Leftover hay on ground.

[Southernspeed]

Another dumb newbie haying question!
Do you ignore hay left over after baling, knowing the grass will grow through? Or tedd it to disperse it or brush hog to disperse?
Last time I went around with the tedder to disperse it but I’d rather save diesel if it’s really not a problem!
Most fields have similar patches to the one in the photo, maybe a bit more.

 

[5030]

I run my bat wing chopper over mine, set low and call it good. Just grass anyway, it will compost in.

 

[Thomas]

Being that thin of patches be gone it short time.

 

[sea2summit]

That thin I would leave it, but I'd also be more careful raking/baling next time. Looks like the turns at the headland are too sharp or you didn't follow the windrow well with the baler. Not sure what the line of hay in the middle of the field is, maybe feeding the baler too fast or windrow was too wide for the baler.

 

[Southernspeed]

Being that thin of patches be gone it short time.

Unfortunately some are quite a bit thicker.

 

[Southernspeed]

That thin I would leave it, but I'd also be more careful raking/baling next time. Looks like the turns at the headland are too sharp or you didn't follow the windrow well with the baler. Not sure what the line of hay in the middle of the field is, maybe feeding the baler too fast or windrow was too wide for the baler.

Yep, I'm just learning! Fields are a bit tricky as, since 2020 and prices starting going crazy, we had to ask all our horse boarders to leave so now I'm haying a lot of 1 acre paddocks so not a lot of room for maneuver. And yes, one windrow was too wide (happened in a few paddocks unfortunately) Live and learn .... even at my age!

 

[Hay Dude]

Have same problem on a large scale. The new incoming grass will grow right through that.
Don’t bother driving over grass and breaking off more healthy stems or compacting soil to clean that tiny bit up.

 

[LHF2019]

Don't waste your time, leave it.

 

[Hay Dude]

Im having problems with the new wheel rake leaving hay, too. It’s where the tractor tires run over the hay and compress it down to the ground.
I will have to tighten the springs on the rake wheels that travel over the tractor tires so they are “heavier” than the other rake wheels.

 

[Iowa Hillbilly]

It really doesn't matter unless you're leaving a full windrow and you're trying to make top tier dairy hay. The grass or legumes will grow right through a lot of thatch, which is what they do every spring. If you're shooting for top tier hay you could try to mow higher next time to leave the leftovers in the field on the next cutting, but even that won't matter much.