Welcome! Please use the navigational links to explore our website.
PartsASAP LogoCompany Logo (800) 853-2651

Shop Now

   Allis Chalmers Case Farmall IH Ford 8N,9N,2N Ford
   Ferguson John Deere Massey Ferguson Minn. Moline Oliver

Attention Forum Users: On the 28th of December 2023 at 9:00am Central Time, we will be taking the forums down for maintenance while we prepare the new forums for your use. Please click here for more information.

Implement Alley Discussion Forum

Spring vs Fall Alfalfa

Welcome Guest, Log in or Register
Author 
Joe in IN

09-17-2004 06:41:14




Report to Moderator

On the same line as the 6 acre question below.....

I have about 12 acres that the beans will be off in about 2 or 3 weeks. Then the cash rent(to a local farmer) will be done and the ground is mine. I ideally want a hayfield back there but Early Oct is too late in Indiana to plant alfalfa.

Thus my current plan is to drill wheat, get that off in July, bale straw, then plant my hayfield in August. I have read that fall planted alfalfa has less weeds than spring planted and is ready to cut with the 1st cutting in the spring. Someone(RICKL) mentioned worse luck with fall planted alfalfa. So what are the thoughts out there on fall planted alfalfa? Will the stand not be as good?


Note: I really don't want to seed both as I need a good cash crop next year to help pay for the land(don't want yield of wheat to be affected)...

[Log in to Reply]   [No Email]
John in IN

09-19-2004 07:43:26




Report to Moderator
 Re: Spring vs Fall Alfalfa in reply to Joe in IN, 09-17-2004 06:41:14  
Hi Joe, I have seeded into wheat in late winter to early spring with good sucess. Plan on doing it this spring. I like to use a four wheeler with a small mounted broadcast seeder. It doesn't leave as big a foot print as a tractor. Tractor will work also. I like to seed it when the ground is a little sticky. Some in my area of mid-north Indiana also will have it broadcasted in with the spring fertilizer. Maximize one trip using a Terra-gator. I have seen great stands using this method. You can get three crops this way. Sell the wheat, Bale and sale the straw, and if you get rain, a cutting of hay in Sept. This cutting will have some wheat stuble in it. Next spring you are on your way to having a nice stand. Good Luck, John

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
tim[in]

09-18-2004 07:12:38




Report to Moderator
 Re: Spring vs Fall Alfalfa in reply to Joe in IN, 09-17-2004 06:41:14  
i would plant the wheat then in january or february broadcast the alfalfa. frost seeding always worked good for me. ive dont the august seeding once was ok. spring and oats worked good too.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
paul

09-18-2004 10:44:37




Report to Moderator
 Re: Spring vs Fall Alfalfa in reply to tim[in], 09-18-2004 07:12:38  
Do you run the snow blower up & down the fields before the seeder??? :) :) :) :) Around here the drifts are about 2-3 feet deep most Februarys....

Just having a little fun. :) It's neat to see the different timing & challenges in different regions. :)

--->Paul



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
tim[in]

09-18-2004 18:06:29




Report to Moderator
 Re: Spring vs Fall Alfalfa in reply to paul, 09-18-2004 10:44:37  
nope . we use a sleigh ,unless it's wet then we use a jon boat. have a hell of a time trying to keep the swaths even tho ,trying to see out that little moon shaped window! lol



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
TGIN

09-18-2004 04:51:01




Report to Moderator
 Re: Spring vs Fall Alfalfa in reply to Joe in IN, 09-17-2004 06:41:14  
I like spring seeding best , usually get a better stand and you`ll have a better chance of getting the rain you need . I`m old school , I like to plow a new hay field and make a good seedbed . Fert. to soil test and seed about 1.5 Bu. oats for cover crop , my cows love that oats hay . Cut when the seed is in the milk stage .



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
name won't work

09-17-2004 18:07:12




Report to Moderator
 Re: Spring vs Fall Alfalfa in reply to Joe in IN, 09-17-2004 06:41:14  
Planted some this spring on bean stubble, it did excellent. Got 3 cuttings, first two were weedy third was not a weed in it. Disced it lightly and planted with a Brillion seeder. Most years it probably wouldn"t have worked, but this year was an exception. Live in central Missouri.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Larry S.

