How do you maintain your hay fields

[keegs]

My fields are in fair shape, have some weeds. What do you do to maintain your hay fields?

 

[Bigfoot62]

In winter, I use a Hay King renovator plow. I also apply lime, when needed, during the dormant season. In the spring, I may spot spray a few weeds, but most of my weed control is done with a mower. I'll bush-hog once, just as the good grass starts coming up. I sometimes will clip it again after a week or two. After mowing, I fertilize heavily and the good grass will usually take over the weeds.

 

[bigbull338]

our hay feilds are as organic as you can get.havent been fertalized or limed in over 30yrs.an they still produce more than enough hay to get us through the winter in 1 cutting.1 field has a good bit of clover an rye grass in it.if we pushed the meadows we could prolly cut 300 5 by 6 bales in 2 cuttings.

 

[AKfish]

I do soil testing for my fertilizer and lime applications. Lime goes on in late fall just before snow cover. Fertilize in early summer-late spring for good hay growth - timothy grass. Once, in a while if conditions permit (semi-dry fall) I'll spread fertilizer or manure compost at 1/3 the spring fertilizer rate to get good fall carry-over and a spring jump in new growth. I don't have the option of mowing for annual weed control (only 1 cutting per season). However, I am cautious about using herbicides and have only sprayed 2 times in the past 5 years to manage for perennial weeds.

Been averaging 1.5 tons/acre yield. That's about a half-ton better than the long-term yield average for this area.

AKfish

 

[Robert_in_NY]

In winter, I use a Hay King renovator plow. I also apply lime, when needed, during the dormant season. In the spring, I may spot spray a few weeds, but most of my weed control is done with a mower. I'll bush-hog once, just as the good grass starts coming up. I sometimes will clip it again after a week or two. After mowing, I fertilize heavily and the good grass will usually take over the weeds.

What model hay king do you have and what do you use to pull it with? How well does it work for you? I have problems with my soils and I think the hay king would fix that. I've been looking at different options to allow more moisture into the soil and hopefully improve the hay at the same time as when summer gets here the soil turns to cement and water just runs off it when we do get rain.

 

[keegs]

I have mostly timothy w/other grasses and weeds, ie. queen anne's lace, goldenrod...a variety of thin brush...small alders etc..to name a few. I just got set up with a tractor and mower. I thought that cutting before the weeds flower and go to seed might help to keep them in check but doesn't that also prevent the timothy from fully maturing. How important/necessary is it for the desired grasses to go to seed. Does this re-seed the field?

When mowing I've noticed all manner of small rodent jumping out of the way of the cutting blade. Oftentimes I have to clear the mower of grass and so I'm moving grass around by hand. For those of you in the affected areas, how concerned are you about ticks and lyme disease? My guess is the coyotes appreciate me exposing all those mice.

Haven't looked into lime or fertilizer yet but it's probably a cost I'm unwilling to incur without some way to recoup it. No customers yet.

 

[BeeferMan]

I'm surprised to hear folks say they can get away with no fertilizer. The fields around here would get worn out and weedy within a couple years if not fertilized, at least at the rate we try to take hay off. I have some weed issues that seem to come and go, and I've also found that the best weed control is feeding the hay grasses well - the hay seems to thrive on fertilizer, which the weeds seem to thrive on a lack of it.

 

[bigbull338]

to go the no fertalize rout you have to know what you are doing or it canbite you.an i know what im doing with the hay meadows.1 of the meadows has alot of clover rye grass an vetch in it.an that puts nitrogen back in the ground.plus we might cut the meadows every 45 days insted of 30days or less.

 

[BeeferMan]

Interesting, probably regional differences. You probably have much deeper topsoil down there than we have here in the northeast? Waiting longer between cuttings really doesn't help much up here, you'll just end up with burnt out and/or stalky stuff that's has little if any feed value. It'll be much worse the longer since it's been properly fertilized. Back when I was getting into haying I was picking up fields from older farmers going out. They'd very often just stop fertilizing and then take several cuts off the fields - takes a while to get them back in shape after that. You rake a lot of air...