# Okay to cut alfalfa in am with dew on it???



## kimber55 (Aug 20, 2009)

I want lower NSC alfalfa for sugar/starch sensitive horses and want to cut in the am.
It has been 45 at night and mid 70 during day, hence dew until about noon.
Is there any reason dew would hurt the alfalfa or change the way it should be handled?
We are taking over 5 acre alfalfa stand and 60+ acre orchard grass
.
We are planning on cutting tomorrow info asap would be great!
thanks


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## thebonepile (Sep 18, 2009)

YOU CAN'T bale the alfalfa until it is dry - that includes any dew it gets on it - the dew will dry off the plants faster if they are still standing - and not placed on the wet ground - plus it will cut easier
BUT can you? sure......but it will probably be a longer wait to bale than if you would have started after the dew was gone


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

First of all, depends on your mower. While my NH 499 would cut hay that was sopping wet with dew, it also didn't feed as nice and made 'clumpy' windrows if the hay was too wet. Then of course it took longer to make sure the clumps were dry or if it was tedded a slower ground speed is required so the tedder can pull the clumps apart and spread em evenly. My discbine doesn't care.

Mow it as soon as you feel your mower will do a good job of it. I'm not sure where your at, but around here being this early I would say the ground might be pretty wet yet so I'd lay the rows out narrow so the ground gets a chance to dry between the rows some. Then come in and ted it the next morning.

thebonepile is right though, it won't start to dry out until the dew is gone and dew tends to disappear faster on standing hay than hay in a swath.


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