# When to plant alfalfa? southern Michigan.



## Maxpower (Nov 28, 2017)

Have a former crop field that I'd like to put straight alfalfa on. It was disced some in the fall, will need to be disced some more before being planted on. I thought I had some time to get this done but looking it up I might want to get it seeded sooner? My guess is to do it as soon as the soil isn't too sloppy for the tractor and disc. I'd like to do an early summer/spring planting instead of a late summer/fall planting so the field doesn't become a weed crop. I did google it a bit and Michigan State usually has a ton of info for this sort of thing but I didn't come up with much.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Don't panic and work the ground to soon.Alfalfa seed doesn't germinate very well in mud balls.You have plenty of time.domt worry about the calendar as mush as the weather it's best to get a soaking rain after you seed it.


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## MrLuggs (Dec 14, 2015)

I'm not far from you (Stockbridge), and I've planted as late as mid-June. I'd try to get it in before the end of May though, based off the past couple of years of having -really- dry summers. Just watch the weather and get it all seeded before a good rain as mentioned by swmnhay above.

You're always going to have weed pressure with spring seeding alfalfa, especially with disturbing the soil with tillage. Might wanna consider a nurse crop if you're not using RR alfalfa.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

We usually try to seed as soon as we can in April for a spring seeded crop, usually use oats to keep the weeds out, have planted earlier depending on the year and soil type/conditions.

I've seeded a spring crop as late as the middle of June, can't remember if it was too dry, too wet, or had too many rocks to pick yet, did just fine when all said and done.


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## Maxpower (Nov 28, 2017)

I'm going to plant oats with it. My neighbor is an old school dairy farmer and part of this project with me. He likes doing oats with it but insists that it's 2 bushels per acre. Everything I'm reading says one, I am the one buying the seed. I figure I'll just tell him the seed maker(Cisco) says 20lbs alfalfa, one bushel oats so we're going with that.

Thoughts on putting 25% orchard grass in? I have no problems using straight alfalfa and no problems selling it in this area if that makes any difference. My neighbor has some great hay that started as a straight alfalfa field and over time has turned into a beautiful alfalfa/clover/leafy grass mix. So that's why I'm considering just going straight alfalfa and in theory it should end up similar to his over time.

Let's talk seeding. Either my neighbor seeds with a drill or I seed it with a 3 point spreader and cultipacker. Thoughts on going either way? Sounds like the seed drill wouldn't work as well if there's orchard grass mixed in?

MrLuggs- I've had terrible luck with dry summers here. The rain splits me here, I could see it raining in Chelsea and on US12 from my yard while we got no rain. They tell me the Irish Hills causes the rain to split north and south of me. Remember when Cheslea got 6" in a single day 2 summers ago, I got no rain that day.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

1 bu oats will work fine,it will stool out.If you have potential for erosion more will be better.

You want a mix that gives you 25% orchard grass?Well it will be different each cutting because the OG is cool seasoned grass.1 st and last cutting will be higher percentage of OG.2-3 lbs acre should give you a 25/75 mix first cut.maybe 10/90 second.3 rd cut 40/60. but it all depends on moisture you get and temps.

With drill you mix OG in with the oats works fine.Alfalfa in alf seeder box if it has one.pretty accurate.
3 pt spreader you have 3 different seeds with different weights that spread differently..OG don't sling very far at all and wind can really effect the spread.If useing a spinner spreader double spread to avoid streaks.

Either way I'd pack after seeding,raise cultivated teeth.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Always plant about an bushel to the acre of oats for cover/nurse crop.

Only spun the seed on a few times, when we did made one trip for alfalfa and a separate trip for grass seed then cultipacked with the teeth barely scraping the dirt.

We added another grass seed box to our old Oliver Superior drill. Main box for oats, second box for alfalfa, added on box for grass seed. Can set each individually. Usually we plant one bushel of oats, 15 lbs of alfalfa and 3lbs of OG. Pull the cultipacker ahead of the drill and another packer behind the drill. When planting I like people to wonder if its going to be a golf course because its been worked so smooth and level.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Here are a couple of MSU pieces that you may or may not have seen.

I find that OG invades my fields, so I start with out it.

Larry


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## Maxpower (Nov 28, 2017)

Got my soil sample report back from MSU. They want 2 tons of lime per acre, PH is currently at 6.0 . I can't do that and plant this spring right? That should have been done in the fall? Any other options? I need to at least get something into this field, can't leave it sitting empty.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Maxpower said:


> Got my soil sample report back from MSU. They want 2 tons of lime per acre, PH is currently at 6.0 . I can't do that and plant this spring right? That should have been done in the fall? Any other options? I need to at least get something into this field, can't leave it sitting empty.


You can spread it anytime.Nicer to do it in fall if compaction is a issue.

Spread it work it in and seed.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Looking around I saw a couple spots where are this late hard freezing was hard on some of the Alfalfa stands I think but I'm not sure yet. So yesterday we stuck 15 Acres of Roundup Ready alfalfa in the ground.We normally would intentionally not plant this late. Used the John Deere 1590 drill at 18 lbs per acre. We had originally not planned on starting any Alfalfa this spring the neighbors planted a month ago. We usually plant between March 20th and April 5th. I know there are others in this area that plant late I guess we will see


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## hayray (Feb 23, 2009)

I always think alfalfa should be in no later then first week of May and sooner if you can. June usually ends up way to dry in this part of the state, it's a gamble for later planting. With your low ph in that situation I always put in birds foot trefoilt. 6.0 may too low but others seem to think it may work in and modify quickly so I really don,t know.


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## Maxpower (Nov 28, 2017)

Well I can't find anyone to spread lime this time of year. They're saying they're backed up with fertilizer orders right now. One place would rent me a spreader to do pelletized lime with but the cost of that stuff is pretty high. Pretty much triples the prices to go with pelletized.


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## hayray (Feb 23, 2009)

Michigan state did research and Pelletized lime did not have as large effect as the rock or marl lime. Birdsfoot trefoil is a good option if you need something right away but you need to plant now.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Maxpower said:


> Well I can't find anyone to spread lime this time of year.


Yep, usually lime is a 'back haul' in my area that is done in the fall. Pelletized lime will possibly break you for certain. Have you considered even oat hay (tough to dry, but done in time for August planting)? Or as hayray mentions Birdsfoot, then you can lime this fall and go for next year establishment (which would give lime the winter to work some). I try to always lime the year before my fall (August) establishment, for that reason.

Larry


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## Maxpower (Nov 28, 2017)

I looked into the trefoil. Looks like it would be a great option to feed my sheep and cattle. I see it mentioned a lot for poorly draining fields, how does it do in well drained fields? These fields are all Sandy loam so they drain pretty well. I'm more worried about drought conditions here than wet conditions.


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## hayray (Feb 23, 2009)

Grows well on upland sights, won't yield as much as alfalfa in dry conditions but will out yield on wet sites.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

Here it would take at least 6 months to a year for the lime to raise the ph enough to plant alfalfa. Need to get the ph right before seeding alfalfa.

Hayden


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