ridgeandvalley
Member
I have about 7 acres of hay ground that I use to make hay for a few horses. I'll admit I probably ignored / abused the ground for too long... I had a neighbor who used to cut my hay for me, and I didn't really put anything back into the soil. A few years ago, I started to make my own hay, and that's when I began to think a little more about managing the fertility of the field. For 3 years now, I've had a basic fertilizer mix spread on the field in the spriong. It really has made a difference in growth, and I produce more than enough hay for my horses, but the last couple of years I've noticed a type of weed that has really started invading my hay fields. I looked it up and I believe it's a type of "bedstraw", which is said to thrive in nutrient poor / acidic soils.
I'm thinking of having some lime spread on the fields. Is this a good time of the year to do so (Wisconsin)?
Also, I'd love to get a little more clover and alfalfa growing in the field. I have a decent mix of timothy and orchard grass, and there's some red clover, but not much alfalfa left. I really don't want to start over from scratch. This is my only hay ground, and I don't really need that much hay, but I would like to get rid of the weeds and increase the productivity of the field... heck, maybe I'll even have a little extra to sell. Do you think I'd have much luck just scattering seed in late winter / early spring, or do I need to try to find somebody to drill in some seed?
Bottom line... open to suggestions of ways to "improve" the field without necessarily spending a lot. Doesn't have to be perfect... just better than it is now. Don't have a lot of fancy equipment or people to do the work for me.
I'm thinking of having some lime spread on the fields. Is this a good time of the year to do so (Wisconsin)?
Also, I'd love to get a little more clover and alfalfa growing in the field. I have a decent mix of timothy and orchard grass, and there's some red clover, but not much alfalfa left. I really don't want to start over from scratch. This is my only hay ground, and I don't really need that much hay, but I would like to get rid of the weeds and increase the productivity of the field... heck, maybe I'll even have a little extra to sell. Do you think I'd have much luck just scattering seed in late winter / early spring, or do I need to try to find somebody to drill in some seed?
Bottom line... open to suggestions of ways to "improve" the field without necessarily spending a lot. Doesn't have to be perfect... just better than it is now. Don't have a lot of fancy equipment or people to do the work for me.