# Alfalfa 7 years old - what to do?



## FarmNsanity (Jun 24, 2008)

Hi all. I have about 15 acres of alfalfa that is getting to be about 7 years old now. The last cut this year was definitely thinner than before. Also, there is getting to be a large amount of prairie grass grown up in it between the alfalfa plants.

I'm wondering what to do for spring. I was thinking about overseeding, fertilizing and maybe aereating the soil. Or should I plow it up and go in with corn next year? I'd really like to stay with alfalfa but not sure what to do.

If I overseed, should I just harrow it, broadcast, and harrow, or should I disk the field some? Should I spray for that grass? I'm new at this so not sure what way to go.

Thanks, George


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

What you are saying is you have not planned ahead. 
Try to plan 3 or 4 years ahead in general terms, and a full year ahead for this coming season. You should have had this all planned out 3 years ago.

With alfalfa I try to plan for a 5 year stand. Sometimes it comes out after 3 years and sometimes it stays for 7 years. One time one field persisted for 11 full years of full production. I must also mention that one stand was plowed out before the first cutting. 
All that has not change my big plan for a 5 year life for a stand. That is what I fertilize for. Apply all the P, K, Zn, Cu, B, & Mo for at least half the expected yield over 5 years. If you have really sandy ground you may need to use boron every year or two rather than a fat dose. 
I have the variety I will plant next September, ordered and in their warehouse. I will pick the seed up some time late this winter.
I have the fields to be planted in 2010, 2011, & 2012 selected.

I am normally very disorganized, but things of this importance need some organization.

But than again I am in the hay business, hay is not a sideline.

To answer your question. Plow out the alfalfa and plant an annual crop. Plant alfalfa again when you have had time to do some planning.


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## FarmNsanity (Jun 24, 2008)

Ha ha - well, three years ago I lived in a cul-de-sac in the desert. Four years ago I lived in the Iraq desert. I just bought this place so I guess I could ask the former owner what his plan was. Actually I think his plan was to let the weeds take over as that's what I've been working on the past year. My neighbor does dryland corn so maybe that's what I'll do this coming year and get on track after that.


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## BCFENCE (Jul 26, 2008)

I have done several fields like this, When spring comes the first thing to do is treat it like a normal year and cut and bale the first cutting( try to do this as soon as possible), Sale the hay and put some money in your pocket, Let it grow back for about a week or so, what you need is a little growth to take in chemical, spray with roundup spiked with alittle 24d, wait 2 weeks and then plant beans ,then the following spring you can sow your alfalfa as you want. This works very good, ive done it several times to start new fields.
THOMAS


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

If dry land corn works in your area, do it. utilize the nitrogen the alfalfa stand has left you. Spray this fall yet with simazine and 2,4D, this will kill the alfalfa. Just took off over 210 bu acre corn after alfalfa doing the above chemical program.


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## BCFENCE (Jul 26, 2008)

Haybaler is probably right as far as getting the most for your money , I just dont like dealing with the corn residue but it is managable.
THOMAS


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

The classic rotation would be to corn one or two year, then one year of wheat followed by alfalfa. 
I expect your local Cow College will recommend a summer planting for alfalfa. By that they mean late August.

As a reference I like the http://alfalfa.okstate.edu/pub/alfalfa-production/guide1.pdf . Do not let the Oklahoma part get in the way it is a very good how to booklet. 
In February there is an Hay Seminar in Nebraska that should be of value to you.


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## Heyhay..eh (Aug 7, 2009)

Having a small acreage and then needing to reseed it pretty much takes one out of haying for a year. It might be more practical for you to look to renovation as opposed to heavy cultivation and a new crop.

I don't know what resources you have available to you for a renovation project but you mention aeration. If you, by chance, had a aerway aerator then you could set the drums to the most aggressive position. This would allow you to rip up some of the shallower rooting plants, liberate a significant amount of soil and open up the ground somewhat. You could then broadcast seed and harrow the field to spread some of the soil over the seed. If you also had the availability of composted manure you could also spread this before harrowing to enhance the seed cover and provide soil nutrient, pray for just the right amount of rain and voila!

Around here we look for ways of planting seed without opening the soil too much. Many of us have been caught with black fields that we were not able to get into production for 1-3 years, just too wet here for the past 7-10 years and getting worse.

There are many options for you to consider, this is just one more.

Take care


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## Hedge tree (Jul 18, 2008)

FarmN: not knowing how many acres you have for hay production...nor if you are making hay for your own livestock or to sell...the following might not be germane at all. However...it IS another option.

My primary hay customers are folks with 1 or more horses. They....as everyone on this site who grows hay knows....can be very picky...often without any knowledge about hay and forage. With the warmer winters....blister beetles are a great concern for the producer who sells to horse owners. Here in central Ks...any cutting between mid June to mid August can have tons of the beetles. Often, these horse people request and feed more brome grass (orchard and Timothy elsewhere)...and have learned to like a legume/grass mixed hay (alfalfa/orchard...or for you and I in the mid country...alfalfa/brome).

So...one option you have for this 15 acres if you have more acres to use for straight alfalfa...and assuming you are going to market hay....is the following: Brome can be planted from December on....August would have been ideal of course but too late for that. Your old stand should be smoothed up and roughed up a bit....light disc work followed by harrow or a danish tine application with harrow smoothing. Then you can interseed this with a good quality smooth brome seed (Sharps Seed is a good source) at whatever rate your extension people suggest...you can also use their grass drill on a rental deal to do it. You will end up with about 50:50 mix the first year with a slow takeover by the brome. If you sell hay...this is a good deal. This will give you a year or two to decide what to do with this 15 acres...and still be making a good quality hay product for re-sale.

The downside of brome in alfalfa is that the brome does not recycle with the legume. It is pretty much a one cutting deal...orchard grass, even rye grass will give you more cuttings. However...Nebraska might not be the best place for orchard grass.

Just another permutation of the hay and forage business. Establishment of a good stand of alfalfa on smooth ground is not a GIVEN in our part of the country. Our water comes from clouds, not sprinkler heads. With good alfalfa seed at near $5.00/lb, there is good reason to try to rennovate, modify, or in some manner make this older stand work for you for awhile. Good luck no matter which avenue you take.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

I know a guy here that will take his 1st cutting off of his old stands June 1.Burn regrowth off with Rd Up.He might spray twice?Than he reseeds in mid Aug.He says he never has had problem with autotoxity.This gives him 60 days between killing it and reseeding.He has some patches around town were row crops won't work.

I prefer to go to corn after alfalfa to suck up the N, than beans,than back to Alfalfa myself.


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## prairie (Jun 20, 2008)

I agree with swmnhay, go corn, soybeans and then spring planted alfalfa. That's a common scenerio in your neck of the woods. Another option that works well, would be corn, wheat, and then late summer planted alfalfa.
It is to late this year to kill the alfalfa with chemical, so i would suggest a spring chemical application, probably RoundUp. Check with your local chemical suppliers for their recommendation.
Whether you decide to renovate or start new, *don not* include smooth brome grass in the mix. It is the brome that grows in most of your road ditches, waterways, and fencelines. It will be very competitive and aggressive once established, and does not match alfalfa's growth pattern very well. Grasses, for mixed hay, that have worked well for some of my seed customers in your area are orchardgrass, meadow brome, and intermediate/pubescent wheatgrass. Tall fescue may be an option on some sites, such as subirrigated and fertile bottom ground.


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