09-17-2004 10:11:24




Report to Moderator
 Re: Spring vs Fall Alfalfa in reply to Joe in IN, 09-17-2004 06:41:14  
I too have had my best seedings done in the fall. Here in north west Michigan the cut off date is August 15th. This year I put in a 10 acre field on the 20th. It has been a little dry, but I did get an excellent catch and the small showers received since has made the field look really good.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
kyhayman

09-17-2004 10:05:47




Report to Moderator
 Re: Spring vs Fall Alfalfa in reply to Joe in IN, 09-17-2004 06:41:14  
The main consideration here on spring v. fall alfalfa is disease pressure. Fall planted alfalfa is susceptable to sclerotinia (no resistence and no treatment). Stand germinates and then disappears. Spring planted is susceptable to aphanomycees but there is resistence to it.

I like a very late spring planting after wheat, rye, or triticale comes off as silage.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Oliver farmer

09-17-2004 07:44:09




Report to Moderator
 Re: Spring vs Fall Alfalfa in reply to Joe in IN, 09-17-2004 06:41:14  
I live in PA and have had better luck in the fall. Both have done well, but if the stand is fall planted the first year will yield much better. Around here it is late to plant alfalfa. It needs at least 6 weeks before frost, mine has been in since August 15. I tried planting hay with wheat once and didnt like it. The stand of hay never did well. I think the best idea is planting wheat, harvesting and then planting hay in late summer.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
RickL

09-17-2004 07:24:44




Report to Moderator
 Re: Spring vs Fall Alfalfa in reply to Joe in IN, 09-17-2004 06:41:14  
Joe; I have done both with oats seeding alfalfa with or oats alone and there really is not much yield difference in my area. I have a friend who we did last fallI seeded wheat with his alfalfa and the wheat still made around 60 bushel. Then again you do get lucky somtimes. I have my drill rigged up so I seed every thing in its own box now have three boxes and have 44 coulters ahead of unit. I always seed after bean crop,not corn. It just works better for me. Don't be afraid of fall seeding alot fellows do it, but when I do it I don't seem to get the stand I like that I do in the spring. You do what works for you. Thats my main crop now I quit corn. RickL

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
agman

09-17-2004 09:23:52




Report to Moderator
 Re: Spring vs Fall Alfalfa in reply to RickL, 09-17-2004 07:24:44  
Rick,

Why did you quit corn? Just curious as I did to because I have very light sand and the cost of inputs with the variable weather was just too much at risk. Now I"m in a bean-wheat-alfalfa rotation.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
RickL

09-17-2004 17:42:45




Report to Moderator
 Re: Spring vs Fall Alfalfa in reply to agman, 09-17-2004 09:23:52  
agman; Corn prices just didn't pay. I just don't have much left after costs. I can make more on the first cut hay than corn will net all season. Then I have the next cuttings also. The only reason doing beans yet is it rotates with my rye. You have to get off farm markets to make it work. Example straw farm value .75 to $1.50. My retail market is $3.50 up to $6.00 bale



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
RickL

09-17-2004 07:24:18




Report to Moderator
 Re: Spring vs Fall Alfalfa in reply to Joe in IN, 09-17-2004 06:41:14  
Joe; I have done both with oats seeding alfalfa with or oats alone and there really is not much yield difference in my area. I have a friend who we did last fallI seeded wheat with his alfalfa and the wheat still made around 60 bushel. Then again you do get lucky somtimes. I have my drill rigged up so I seed every thing in its own box now have three boxes and have 44 coulters ahead of unit. I always seed after bean crop,not corn. It just works better for me. Don't be afraid of fall seeding alot fellows do it, but when I do it I don't seem to get the stand I like that I do in the spring. You do what works for you. Thats my main crop now I quit corn. RickL

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
RickL

09-17-2004 07:22:10




Report to Moderator
 Re: Spring vs Fall Alfalfa in reply to Joe in IN, 09-17-2004 06:41:14  
Joe; I have done both with oats seeding alfalfa with or oats alone and there really is not much yield difference in my area. I have a friend who we did last fallI seeded wheat with his alfalfa and the wheat still made around 60 bushel. Then again you do get lucky somtimes. I have my drill rigged up so I seed every thing in its own box now have three boxes and have 44 coulters ahead of unit. I always seed after bean crop,not corn. It just works better for me. Don't be afraid of fall seeding alot fellows do it, but when I do it I don't seem to get the stand I like that I do in the spring. You do what works for you. Thats my main crop now I quit corn. RickL

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
[Options]  [Printer Friendly]  [Posting Help]  [Return to Forum]   [Log in to Reply]

Hop to:


TRACTOR PARTS TRACTOR MANUALS
We sell tractor parts!  We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]

Home  |  Forums


Copyright © 1997-2023 Yesterday's Tractor Co.

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy

TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters

Website Accessibility Policy