# Letting fields rest -- a good thing?



## gulogulo (Mar 9, 2014)

Hey folks, second new topic of the day: Wondering if letting a field rest for a year, rather than keeping it hayed and fertilized, is a good thing. And if I am gonna leave it fallow for a year, should I be mowing it down? Concerned if I don't mow it down, there'll be a lot of dead material baled up the following year. But if I do mow it down, and it sits there in swaths, how many nutrients will really return to the fields? Might I just as well hay it if I'm gonna mow it?

Thanks.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

We've let a couple fields rest a few times during rotations. But that meant we disked the field and disked it 2-3 more times during the summer to get the weeds. So it really didn't grow anything. This was just a year between alfalfa and just 20 acres so planting wheat or corn hardly was worth it. Now that I've found teff there won't be a rest between alfalfa plantings


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Just 20 acres? Around here people are slitting each others throats for 10 acre or less fields.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

In the east if you are gonna leave it a year you better mow it. The weeds and trees start in from year 1.

We tried to fallow some ground, about an acre, to get the weeds out of it. I plowed it, then disced it 4 or 5 times, harrowed it twice, tillage every few weeks. Just as green as ever. Best I can tell it just removes all the competition so the weeds can get ahead.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

mlappin said:


> Just 20 acres? Around here people are slitting each others throats for 10 acre or less fields.


When you don't have your own equipment for corn or wheat plus low prices at the time we let the ground go fallow add in irrigation expenses, spraying it became break even. Hard to get custom guys to come for less then 50 acres. So why grow anything? Oats were just a pain and also seemed to be break even. Teff is a good one though.


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## PaCustomBaler (Nov 29, 2010)

What's the point in leaving ground sit fallow?

I'm not sure if people expect the nutrients to "replenish" themselves without added nutrients or what. Any decent amount of nutrients via mineralization from parent material takes 10, 20, 50, 100 years...not 1 year.

Maybe someone can chime in on an actual reason for letting a field sit fallow.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

PaCustomBaler said:


> What's the point in leaving ground sit fallow?
> 
> I'm not sure if people expect the nutrients to "replenish" themselves without added nutrients or what. Any decent amount of nutrients via mineralization from parent material takes 10, 20, 50, 100 years...not 1 year.
> 
> Maybe someone can chime in on an actual reason for letting a field sit fallow.


 Yes my reasons. You can't plant new alfalfa after an old stand of alfalfa. Though my reasons have nothing to do with putting nutrients back in the soil.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Letting a field rest puts organic material back into it--a good thing, especially around here.

My grandfathers would always let a field rest every 3 years or so, often after planting clover on it the previous year. Cow/hog manure went on the fields.

Now, with income pressures, it's very hard to let a field rest. IMHO, this is not a good thing--it will lead to soil depletion. But, then again, what do I know?

Ralph


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## gulogulo (Mar 9, 2014)

PaCustomBaler said:


> What's the point in leaving ground sit fallow?
> 
> I'm not sure if people expect the nutrients to "replenish" themselves without added nutrients or what. Any decent amount of nutrients via mineralization from parent material takes 10, 20, 50, 100 years...not 1 year.
> 
> Maybe someone can chime in on an actual reason for letting a field sit fallow.





slowzuki said:


> In the east if you are gonna leave it a year you better mow it. The weeds and trees start in from year 1.
> 
> We tried to fallow some ground, about an acre, to get the weeds out of it. I plowed it, then disced it 4 or 5 times, harrowed it twice, tillage every few weeks. Just as green as ever. Best I can tell it just removes all the competition so the weeds can get ahead.


PaCustomBaler, that answers my question about nutrient replenishment, thanks. I knew it took a while but didn't realize parent material would be that ineffectual. Thanks.

And Slowzuki, you're absolutely right -- if I turn my back for 5 minutes the saplings and bedstraw take over. So if I'm not going to bale the first cut, I better make sure to mow it.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

rjmoses said:


> Letting a field rest puts organic material back into it--a good thing, especially around here.
> 
> My grandfathers would always let a field rest every 3 years or so, often after planting clover on it the previous year. Cow/hog manure went on the fields.
> 
> ...


How can fallow ground increase organic matter? Growing a single winter cover crop would add more organic matter than disking anything that grows before it gets any size to it.

I can understand fallow in an arid situation. Otherwise, not so much.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Ralph's example of planting/growing clover + fertilizing it, while it might be a break from cropping, I wouldn't consider nitrogen fixing cover crops to be a traditional fallowed field. Its more like a rotation.



rjmoses said:


> Letting a field rest puts organic material back into it--a good thing, especially around here.
> 
> My grandfathers would always let a field rest every 3 years or so, often after planting clover on it the previous year. Cow/hog manure went on the fields.
> 
> ...


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## DSLinc1017 (Sep 27, 2009)

Where in Vermont are you? I would bale it off at least twice a season just to keep the weeds at bay.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

DSLinc1017 said:


> Where in Vermont are you? I would bale it off at least twice a season just to keep the weeds at bay.


