# When is it too late to plant alfalfa in the spring?



## Hayman7502 (Feb 26, 2019)

This spring of '19 is a brutal one! I have a 20 acre field that I need to get planted in forage oats, alfalfa, and orchard grass. It's mid May and still too wet to work ground. The ground had beans last fall. Now it's lush green with chickweed, grass and other weeds. Going to try to spray Gly today. Rain forecasted tonight and then every other or third day after that. If the liars are correct in their guessing game, aka weathermen, then it could be up to ten more days until the ground is dry enough to plant alfalfa.

Also I have been told there is a residual of ten days on 24d. I would hate to add the 24d to the Gly to get a better burndown but it's so late that if there's no rain then I don't want to wait on the residual.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

How about just planting the oats now, then plant a late summer alfalfa / OG mix. Gives you time to burn down weeds/undesirable grasses twice.

Larry


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## Hayman7502 (Feb 26, 2019)

Unfortunately the seed is mixed already. We have had good luck with the mixture in the past so we continue with it. Who knew it would be close to June till we could plant anything?? 
Besides the Farmers Almanac!


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Im in the South Bend/Notre Dame area and we have planted alfalfa as late as the middle of June before and had success. Used to be you had to get it planted as early as possible to take advantage of spring rains to get it off to a good start before the summer dry kicked in, summer dry hasn't been an issue in at least a decade.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Anytime works if it keeps raining.What you don't want is to seed then have it germinate and ground dries out before roots go down.BTDT but it was early April so can happen anytime.It' would be good idea to pack after seeding to keep from drying out to deep.Thats good anytime tho,packing!


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## Hayman7502 (Feb 26, 2019)

Got the field sprayed just in time for it to dump a 1/2" of rain on it!! Pulled out of the field an hour and 45 minutes before the rain hit.
I'm not too worried about it washing off. Sun was still out while I was spraying so the plants were still active.


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## Hayman7502 (Feb 26, 2019)

I have a culti-packer that I can run over it again after I seed. It will actually be in front of the drill while seeding. Then I can unhook the drill and go back over it.

Does anyone crisscross the field when planting? Plant at half rate then go over the field again 90° the other way. Had a guy ask me that and we never have done it. Just standard row planting. If there's extra then we may hit the high ground again.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Hayman7502 said:


> I have a culti-packer that I can run over it again after I seed. It will actually be in front of the drill while seeding. Then I can unhook the drill and go back over it.
> 
> Does anyone crisscross the field when planting? Plant at half rate then go over the field again 90° the other way. Had a guy ask me that and we never have done it. Just standard row planting. If there's extra then we may hit the high ground again.


I've seen a few fields criss crossed when they used a drill and seeded threw openers and had 7.5 or 10" spacing.


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## danwi (Mar 6, 2015)

Sometimes a rain shower really helps to get the chemical into the weeds as long as it wasn't so much that it washes it away'


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Hayman7502 said:


> Does anyone crisscross the field when planting? Plant at half rate then go over the field again 90° the other way. Had a guy ask me that and we never have done it. Just standard row planting. If there's extra then we may hit the high ground again.


Yep, that's how I do it, but I do no-til and not always at 90 degrees.

Larry


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## Hayman7502 (Feb 26, 2019)

danwi said:


> Sometimes a rain shower really helps to get the chemical into the weeds as long as it wasn't so much that it washes it away'


Rain came in hard and fast. Slammed that 1/2" in about ten minutes.


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## Hayman7502 (Feb 26, 2019)

I know it’s been a couple years but wanted to give an update on the field. 
Praise God I have a very great stand of alfalfa/OG! This hay business isn’t for sissy’s I can tell you that! I truly believe that along with fertilizer, you definitely need to add foliar feed to your program. I’m still learning the process and one day I might figure out things.


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## Trillium Farm (Dec 18, 2014)

Looks good!


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## PaulN (Mar 4, 2014)

That's a beautiful stand!


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## Markpnw (Dec 27, 2019)

That’s a great stand. What kind of seeder did you use to get that success?


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