Moldboard or Chisel Plow, that is the question.

[CowboyRam]

I need to start forming a plan to break up some hay ground in the next year or so; probably will do 25 or 30 acres. The alfalfa is starting to get drowned out. A few years ago we sold our roll over plow as it was wore out, and we no could not find shears for it. I have been thinking of getting a chisel plow to break up the hardpan. My plan was to kill everything in the fall with chemical, chisel plow and let that sit over the winter. Disk in the spring and plant barley. Harvest the barley, bale the straw, and then plant alfalfa the following year in the stubble. Will I need a no- till drill to drill in the alfalfa seed? I have Melroe grain drill.

 

[WFfarm]

We like using a plow to work up old hay ground. It helps break up the large tap roots from the alfalfa. Our neighbor plants timothy, clover, and alfalfa right with the barley. They harvest the barley mid summer and take a small cutting of hay off at the end of summer. I've been told you need to plant something else (corn, beans, potatoes) for preferably 2 seasons before planting alfalfa back in the same field. I'm sure our growing seasons are much different than yours.

 

[CowboyRam]

We like using a plow to work up old hay ground. It helps break up the large tap roots from the alfalfa. Our neighbor plants timothy, clover, and alfalfa right with the barley. They harvest the barley mid summer and take a small cutting of hay off at the end of summer. I've been told you need to plant something else (corn, beans, potatoes) for preferably 2 seasons before planting alfalfa back in the same field. I'm sure our growing seasons are much different than yours.

I had a talk with my agronomist yesterday that is pretty close to what he was saying. He was saying to harvest the barley in August and then plant radishes and turnups, and then the following year plant hay barley and Italian ryegrass. In the past we have done one year with oats or Italian ryegrass and then going back with alfalfa. He said we would have better success by going two years.

 

[greybeard]

Do you get any regrowth of the ryegrass out West and that far North?

 

[CowboyRam]

Do you get any regrowth of the ryegrass out West and that far North?

I have grown it before, and we usually will only get one season out of it. We might see a little the second year, but I usually go back into alfalfa.