# Timing for second cut



## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Is second cutting OK to take if grass is only 18 + " high (timothy/orchard mix)? 
I'm getting impatient and want to cut, but don't want to shoot myself in the foot just to get a light 3rd cutting. 
I was thinking would it be better to just wait till end of august till it's begging to be cut and just do 2 cuttings? That would save fuel, wear on the equipment, exposure to damage, etc. 
I think we've had enough rain to do 3 cuttings here in the mid Atlantic.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

I'd prly cut it if you have moisture THERE you could get a nice 3rd cutting.The orchard is a cool season grass and you may get a nice fall growth.

If you are impatient maybe making hay is wrong occupation







I've seen guys ruin hay because they are impatient many times.

No offence intended!!


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

none taken!!









So you think 18-24" tall with medium (average) density orchard/timothy is ready for cutting?

If I cut now and we got average rainfall, I would definately get a 3rd cutting.


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

The phsychological side of hay making is about knowing when to be patient and when to be impatient


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## Shetland Sheepdog (Mar 31, 2011)

My thought would be to harvest at optimum maturity regardless of size of plants!
JMHO, HTH, Dave


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Shetland Sheepdog said:


> My thought would be to harvest at optimum maturity regardless of size of plants!
> JMHO, HTH, Dave


You mean before the grasses "head out" with seeds?


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## Shetland Sheepdog (Mar 31, 2011)

JD3430 said:


> You mean before the grasses "head out" with seeds?


I believe that the optimum feed value is probably achieved at "boot stage", and diminishes as the grasses mature. That said, you might call it a trade off between quality and quantity. That is a decision that you will need to make depending on your market.
Again, just my humble opinion, Dave


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

OK, thanks. What's "boot stage"?


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## Shetland Sheepdog (Mar 31, 2011)

JD3430 said:


> OK, thanks. What's "boot stage"?


Type "grass boot stage" in your search box, or try this link.

http://www.fsl.orst.edu/forages/projects/regrowth/print-section.cfm?title=Developmental%20Phases

All kinds of info that I have been trying to remember.

HTH, Dave


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## whitmerlegacyfarm (Aug 26, 2011)

I'm new to all this as you know JD3430, and most of my stands of O grass are just mainly that not much timothy in, them i started my 2nd cut of o grass 3 weeks back. It was only about a foot high but was actually folded over so ended up being close to 18- to 20" long, made really nice hay. The probably i've found out w/ my o grass is this heat and dry weather we have been having browns the o grass on the ends and continues go down further and further, i so if you are starting to see that on the o grass leaves i would opt to cut it now, but like i said i'm very limited nowledge with this but have had local farmers tell me once the o grass gets to a certain point nothing will eat it. I woudl cut it for sure because mine is coming back strongs alredy with the recents showers and tstorms we have been having come threw so looking for a 3rd cut before end of august. I had the problem last year of getting my 2nd cut down to late and then my 3rd cut pushed into end of sept and it just wasn't the weather for getting it dry. Just my .02 cents, but dang am i ever having fun HAYING.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

No boot stage yet.
We've had quite a bit of rain since the drought and grass appears to be greening/thickening. I just sprayed last week and I have yellowing milkweed and thistle. Would love to see them die and drop to the ground so they don't get picked up in the hay, but not sure if it'll happen soon enough.
My intuition says wait another week.....sprayed weeds will finally brown out, die and drop to ground and hay will be another week thicker.


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## Rodney R (Jun 11, 2008)

Unless you ahve much differant timothy and o-grass than we do here, then you'll see very few heads. Normally you'd want to be making the 2nd cut about this time, cause if it gives a lot of rain, you might be able to squeeze out a 3rd cut. Too many times though, it looks like the 3rd cut is going to be nice, but it just isn't very thick, and the yeild is then terrible. But on the other hand, the grass won't grow that much - it grew much more last week than it will grow in the next month, so a guy may as well just cut it when the weather gets right. Best time to spray for weeds is september - the deep rooted weeds are storing up reserves in their roots, and if a guy sprays the right stuff, then the plants make the herbicides work better.

Rodney


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

I already sprayed the weeds. Wanted to nail them after first cut when they were small. Possible rain in forecast every day this week. As soon as that's out of here, I'm cutting hay. Prob next week.


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## whitmerlegacyfarm (Aug 26, 2011)

Curious what all you sprayed with? I haven't had any luck using 2-4D on milkweek this year. I can't seem to get it to brown and die, it stunts it but still stays green.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

I used 24D and cimarron. Not sure which one is doing the killing, but after about 8 days, the milkweed is bright yellow and wilting over. I wish it would drop to the ground below the hay because milkweed is poisonous even when it's dead and brown. I have some young thistle, too.
I hate milkweed and it's everywhere.


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## Rodney R (Jun 11, 2008)

Are you sure it's milkweed and not that dogbane stuff? They sorta look the same. I think we had used Clarity a few years ago and had real good results..

Rodney


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

It's milky when you break the stems, so I assume it was milkweed. I'll have to look up dogbane. 
Right now it's turning brown & crispy. It better hurry up, because I'll be cutting those fields in a week.


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