Cutting new Alfalfa

Hello everyone-sure some challenging weather conditions this year. Here in usually wet Western Oregon, we had an extremely warm dry spring. We haven't had any rain for a month,  It has been in 90s for quite a stretch as well. We are dried up. Some folks are already harvesting wheat here, which is a month or so early. It is odd. I think I would like to go back to complaining about rain.

 

On to my situation. We  planted alfalfa last fall. This is our first experience with alfalfa, but we have been growing grass, clover and timothy for quite some time. We are  not irrigated. Our soils are heavy clay for the most part and alfalfa was a major crop here in the past, before nearly everyone switched to seed production. The pH of the field is 6.5-6.7. We applied 200lbs of alfalfa pre-plant fertilizer, broadcasted the seed on and rolled it in well-good firm seed bed and good seed to soil contact. It nearly all germinated, and the field looked good. We got tons of rain in late October through November so our ground was saturated. We had a cold snap in late Nov/early Dec, and  the ground froze  down a couple inches, and heaved most all of the alfalfa plants out and that was that. A neighbor lost 80 acres of red clover  as well. I should have put in some annual rye or oats as a nurse crop but I didn't, next time right?.  This spring we reseeded the bare spots, which was really about 3/4 of the field (200lbs fert, drilled and then rolled with sprocket roller) and it is all up. 

 

The alfalfa we planted last fall has just started blooming. It is knee high in places, and is a deep green. I am not sure if we should cut it this year, or just let the plants continue to mature and leave it until next year. I also don't want to damage the new seeded portions of the field by driving our junk over the the little plants. I know plants focus on root development as soil temps cool, and foliage development as soil temps warm.  We have thrown quite a bit of cash at this field, and I don't want to mess up what we have growing now, although if this hot dry weather continues, it might not really matter. Maybe next year this field will draw in a plague of locusts. In any event, the heat and lack of rain have me concerned, as I am not sure if there will be enough moisture to let the plant come back, while after the plants go to seed they should be putting energy inot root development-I think.

 

So what do you guys think, should I leave it alone or cut the more mature  areas of the field?

 

Thanks

 

Mike

Cutting new Alfalfa