalfa and then seed in orchard/brome combination. We are thinking the alfalfa would have a good start, nitrogen fix the soil, and grass would not be competing for that nitrogen while the alfalfa is being established. Third cuttting would be grass/alfalfa mix. Has anyone done this?


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## barnrope (Mar 22, 2010)

Here where we are at on the MN/Iowa border we drill with an old John Deere Van Brunt 12' foot drill. We seed the alfalfa through the seeder attachment and mix the grass seed in with the oats when we load the drill. This way it is all done in one pass. Typically we don't see much orchard or brome come through that first year. Not enough to steal many nutrients anyway. I wouldn't even consider doing it differently because it has worked very well for us.

We drill at the first chance we can get in the field in the spring which is typically around the middle of April. We normally combine our oats and make straw, but we cut oat hay occasionally.

If you have alfalfa in right now it would be best to row crop it for a year before you return it to hay again. Good Luck!


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Like Barnrope said, row crops for two is preferable in our area. Usually do a burndown in the fall after the last cutting is off, burn it again in the spring, no till to corn followed by no till beans the second year.

If what alfalfa left in the field is very thin a single year might be enough.

If the field is still smooth, I've had pretty good luck in the past thickening up a stand with a no till drill. Set it on a half rate, drive at a thirty degree angle once over, switch to 30 degree the other way so your passes criss cross.

Autotoxicity is the problem in alfalfa, and it becomes worse once you work the ground and start to cut all those old alfalfa roots. The stands I've no-tilled were very thin and since the drill didn't cut any roots, this is why in theory it worked.


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## mulberrygrovefamilyfarm (Feb 11, 2009)

Similar location and similar operation. We use a drill with two different hoppers. One drops oats and one drops alfalfa. The oats and alfalfa have different planting depths so we like to do it with two different hoppers. Last year I planted too many oats with the alfalfa and the oats came on too strong. Great oat and oat straw crop though. Didn't seem to impact the alfalfa. We've had tremendous alfalfa yields this year from that field.


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## Cazenovia (Aug 10, 2010)

Thanks to everyone for your advice. We'll listen to the experts!


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

It sounds like you are planting in old alfalfa stand.So like the others said you should put another crop in for a yr or 2.

Another option would be to Roundup/2-4-D it this fall.Plant oats in spring.Than fall seed Alfalfa/grass mixture.

Don't worry about the grasses competing with the alfalfa they are pretty slow to establish.


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## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

In my climate, Central Texas, and my soil, high pH high CEC autotoxicity has not been a problem.

Well one problem was it went 20 years believing that it was a problem.

I now like to follow alfalfa with wheat to soak up the nitrogen and help control the weeds. I like to apply all the P & K needed for a 5 year 20 tons of hay stand.

Now that I use the mineral analysis part of the hay analysis to monitor fertility, I may start top dressing in the intervening years also.

I am also may try a light bump of potash after the first cutting to help alfalfa with our summer drought.

Obviously the challenges for growing alfalfa Here are different than they are for There.


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