correct hay cutting height??

[TANK30705]

Been talking to some other hay producers about how high to mow hay.
Whats yalls opinion?
I think about 2 inches of stubble is good.

 

[Rafter S]

What kind of grass? That can affect the answer.

 

[tdc_cattle]

Depends on when. If I can get it in May 2 would be good. When it gets cut later I'll leave 3-4". Just seem to not get much growth back if I scalp it in July.

I've got pretty limited experience with this though.

 

[TANK30705]

Been talking to some other hay producers about how high to mow hay.
Whats yalls opinion?
I think about 2 inches of stubble is good.

Fescue- clover hay.

 

[dun]

If the weather will remain cool you can get by with 2 inches but it will still slow down the regrowth. If it's getting hotter or you want faster regrowth 3-4 works better

 

[Rajela]

Been talking to some other hay producers about how high to mow hay.
Whats yalls opinion?
I think about 2 inches of stubble is good.

Fescue- clover hay.

Do you have a warm season grass that will replace the Fescue/Clover after the cutting? If you do then I would cut it short so the warm season grass can get started growing. If you don't then I would cut a little taller to help the fescue get thru the hot summer months a little better.

 

[Nesikep]

I find there's minimal benefit to cutting too close for the risks... My alfalfa/orchardgrass usually gets cut about 3-4" depending on how much header bounce I've got going on

 

[Rajela]

Cutting cool season annuals in the south it is best to get the most you can get there want be anymore.

 

[dun]

Cutting cool season annuals in the south it is best to get the most you can get there want be anymore.

There is always next year! Even fescue, if stressed by over cutting will eventually start to thin.

 

[Rajela]

Wasn't aware fescue was an annual????

 

[dun]

Wasn't aware fescue was an annual????

It's not. But cut too low it has to regrow from the root which draws on the root reserves. If part of the stem/crown is left it grows more from the crown and doesn;t draw down the root reserves. Fescue can talk a helluva beating and come back but it will be weakened.

 

[JMJ Farms]

Cutting cool season annuals in the south it is best to get the most you can get there want be anymore.

There is always next year! Even fescue, if stressed by over cutting will eventually start to thin.

If I understood correctly, Rajela was referring to forage such as wheat, rye, oats, annual ryegrass, etc that won't reseed so you just as well cut as much as you can.

On my Bermuda grass I try to leave at least 3" stubble. 4" is better.

 

[dun]

Cutting cool season annuals in the south it is best to get the most you can get there want be anymore.

There is always next year! Even fescue, if stressed by over cutting will eventually start to thin.

If I understood correctly, Rajela was referring to forage such as wheat, rye, oats, annual ryegrass, etc that won't reseed so you just as well cut as much as you can.

On my Bermuda grass I try to leave at least 3" stubble. 4" is better.

I thought the discussion was about fescue, sorry

 

[JMJ Farms]

I think it was/is/is supposed to be about fescue. At least that's what the OP is interested in.

 

[Rajela]

The OP also mentioned Clover which is usually an annual. The OP asked "Been talking to some other hay producers about how high to mow hay.
Whats yalls opinion?
I think about 2 inches of stubble is good."

So I answered him "Do you have a warm season grass that will replace the Fescue/Clover after the cutting? If you do then I would cut it short so the warm season grass can get started growing. If you don't then I would cut a little taller to help the fescue get thru the hot summer months a little better."

I also responded to another poster.

The OP has a location of GA so I assumed that the winter or cool season grass is not is main forage or hay crop.

 

[dun]

The OP also mentioned Clover which is usually an annual. The OP asked "Been talking to some other hay producers about how high to mow hay.
Whats yalls opinion?
I think about 2 inches of stubble is good."

So I answered him "Do you have a warm season grass that will replace the Fescue/Clover after the cutting? If you do then I would cut it short so the warm season grass can get started growing. If you don't then I would cut a little taller to help the fescue get thru the hot summer months a little better."

I also responded to another poster.

The OP has a location of GA so I assumed that the winter or cool season grass is not is main forage or hay crop.

Clover may be an annual in SE OK but here it's a perennial. Properly managed it reseeds itself and is self sustaining, but it too, like fescue, will diminish over the years and needs reseeding every few years. We usually get about 4 years out of red clover and 2 if we;re lucky with the expensive white clovers.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I think about 2 inches of stubble is good.

Good for alfalfa, which stores a lot of energy in the crowns.
Not good for grass, which usually stores a lot of energy in the stems.

 

[Stocker Steve]

fescue, will diminish over the years and needs reseeding every few years. We usually get about 4 years out of red clover and 2 if we;re lucky with the expensive white clovers.

How long do the "improved fescue" stands last in your area?

How about reed canary?

 

[dun]

Don;t know of any of the improved stuff that's been in long enough to be able to tell yet. The stuff from Pennington seems to get get better each year but the oldest field I know of is only a couple of years old. The old endophyte free junk doesn;t last more than a year or 2 before it starts to peter out. Don;t know of anyone that has any reeds.

 

[Rajela]

The OP also mentioned Clover which is usually an annual. The OP asked "Been talking to some other hay producers about how high to mow hay.
Whats yalls opinion?
I think about 2 inches of stubble is good."

So I answered him "Do you have a warm season grass that will replace the Fescue/Clover after the cutting? If you do then I would cut it short so the warm season grass can get started growing. If you don't then I would cut a little taller to help the fescue get thru the hot summer months a little better."

I also responded to another poster.

The OP has a location of GA so I assumed that the winter or cool season grass is not is main forage or hay crop.

Clover may be an annual in SE OK but here it's a perennial. Properly managed it reseeds itself and is self sustaining, but it too, like fescue, will diminish over the years and needs reseeding every few years. We usually get about 4 years out of red clover and 2 if we;re lucky with the expensive white clovers.

No Dun....Clover or most Clovers are an annual any where. Now most do have a reseeding capability and so does Rye Grass if you let it go to seed an it is managed properly but it is actually an annual that has to reseeded each year and dies in the hot summer months. Fescue is a cool season perennial grass and will go dormant in the summer and the return from the roots in the fall or when the weather cools down.

If I am cutting Rye or Clover for hay the reseeding possibility just want exist because I will be cutting before the grass has time to make a mature seed head. Now there will be some hard seed from the previous seeding that will germinate the following year but it want be much so it has to be reseeded annually to maintain a good stand.

The conclusion to all this is if your in the south or an area that primarily has warm season grasses and cutting any type of annual cool season grass for hay then your can scalp it as low as you want be cause it will not come back from the roots. If your in an area that has primarily cool season grasses then you would be better served to cut a tad bit higher to give the cool season grass a better chance of surviving the warm summer months ahead.