Alfalfa/orchard mix after winter rye?

[Franke]

Does anyone have experience after corn silage is off planting winter rye, then cutting it for dry bales in the late spring early summer then planting an alfalfa/orchard grass mixer after for a new seeding?

 

[Stocker Steve]

Double cropping looks great on paper but it raises your risk level.
One assumes there is enough moisture, and enough time, to do it all.
Why would you want to make rye hay?

 

[Franke]

It was a thought my dad had and we know very little about it. We have just not had the greatest luck of keeping the dandelions out when we do oats with the alfalfa orchard grass mix planted in the spring the last couple of years. Also we have about 3/4 of our hay ground that needs to be ripped up and planted in new fields and that can make a lot of oats(don’t need all the oat bales). We are just seeing if people have had success doing this.

 

[Dave]

I do know of dairy farmers who rye grass into silage corn. They actually interseed the rye into the corn at the last cultivation. The rye is there and looks sickly when they chop the corn but takes off as soon as the corn is gone. I know of another guy who plants winter triticale behind his corn silage. I both cases they harvest the rye or triticale as silage and go back to corn again.

 

[Stocker Steve]

It was a thought my dad had and we know very little about it. We have just not had the greatest luck of keeping the dandelions out when we do oats with the alfalfa orchard grass mix planted in the spring the last couple of years.

Lots and lots of reasons for weeds in a new seeding, and dandelions are usually a sign of a hay stand that is too thin.

Lots and lots of reasons for a hay stand that is too thin, and the "nurse" crop can be the cause.

How heavy do you seed the oats, and when do you cut it?

 

[Franke]

It was a thought my dad had and we know very little about it. We have just not had the greatest luck of keeping the dandelions out when we do oats with the alfalfa orchard grass mix planted in the spring the last couple of years.

Lots and lots of reasons for weeds in a new seeding, and dandelions are usually a sign of a hay stand that is too thin.

Lots and lots of reasons for a hay stand that is too thin, and the "nurse" crop can be the cause.

How heavy do you seed the oats, and when do you cut it?

2-3 lbs an acre seeded, and cut after it starts heading out. I had someone else who thought the dandelion seed would be in with the grass seed.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Two to three bushels is more than recommended. You are taking a risk here with your stand.

Do you spray (broclean) for broadleaf weeds?

 

[Franke]

No we don’t spray broclean. Does it affect mature alfalfa at all or no? The quick search I did said seedling alfalfa.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Have never sprayed mature alfalfa.
New seeding legumes need to be 4 leaf or more before spraying.
This is not like a burn down spray. The broad leaves are set back, but many survive.

 

[Franke]

Might have to try that. Thanks

 

[Stocker Steve]

I have been using lots of manure to rebuild my soil, and so I was getting more weeds and chest high oats regularly. Not good for a new seeding, even if you spray the broad leaves.
I have been experimenting with barley, rather than oats, as a nurse/curse crop. Seems to work much better - - shorter stalk and less leaves and a thicker new seeding in the fall. :nod:

 

[Franke]

I just had someone tell me that planting winter rye in the spring as a companion crop to orchard/Timothy/alfalfa mix MIGHT allow you to make two cuttings of new seeding plus a much shorter rye crop (possibly dry). Has anyone else heard or done this?