# When to take last cutting



## OKrookie (Jan 10, 2010)

I live in NE Oklahoma and read that last cutting should not be taken from Mid September to Mid October because plant is preparing for winter and translocating sugars/carbs to root system. If taken at this time you would be compromising winter survival, so the article recommended taking last cutting Mid October. I am sure the timing of this process fluctuates yearly. Any other Oklahoma guys have an opinion on this recommendation. Is there any way to know when it is safe for last cutting?


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

In our area Purdue recommends the last cut date to be the 15th of September as to give it plenty time to rebuild root supplies before the first killing frost. In our area it's not recommended to cut it after a killing frost either. It's better to leave some and have it poking thru the snow so the plant can still breath even though it's dormant. Around _here_ we get some real crusty snows that can smother a crop if the crust is on too long. Most likely NOT a problem in NE Oklahoma though.


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## Toyes Hill Angus (Dec 21, 2010)

The old "farmmer's tale" here in Eastern Ontario goes like this; "never cut hay in a month that ends with the letter R ." So, fir us that would put any of SeptembeR at risk. But I have always said if you need feed, cut the hay.


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## panhandle9400 (Jan 17, 2010)

My last cutting is always after it freezes here never have any problems with it the next season , it is all irrigated under center pivots. I am next to ne nm and se co ,other end of the state. Our 5th or last cutting is around the 25th of october, hope it will be a good one !! btw this alfalfa stands are 10 and 11 years old so I must be doing something right ? Every area is special in its own, GOD bless the American Farmer.


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## farmboy6320 (Jun 24, 2010)

i live in se oklahoma and on a year like this i say do what you gota do to survive, the stress the grass has had on it this year cant get any worse then cutting the hay in september or october. ive cut hay up to the first of november and it doesnt really seem to affect anything but the quality you wont get much protein but this year u gota take what you can get. good luck


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Rule of thumb I use: Give it 6 weeks regrowth before first hard freeze!

Average first hard freeze date here is Oct. 29th, making my last cut date Sept 15th.

Ralph


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

October 8 is when our total daylight, including twilight, is 12 hours. At this point 50% of carbohydrates are sent to root growth.

Cold air of 22° for one ( 1 ) hour is a hard freeze.

What this is saying is right now 6 September a little more than half of of each days produced carbohydrates goes to top growth. on 10 October a little any produced carbohydrates goes to root growth and storage.

Here we may have frost on the ground any time in November, but it may be in January or February before we have freeze that kills the top growth. For planning purposes we use 25 November as our first killing freeze. The amount of and type of alfalfa regrowth we here id dependent on the Varieties FD. A FD 8 will start growing again with a few days of warm weather while a FD 4 probably will sit and wait for early March.

To my knowledge we have not had a snow cover that persisted more than a week.

Make your adjustments based on your local climate.


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## showard8908 (Sep 2, 2011)

I read anarticle posted online by an ag professor from penn state and he had a diffrent opinion than i have ever heard. He said that in a hard year with drought expecially forage sets deeper fuller roots to increase they're chance of survival and to reach the moisture of the deeper soil so a late cut on those years would affect it at all because the hard year had already conditioned the plant for abuse expecially alfalfa it adapt very well. He also said that in a hay economy like we have had for the last few years with the demand steadly climping further past the supply get it while you still can even if you take a hit on first cut next year the higher winter prices and the price of 3rd cut being higher than first will exceed any losses the following year. Im gonna give a crack at it this year im still cutting and by the time I finish the remainder of my fields it will be atlest 3-4 weeks away. I also have older stands in all but one of my fields and have already planed to reseed after next season so this is a little safer gamble for me than most.


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## panhandle9400 (Jan 17, 2010)

Year before I had planted new crop alfalfa in recently hayed irrigated oat hay stubble, flew on alfalfa seed 1st of august turned on sprinkler volnteer oats grew so fast that fall that in late october , we went ahead and swathed /baled the circle. new crop alfalfa was almost a foot tall. Today the same circle is outstanding , we also try to cut every 28 to 30 days, no matter what the forecast shows. It sometimes makes me think some years I have treated a field to rough ? but seems to bounce right back with a little phos an sulfer turn the water on it early spring late winter. If my last cutting is big enough to make some bales it will always be cut, all depends on height of the hay. Hope this fall will be warm and open,with all time highs for alfalfa I need all I can harvest. Every area is differnt on how things grow and what they can produce.


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