Growing
Established Stands
When talking to your extension agent or local cooperative representative you may find that the best solution for your hay crop is to interseed into an existing stand of hay. Revitalizing hay by adding another type of hay crop into the mix can be healthy for your soil and crop health and can even prove to provide an even more appropriate feed ration for your livestock.
Considerations when using an existing stand:
Seed selection if interseeding to renovate stand
Choose a seed variety that will compliment the crop that is already growing without competing for nutrients and moisture. Make sure you choose a crop that will be beneficial to your livestock and will extend the vitality of your stand without introducing new weeds or pest issues. Again, this is a great time to rely on the expertise of your local extension agent, neighbors and/or agronomist.
Soil test for nutrient requirements
Test your soil to determine the current nutritional state of the soil. It may be time to add a variety that will add some nitrogen to the soil such as alfalfa or you may need to add some grasses for tonnage. Plus, while you are going to the trouble of interseeding it might be a good time to implement an entire revitalization operation by adding new nutrients to balance your soils PH levels, and address current pest or disease issues.
| Element | Function |
|---|---|
| Lime | Increases nutrient availability and raises soil acidity. |
| Magnesium | Essential growth element. |
| Nitrogen | Produces dramatic growth. |
| Phosphorus (P) | Increases growth and tolerance of cold weather. |
| Potash (K) | Increases growth and tolerance of cold weather. |
| Sulfur | Essential growth element. |
Plan for nutrients, weed and pest control products
Talk with your neighbors. Chances are they have similar soil and pest issues that you are dealing with. They may be a great place to get some ideas of what has and hasn't worked for them in the past. Do some research online and talk to your local extension agent and agronomist.
Determine economics between custom or self application of seed, nutrients or weed and pest control
Determine equipment needs for optimizing stand health
Once you know what your plan is, talk with your local equipment dealer to find out the best equipment solution for your crop management plan.