Post by JoshuaGA on Aug 30, 2011 19:50:36 GMT -5
Saw your other post, thought I would reply here.
Rowfarmers origional post
aren't you growing alfalfa down here in the deep south? Tell me what you did to get it established, what did you plant, pop, anything to help me get it going. I want to try some this fall and any help would be apperciated. It's coming out of three year old orchard grass. Well drained ground, ph 7.6. Orchard grass pretty much petered out this year so time for a new experiment. Planning on killing off existing vegetation with rup, should i fully work up the ground or just do a heavy scratch so i don't get seeds to deep. This is just a little field kind of a pain only two acres so i use it as my experiment field. Thanks Andrew
Number one, go to georgiaforages.com and search alfalfa, several publications there to read, dumb one here can't figure out how to link to it, it is the extension site however. Me, I would want to work it and then let it sit for around a month, but I haven't discovered the majic secret to it yet, my fields are still not perfectly smooth. Ideal is to have it where you never sink down past the heel of your boot. I shoot for 20 lb an acre on seed, I think 25 lb might be better, but it requires a different set of drive gear on my planter to do that, and so far have got an acceptable stand IMO. Do yourself a favor, once you plant it, don't look at it till next spring. Don't know what kind of seeder you have, I use an old Brillion to plant with. Doesn't need to be deeper than half inch in any case.
Far as management, biggest thing is managing harvest, the stuff just doesn't have a delay, just as soon as it starts flowering, cut it. I have made a damn mess this time with ours, between delaying the cutting, 2 weeks late and the drought has defoliated ours to cow hay at best. Opposite end has been thick lush stuff give the mower a run for its' money, it will make great hay if managed. Next thing is have plenty of water, seems to want an inch a week in my experience. Again with the dry weather, dont water it wont make. By the looks of one field that I cant water, it looks dead on the stalk, just brown. I would tell you how to fertilize it, but I haven't solved that, poor ass broke and cheap is part of the problem. Messed with a couple foliars this year but I don't like that, hasn't help that we have been short a tractor, but I am just not real fond, and I don't see a damn bit of difference, I cant see the line where I started and stopped at this point. Otherwise, 2 tons of chicken litter and lime on it. Hope to try putting Treflan down ppi for the alfalfa this year, put out select for grasses, 24db for broadleaves, but there are a few other things for weed control too.
One other thing I do, I plant it into a bermudagrass sod. Been clipping short and dropseeding it with decent results, would like to burn off a field and plant into the burned stubble. Makes pretty good hay.
Rowfarmers origional post
aren't you growing alfalfa down here in the deep south? Tell me what you did to get it established, what did you plant, pop, anything to help me get it going. I want to try some this fall and any help would be apperciated. It's coming out of three year old orchard grass. Well drained ground, ph 7.6. Orchard grass pretty much petered out this year so time for a new experiment. Planning on killing off existing vegetation with rup, should i fully work up the ground or just do a heavy scratch so i don't get seeds to deep. This is just a little field kind of a pain only two acres so i use it as my experiment field. Thanks Andrew
Number one, go to georgiaforages.com and search alfalfa, several publications there to read, dumb one here can't figure out how to link to it, it is the extension site however. Me, I would want to work it and then let it sit for around a month, but I haven't discovered the majic secret to it yet, my fields are still not perfectly smooth. Ideal is to have it where you never sink down past the heel of your boot. I shoot for 20 lb an acre on seed, I think 25 lb might be better, but it requires a different set of drive gear on my planter to do that, and so far have got an acceptable stand IMO. Do yourself a favor, once you plant it, don't look at it till next spring. Don't know what kind of seeder you have, I use an old Brillion to plant with. Doesn't need to be deeper than half inch in any case.
Far as management, biggest thing is managing harvest, the stuff just doesn't have a delay, just as soon as it starts flowering, cut it. I have made a damn mess this time with ours, between delaying the cutting, 2 weeks late and the drought has defoliated ours to cow hay at best. Opposite end has been thick lush stuff give the mower a run for its' money, it will make great hay if managed. Next thing is have plenty of water, seems to want an inch a week in my experience. Again with the dry weather, dont water it wont make. By the looks of one field that I cant water, it looks dead on the stalk, just brown. I would tell you how to fertilize it, but I haven't solved that, poor ass broke and cheap is part of the problem. Messed with a couple foliars this year but I don't like that, hasn't help that we have been short a tractor, but I am just not real fond, and I don't see a damn bit of difference, I cant see the line where I started and stopped at this point. Otherwise, 2 tons of chicken litter and lime on it. Hope to try putting Treflan down ppi for the alfalfa this year, put out select for grasses, 24db for broadleaves, but there are a few other things for weed control too.
One other thing I do, I plant it into a bermudagrass sod. Been clipping short and dropseeding it with decent results, would like to burn off a field and plant into the burned stubble. Makes pretty good hay.