Baling it off would remove more nutrients. The idea, as I understand it, of leaving ground fallow, is to rebuild it, not take out of it.

If you look at a soil test, they usually list organic material as part of the result. Organic material is useful in keeping moisture in the soil, increasing bacterial action and controlling erosion.

Ralph


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

All our fields are 'resting' under water..... How quaint. Squish-squish-squish.


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## DSLinc1017 (Sep 27, 2009)

rjmoses said:


> Baling it off would remove more nutrients. The idea, as I understand it, of leaving ground fallow, is to rebuild it, not take out of it.
> 
> If you look at a soil test, they usually list organic material as part of the result. Organic material is usefuel in keeping moisture in the soil, increasing bacterial action and controlling erosion.
> 
> Ralph


All good things said here, I guess the catch 22 here is weed control, at the same time keeping the soil in good condition. We do not use any chemicals on any of our fields here. And yes weeds are a constant struggle. One way to keep them at bay is to keep the fields constantly cut. We could leave the cuttings down, but that's money on the ground, so we bale. We fertilize and adjust the Ph as needed. Most of our fertilizer comes from our animals with supplements as needed. Lastly, no till drilling has been a huge success, granted it takes time for no till to take hold but it eventually will. 
About half of our fields over the years have come from fallowed fields that were left as is and only bush hogged once every three years or so. It has taken a good 2 to 3 years of cutting what started out as nothing but golden rod to fields of primarily OG. 
In my experience leaving a field for a year or worse more will lead to more weeds that will take longer to get rid off without using chemicals. I'm not apposed to using chemicals, however most of our fields are rented from home owners or leased from the state. Any mention of spraying doesn't go over very well. Besides, we have had great success with our management plan. I will add with exception of milk weed.... Another topic!
Cheers,


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## gulogulo (Mar 9, 2014)

DSLinc1017 said:


> All good things said here, I guess the catch 22 here is weed control, at the same time keeping the soil in good condition. We do not use any chemicals on any of our fields here. And yes weeds are a constant struggle. One way to keep them at bay is to keep the fields constantly cut. We could leave the cuttings down, but that's money on the ground, so we bale. We fertilize and adjust the Ph as needed. Most of our fertilizer comes from our animals with supplements as needed. Lastly, no till drilling has been a huge success, granted it takes time for no till to take hold but it eventually will.
> About half of our fields over the years have come from fallowed fields that were left as is and only bush hogged once every three years or so. It has taken a good 2 to 3 years of cutting what started out as nothing but golden rod to fields of primarily OG.
> In my experience leaving a field for a year or worse more will lead to more weeds that will take longer to get rid off without using chemicals. I'm not apposed to using chemicals, however most of our fields are rented from home owners or leased from the state. Any mention of spraying doesn't go over very well. Besides, we have had great success with our management plan. I will add with exception of milk weed.... Another topic!
> Cheers,


Yeah, I'm in Northfield, so even though our hay is terrible compared to anything that comes out of the CV, weed control is still a big thing. Thanks.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Weed control on fallow ground is important. I spot spray my waterways with 2,4D to control broadleafs. I let the fescue go to seed, then keep it shredded.

Taking anything off takes away the the micro-nutrients, like boron, magnesium, etc.----and it takes a long time for those things to regenerate. You can replace the P and K, but the micro's are tough!

Ralph


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

Well due to 2014 being so wet we ended up letting a few fields lay fallow. Not much grew last year some grasses and weeds. Went and plowed them three weeks ago and they were full of lush clover and grasses and few weeds. Was just like turning under sod


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

Is the field fenced? If so let the hay grow up and than turn the livestock onto it. What weeds do you have growing?


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## Bags (Nov 17, 2013)

If I let a field stand for a season, I burn (fire) it off in the spring. Gets rid of dead material and puts nutrients back in the soil.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Fields were let lay fallow cause they needed a break from Tillage . They did not need a break from things growing in them . So back in a day you either had the option of back to sod or let lay fallow one year and let the weeds grow grass clover etc build organic matter and let the soil firm up and stop the process of it washing and blowing away and after one year back to the plow till things were in bad shape then one year off . This was kind of the story for our HILL ground ...WAY back in a day . On our farm after we started notill and cover crops .We can farm every acre evey year .


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## treymo (Dec 29, 2013)

Summer fallow is a very important part of most rotations here. Stores moisture for the next crop.

Trey


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## Hugh (Sep 23, 2013)

If you want to see some fine looking crops travel through central California. The valley there has been producing vegetables, grapes, almonds, etc for a 100 years and that soil never rests. They crop it 24/7/365. I can't see how a soil can "rest." Take away the microbes and worms and what you have left is minerals, sand, clay, etc. Only living things can rest.


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## shortrow (Feb 21, 2012)

mlappin said:


> Just 20 acres? Around here people are slitting each others throats for 10 acre or less fields.


Here too. I'd give my left..............you know, for 10 more acres.


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