Go ahead and cut for hay?

[JHH]

We planted 10 acres of new hay ground this year and have not baled it yet but have got the oats cut off of the grass. It was very dry here and grass and clover didnt come on like we thought it would but since we got some rain looks really good and is about knee high so should we goahead and bale it or just pasture it? will it hurt it for next year if we do bale it now? Never baled any hay this late in year.JHH

 

[certherfbeef]

If it were me, I'd either pasture it (unless it is wet) or I'd wait on a hard frost then mow it.

 

[mitchwi]

DO NOT pasture new seeding, the root system is not well established yet. If you absolutely need the hay, I would do as cert said, and wait for a frost to cut/bale. Do not do it when the ground is wet, or you will rip it up. Up here in the north, we like to have some sort of standing hay to trap the snow to keep the root system in good shape and to keep from freezing them out with winter kill. Not so sure about your winters there and how you should maintain your crop in that respect.

 

[HatCreekFan]

If we were in your situation, we'd probably cut the hay off of it, then go back in and no-till in more, say, orchardgrass, for example.

Only an opinon :)