How to keep a perfect stand of alfalfa.

plumboy · Aug 27, 2004

I've kept my fields disc all year thinking the seeds would sprout and I could disc them in but they keep comming back.I've sparayed once and disced about 5 times.The growth is not bad but aggravating,the two main things is morning glories and a grass that looks like mini corn.I've read on herbicide bottles that you can spray while dormant.How do you tell when its dormant?Right after its cut?I'm seeding right now so this prob will have to be addressed in the spring I guess.Any suggestions.

kensfarm · Aug 27, 2004

My dairy neighbor had told me that most alfalfa, grass goes dormant after the first frost. I don't think discing will help w/ the weeds much.. you could ask you local farm agent about what herbicide will kill the weeds you have. The mini-corn type grass is Johnson grass.. if it's only in certain spots.. you can use a handsprayer & hit it w/ roundup.

plumboy · Sep 1, 2004

I found this site. I have 5 acre where the seedling are at 1" and in a 30'x30' square weed count is about 50.I'm not going to count the seedling to do a % but it safe to say its less than 5%.Its seeded at 20lb/acre.I boxbladed and disc'ed the backfeild and will seed it tonight.Sprayed it with roundup last week so we'll see.

cowboydoc · Sep 2, 2004

Once you have your alfalfa up it's really hard on it to spray it. Usually once you get the alfalfa seeded it will take over. I had alot of volunteer corn and foxtail in my first two cuttings of my new hay. Now I don't have hardly any in the third cutting as the alfalfa is started to take over nicely. Just remember to seed it heavy. You will get new growth steadily the first year.

OrangeGuy · Sep 4, 2004

How old is your field of alfalfa? If it is more than three years old, weeds taking over could be just a fact of life. Up here in Minnesota, we would plow over stands three years or older and rotate into corn so you could use aggressive herbicides to kill the weeds. After several years of corn/soybeans, we would rotate back to wheat/oats as a cover crop for alfalfa seeding.

You may have to spray the field with roundup, let everything green die, plow it up and reseed new alfalfa to get a clean field.

OrangeGuy

plumboy · Sep 4, 2004

Orangeguy its a brand new stand.Its a five acre field behind my house that has some weeds in it.Last spring I plowed it and have disced it several times trying to get the seeds to sprout so I could disc them in.I just seeded it a couple of weeks ago and the seedlings are about 2 inches now but some weeds have shot up again.Theres not a whole lot so I'm hoping the alfalfa will choke it out like cowboy doc said.I have about 16 acres I sprayed/disced before I planted this week.I'm hoping it will be weed free but I doubt it.Thanks.I'm new to this so I'm soaking up as much info as I can.

tracdoc · Sep 4, 2004

Ever since we lived in the Sacramento valley I have been curious about alfalfa which is extensively grown there and used locally in the dairy industry. I was amazed by succesful use of intermittent siphon irrigation techniques to flood the crop fields, and the year 'round crop, too. Now, living in NC, we hardly see any alfalfa, but I don't really understand the preference for other forage. Is it a function of weather, soil drainage or is it more traditional to grow other crops?

Anyhow, for those TBNers interested in the history and the future for alfalfa, called "the queen of forages" I really recommend an in depth, but easily read article:

Alfalfa, The Queen of Forages

George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both grew it with modest success. It apparently had its blossoming of popularity out West when it was first grown in the Sacramento area, due to the pH and drainage conditions in the great San Joaquin valley. It is really quite a fascinating article on this very old (8,000 year history of known cultivation) crop. Good reading...

cowboydoc · Sep 5, 2004

Do you get any frost down there? Up here if we planted planted that late it would be killed by frost in october.

cowboydoc · Sep 5, 2004

You can't get much better forage than alfalfa. The problem is it's hard to grow, lasts only 3-7 years, requires constant soil sampling, is expensive to keep lime and potash on, and is more difficult to bale. Alot of people, especially down south just do grass hay. If properly cared for it can go on indefinitely, usually only needs some fertilizer or none at all depending on how much hay you want. But it isn't near as good in nutrition, especially protein.

plumboy · Sep 5, 2004

Frost is usually in nov.The extension gives til sept 15 to get alfalfa seeded.What is a safe height before getting hit with frost?

I checked the maps and they show mid to late oct.I thought it was early nov.