# Planting new hay over killed hay?



## zandstrafarms (May 1, 2015)

We have several spent hay fields wed like to reseed (new mix of og, brome, Timothy and meadow foxtail in wetter spots).

Soil is clay, soil test says add more lime. We want to kill everything with roundup and re plant this fall with a drill.

My the mill guy says don't do it,he's never in 30 years seen it work. He says kill the grass and plant corn or soy for 1 to 2 years, then do hay seed. Otherwise it "won't grow worth crap".

Thoughts?

We can't NOT do hay or Wed have to buy it for all our animals.

We are open to disk ing the dead stuff or even tilling if needed. Pretty weedy and only 60 bales per acre (50 lb). I'd like to get 120 per acre with a new field...


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

zandstrafarms said:


> We have several spent hay fields wed like to reseed (new mix of og, brome, Timothy and meadow foxtail in wetter spots).
> 
> Soil is clay, soil test says add more lime. We want to kill everything with roundup and re plant this fall with a drill.
> 
> ...


This what I do, year before replanting hay field (in late summer or early fall), soil test so I can get lime on field if need. I cut 1st cutting, by 10th of June, let regrowth start and spray round up, killing every thing, spread fertilizer recommended by soil test. Re-spray around 5-8th of August with round up again, spread either some more fertilizer or lime (100-200# acre), mainly as a carrier for broadcasting 4-5# acre brome grass seed per acre No-till 8.5# alfalfa seed planning in one direction, then plant another 8.5# of alfalfa seed in a different directions (criss-cross planting), by August 15h (my window for late summer planting is Aug. 1-15th). 17# an acre total alfalfa seed, used however it was 'coated' seed, therefore only, 90% of that weight is seed (10% coating per tag).

The mill guy, could be talking about alfalfa autotoxicity. I am on lighter ground (sandy loam), my understanding is with heavier ground, you need to leave more than the 6+ weeks from killing to planning that I do in MY area.

If you have mainly, grasses I believe you can just inter-seed.

Attached are a couple of pieces from MSU, that you might find of use.

Larry


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

zandstrafarms said:


> We have several spent hay fields wed like to reseed (new mix of og, brome, Timothy and meadow foxtail in wetter spots).
> 
> Soil is clay, soil test says add more lime. We want to kill everything with roundup and re plant this fall with a drill.
> 
> ...


Burn it off after killing with RU and then plant it.

Regards, Mike


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## HayMike (Mar 22, 2011)

We did just what you want to do last year. Round-up. disk, broadcast with fertilizer, pack. worked great where the geese didn't eat the orchard grass near a lake. Would be getting late to do this year for us. Northeast Ohio.

Mike


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

I had some issues replanting with a notill drill. It can be tough to get through the sod to get good seed/soil contact while not getting the seed too deep.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

I agree with the guy down at the Mill. What you're planning on doing will work and it will work fairly well but I have tried in the past all too often what you are trying to do and I have found if you want a really super highly productive field of Hay, do what the guy said at the Mill. Maybe you could take half your acreage and overseed it the way you want inform the other half and row crop for a year or two, and then flip flop tattoo between row. crop and hay.


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## zandstrafarms (May 1, 2015)

I think the mill guy runs 30 to 50% alfalfa, so maybe that was why too.

Endrow, did you run all grass or mix with alfalfa?

We've done smaller areas with just tilling then reseed ing in fall with no issue from spring weeds (only perennial plants).

However, our spring planted fields are always full of weeds.

Strip planting was a thought too, or maybe one field at a time.

So it's too late to kill then fall plant? I'm in mid michigan.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

We plant some of everything grass and straight Roundup Ready alfalfa and Alfalfa Orchard Grass mix. My point anytime you can take a tired field go something like corn beans,wheat& back to Hay. those fields always do better then the ones that are in continuous hay. You bring up another excellent thought checking it out and not transitioning it all at one time


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

What does the soil test say?


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## zandstrafarms (May 1, 2015)

We had it done mid spring, needed some lime and nitrogen of course, but the mill guy said everything else was pretty good.

Husband didn't want the $600 fertilizer so mill guy sold him urea fertilizer for $200 last spring. Running a new soil test this fall but it takes them a few weeks.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

zandstrafarms said:


> We had it done mid spring, needed some lime and nitrogen of course, but the mill guy said everything else was pretty good.
> 
> Husband didn't want the $600 fertilizer so mill guy sold him urea fertilizer for $200 last spring. Running a new soil test this fall but it takes them a few weeks.


I have better luck with late summer/fall soil tests, spring test don't seem as accurate (just about always wants lime, then if I re-test in fall, no lime). IDK, spring rains, snow, freeze and thaw, something, just isn't right.

Larry


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