# Pounds of alfalfa seeded to the acre



## BCFENCE (Jul 26, 2008)

Im just curius, I here people seeding 10 to 15 pounds to the acre, I usually sow 25 to 30 pounds to the acre and have a fairly desent stand of alfalfa/orchardgrass, I usually work my ground then use a cultimulcher once or twice , Then seed with a brillon seeder, The ground looks as smooth as fresh blacktop. The way i see it you might as well make that first pass pay because the first time is the best time to get a stand. If its not good then you have to make another pass over the field. Just wonder how much the rest of you sow and how you sow it. TIA
THOMAS


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

20# of alfalfa & maybe 1.5-3# of orchardgrass on some fields.Use a JD 750 drill with alfalfa box.Mix orchard with annual ryegrass(cover crop) in big box.Has drag on back then roll with a big roller 36" x 45' wide.


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

In theory all it requires is about 5 to 7 lbs of alfalfa seed to have a nice thick seedling stand.

(The following is a rule of thumb and not precise replicated proven results but my weighted opinion.)
Than again none of us use the a very precise alfalfa seed planter like the seed growers use. So we in theory need 10 to 15 lbs of seed for a thick stand. 
If we are planting into a nice sandy loam soil that is. Too much sand or too much clay and now we need 15 to 20 lbs of seed for the same stand. 
If we are using a quality grain drill with a clover box, pulling a Cultapacker behind the drill. 
If we are using a Brillion Cultapacker seeder than 20 to 25 lbs is more like it.

Now my Brillion Seeder is far from new, but it does have a series of spreader plates on the splash panel. This results in an absence of drill rows. No drill rows but a broadcast type seeding and we can plant a higher seed rate. This is because there will be less crowding of the seedling plants.

For me with my soil, climate, management style, and equipment limitations 30 lbs/A works more often than 15 pounds will.

One additional advantage I have is we start alfalfa harvest the first week of April and have to stop for a summer drought the first week of July. We hope to have a fall cutting to round out the season. 
During the summer drought the first regrowth usually grows to 8 inches, goes to bloom and to seed. This seed usually is scattered through the stand by the fall rains and or the fall harvesting. 
This seed can and does if treated like a seedling stand fill in any thin areas as well as fill in blank areas. For reasons I do not understand mature alfalfa plants do not prevent alfalfa seed from germinating. Given a little sun and moisture these plants can and will develop into real honest to goodness alfalfa crowns. 
Try this in dry land conditions and the first rain is a hard driving rain and the seed amount goes up again.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Depending on the soil type, we either chisel plow the ground then run a field cultivator over it or jsut disk it once to loosen then run a field cultivator over it. We pull the drill behind the cultimulcher with a packer behind the drill. Fill the main box with oats, then added a second small seed box so we can have grass seed in one and alfalfa seed in the other. A bushel of oats, 17-20 pounds of alfalfa seed and 2-3 pounds of Orchard grass does us well year after year.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Back in the days of having "setaside acres" most guys would plant a bushel of oats and plow it under.I had 100# of alfalfa seed in the shed so I mixed it in with the oats on 26 acres (3.85# ac) with the idea of plowdown.Well I think it all grew,I kept it another yr for hay being hay was in short supply that yr.Wasn't bad probably 80% of normal yld,the 3rd cutting suffering the most.

I have a round planted at 40# seeded last yr.I can't see a difference so far.Will check yld &stand count next week when I cut it.


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

In some ways alfalfa is like corn.

As the plants per acre go up in a corn field the individual plants got closer together until they started to compete with each other. That is when they drifted from 42" rows to 30" rows. Now we have a few who plant corn in 20" rows.

Alfalfa when planted in a 6-8" drill row spacing, about 20 lbs/A is probably the maximum practical seeding rate. For a practical seeding rate above 20 lbs we can double seed in a checker board pattern or use a broadcast system.

Nothing scientific here just my opinion. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Good point Wilson. What I did fail to mention is about 5 years ago we took a piece of sheet metal and bend it not quite in a 90 degree bend, then we pop riveted it to the box after removing the seed tubes so the other part of it is under the seed cups on the alfalfa box. When actually planting it vibrates enough to help spread the seed out some. You can still tell the field was planted with a drill, but the rows are kinda fuzzy if you get my meaning. Insted of a tight row with 7" between them, its about 4 inches between them from the scattering affect of the sheet metal.


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

Last large field planted (115a) the soil was deep tilled twice, twice with a disk then harrowed. The seed was blown in with the granular (200#/a) at 12# total seed to the acre (70% alf, 20% Tim, 10% OG). This gives good plant population and healthy stand in our area. This field is now in its 5th year and looks like it will give a few more. What is helping in the fact that our haying window keeps moving to a later time and we find that we are in a mow late seed early scenario. In some fields where there is trefoil the mowing late works we in reseeding. Now that you want a lot of late hay but it is becoming you take what nature gives you.

The good thing about mixing the seed with the granular and blowing it in is that it is fast and if you are fighting weather then this saves a lot of time.

Take care


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## hayray (Feb 23, 2009)

This year I planted around 16 pounds per acre. Had in the past done 20. Extension in our area advises that by the end of the seeding year that stand density will approximate the same as if you planted 9 lbs. per acre. The rate to plant over that is because optimum germination of all seeds never happens. At one time recommendations were 20 lbs. per acre now the area recommendation is down to 15 in our area. I plant with a IH grain drill and then pack it in with a Brillion packer. I have also used the same seeding rate using no-till.


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