OHIOshedder
New Member
I have (had) a pretty decent alfalfa stand the past 2 years. This year through a combination of wet spring, bad timing on my part, and now hot, dry summer, I was not able to spray this year and the broadleaves were really taking over. There was still alot of alfalfa, but it was getting a bit sparse. Just went to check on it and found that my dad had scalped the field with the bush hog leaving a lot of bare soil and cutting way too low for the predicted 90 degree temps with no rain in the forecast. I"m pretty sure this field is toast. Its ok because I was going to lime and re-do the field next year anyway. I want to get this field back into alfalfa as soon as posible. I can till under now and plant a fall plot of something else and follow with a spring plot of something else, but I think some alfalfa will survive and I'd kinda like to be able to hunt over the little alfalfa that will remain this fall.
My plan is to overseed with rye this fall so that I can hunt over combo rye/alfalfa then till under in the spring. Not sure what I'd plant in the spring, possibly red clover and/or chickory when I do my big lime application. I then would like to re-plant next fall with alfalfa using rye as a cover crop. The rye could then be sprayed/mowed the following spring leaving me with a new stand of alfalfa. Any thoughts/improvements on this scenario? Should I wait longer before re-planing in alfalfa and if so, would I be better to till under now and plan something different this fall?
Thanks.
My plan is to overseed with rye this fall so that I can hunt over combo rye/alfalfa then till under in the spring. Not sure what I'd plant in the spring, possibly red clover and/or chickory when I do my big lime application. I then would like to re-plant next fall with alfalfa using rye as a cover crop. The rye could then be sprayed/mowed the following spring leaving me with a new stand of alfalfa. Any thoughts/improvements on this scenario? Should I wait longer before re-planing in alfalfa and if so, would I be better to till under now and plan something different this fall?
Thanks.