Can you seed alfalfa in the spring?
Alfalfa has a wide range of recommended seeding dates. In the Upper Midwest, alfalfa fields can be seeded anytime from mid-April through May. Early June for northernmost dairy regions is fine. Like with any seed, soil temperatures and soil moisture together are important for germination.
How many pounds per acre do you seed alfalfa?
For pure alfalfa stands, 18 to 20 pounds per acre should be planted. For mixed stands with grass, 15 to 16 pounds per acre is recommended. For broadcast seeding, seeding rates need to be increased by 10 to 20 percent. Weed control.
Can you grow alfalfa in south Alabama?
Alfalfa can be planted in monocultures or mixed stands with grasses, such as bermudagrass. Alfalfa-bermudagrass mixtures in summer in south Alabama.
How late can I plant alfalfa?
Generally speaking, you should seed alfalfa six to eight weeks before your area receives a killing frost. For most of Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, prime seeding time is August 1-15. Farmers in Iowa and Nebraska can still seed toward the later part of August.
Can you overseed alfalfa?
Most producers would probably prefer to overseed additional alfalfa into a thin stand. However, overseeding alfalfa stands over one year old with additional alfalfa seed is not recommended due to the likelihood of autotoxicity issues.
How long does it take for alfalfa seed to germinate?
Alfalfa seed germinates best at soil temperatures between 65-85°F. If soil temperature is 40°F, it takes alfalfa six days to germinate, but only two days at 65°F.
What is the seeding rate for alfalfa?
between 12 and 15 pounds per acre
Seeding rates should be between 12 and 15 pounds per acre. Prescribed seeding rates are designed to provide several times the seed needed to achieve optimal yield under ideal growing conditions.
What’s a good cover crop for alfalfa?
Many other cover crops have been used to seed with alfalfa; the most common are barley and triticale. Barley is perhaps a better cover crop if letting the small grain grow for grain since it matures a week or more earlier than oats.
Is it hard to grow alfalfa?
Alfalfa is a cool-season perennial commonly grown for feeding livestock or as a cover crop and soil conditioner. Alfalfa’s extensive root system nourishes both plants and soil. The alfalfa plant has been cultivated for generations and growing alfalfa in your garden is easy.
How much does alfalfa yield per acre?
NASS also reported alfalfa hay yields of 3.36 tons per acre, but remember that this does not include haylage, so a reasonable working alfalfa hay yield figure is 4.5 tons per acre. Average yields are from a broad range of conditions, so you must estimate what your yield potential is based on past history.
Does alfalfa reseed itself?
Alfalfa is a crop that naturally tends to lessen its density over time because alfalfa doesn’t reseed itself. Planting more alfalfa into current alfalfa fields is not recommended since alfalfa has autotoxicity characteristics. A good population/density is about 35 well-growing stems per square foot.
Why is my alfalfa not growing?
Sometimes factors beyond our control result in alfalfa stand losses. In other situations, poor stands result from poor soil preparation, improper seeding depth, or bad timing of planting (nearly ALWAYS critical to plant in early fall periods in CA – and this doesn’t mean November).
What are the advantages of fall seeding alfalfa?
According to Steve Orloff, extension educator with the University of California – Davis, the biggest advantage to a fall seeding is: It favors root growth over shoot growth. “In the spring, you’ll get a leggy plant that’s real tall with less root and crown development,” he says.
When to start fall seeding for alfalfa plants?
Orloff says that mountainous regions or areas that have long winters and short springs are not a good fit for fall planting. Orloff says fall seeding should take place anywhere from mid-August in higher elevations through September and even October in lower elevations and milder climates.
Are there any common mistakes in growing alfalfa?
While alfalfa can be very profitable, there are some common mistakes that can take you from profitability to loss quickly. Following are some of the most common mistakes I see new alfalfa growers make. If you can avoid these mistakes, you have a good chance to be on the profit side of the ledger rather than in the hole.
Is it OK to broadcast alfalfa seed and till in?
Do not broadcast seed and till it in. If you can’t use a drill, don’t plant alfalfa. Cattle love alfalfa. Unfortunately, they are not the only members of the animal kingdom with a taste for it. Insects like it as well. Armyworms can wipe out a new stand in a hurry.