# Alfalfa percent bloom



## barnrope (Mar 22, 2010)

I planted some alfalfa last fall and my agronomy guy tells me to wait with one cutting this year until the alfalfa is at 10 to 20% bloom. What is the best way to estimate the percentage of bloom?


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## panhandle9400 (Jan 17, 2010)

go out an count 100 plants , if you wonder where to count ? throw your hat out in a spot and count . IMO


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

JMO but I'd let it get to 50% bloom one cutting.Esp if you are looking for longevity of the stand.

I'd let 1 st cutting go awhile in new seeding if no weeds to deal with,it will really tonnage out better and let roots establish better.Maybe have some dryer weather then also and ground would be firmer.

What I have noticed over the yrs is most all agronomists are taught to raise dairy hay period.When in fact a lot of hay is used in feedlots and cow calf guys.Raise your hay for what your market and uses are not what the agronomist thinks you should be doing because that's what the book says.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

YOUR market is the key as Cy states.....I have also read that it is good to let a new stand of alfalfa get near full bloom on the very first cutting.....that what one loses in profitability on that very first cutting will be more than offset by stand longevity and vitality.

Regards, Mike


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

I raise mixed hay with about 60% alfalfa. On any new stand we cut it dead last. Its really mature and even has some going to seed. This has shown to really help thicken up the stand and like has been mentioned makes the stand last longer. Now some might say. Wow really mature gone to seed hay, what is that good for? Believe it or not but that has been some of my best selling horse hay. With straight alfalfa I would not let it go this long but could easily let it go to full bloom and still have decent hay.


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

I take a different approach with Alfalfa if the stand is weedy. I will clip it early at maybe 8" high. Just taking off a couple inches or so (and all the higher weeds) . This promotes rapid growth with less competition.

Regardless never cut 1st year Alfalfa within 4 to 5 weeks of your expected first frost, it really needs time to recover and young crowns are very vulnerable to damage.

A couple other things on 1st year Alfalfa, If the weather does not cooperate after a cutting, GET IT BALED OFF! Tender Alfalfa seedlings cannot handle a windrow on them for long. Also use new or sharp knives in your discbine, The plants will recover faster with less injury.


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## Tjim (Feb 23, 2014)

carcajou said:


> I take a different approach with Alfalfa if the stand is weedy. I will clip it early at maybe 8" high. Just taking off a couple inches or so (and all the higher weeds) . This promotes rapid growth with less competition.
> 
> Regardless never cut 1st year Alfalfa within 4 to 5 weeks of your expected first frost, it really needs time to recover and young crowns are very vulnerable to damage.
> 
> A couple other things on 1st year Alfalfa, If the weather does not cooperate after a cutting, GET IT BALED OFF! Tender Alfalfa seedlings cannot handle a windrow on them for long. Also use new or sharp knives in your discbine, The plants will recover faster with less injury.


That's our usual procedure also. Now that we're using RR alfalfa and can control weeds we still take it off relatively early (10% bloom or earlier). It's about market for us and we still have good stands.

Good advise about getting the windrows off fast.


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## barnrope (Mar 22, 2010)

So would 10% bloom be if you look at 100 plants and 10 of them would have one blossom or more on them, or is it when 10% or more of the blossoms on each individual plant have flowered?

I've been walking through alfalfa since I've been old enough to walk. I have just never been educated on the proper way to determine the percentage of bloom.

What I have done in the past is look for blooms and then watch their progression and cut when it "seems ready", and guess the percentage of bloom. Thanks fellas!


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

I would say when you just see a few it is 10%.And it tends to change pretty fast after that anyway.

New seeding tends to take longer from bud to full bloom,and it seems there are some plants farther behind.


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## barnrope (Mar 22, 2010)

swmnhay said:


> I would say when you just see a few it is 10%.And it tends to change pretty fast after that anyway.
> 
> New seeding tends to take longer from bud to full bloom,and it seems there are some plants farther behind.


Cy, sounds like you judge it the same way I do...  I didn't know if everyone else figured it out more scientifically or if everyone does like I have always done before and just guessed.


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

In Theory the best compromise for yield, & build up in root strength is 75% bloom.
The old standard for dairy quality used to be cut at 10% bloom. That is saying when you see the first bloom, by the time you get to the field with your mower it will be 10% bloom.

A good compromise is 25% bloom, but I was taught to cut about when the regrowth at the crown starts to show.

Now Dairy Quality is to cut when the alfalfa is in early bud stage. 
California says the best price is cutting at early bud stage. After that they might as well go for maximum yield which is between half and 75% bloom. After that the quality continues to fall AND so does the yield.


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## rjbaustian (Oct 16, 2012)

This is interesting. I just cut my hay today and was really disappointed because it was almost totally bloomed. It's the absolute 1st chance I could cut with the rains. Now it sounds like a made a good "choice" lol.... So, how does letting it bloom completely help with longevity? And I noticed it was VERY thick, so it seems like you fellas know what you're talking about haha


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

rjbaustian said:


> This is interesting. I just cut my hay today and was really disappointed because it was almost totally bloomed. It's the absolute 1st chance I could cut with the rains. Now it sounds like a made a good "choice" lol.... So, how does letting it bloom completely help with longevity? And I noticed it was VERY thick, so it seems like you fellas know what you're talking about haha


Nutrients start going back down into the crown to feed the next cutting.


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## rjbaustian (Oct 16, 2012)

Oh, ok....thanks for the lesson


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## Liberty1 (Jun 17, 2014)

Hey
I am working on my first stand of alfalfa and clover mix. I did not let the first cutting go to full bloom. It was weedy. I was advised to cut it. I just cut the second time. I didn't let it go to bloom either. It was thicker and better. I've read where your supposed to let a stand go full bloom. Could I do it on the 3rd cutting?


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Yes.

Regards, Mike


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## Liberty1 (Jun 17, 2014)

Thanks Mike. I was getting worried. We are going to bail today. Then put on some potash and other nutrients.


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