Need Some Advice on New Hay field

[JeffK-MN]

I seeded a new hay field last year. It is really nice and thick but I have not much for height.
I did a soil test and put on what the fertilizer plant told me to use. I also spread 2 year old manure over the field disced it in before seeding.
I put on 15-18 pounds per acre of timothy clover orchard grass and some birdsfoot trefoil.
Thanks for any info Jeff

 

[cowboy43]

Location, type of soil and the variety of grass would be helpful .

 

[AllForage]

Trefoil is slow to establish, I find Timothy goes dormant after spring. Why no alfalfa?

 

[JeffK-MN]

The field is in east centeral Minnesota. The soil is rockue clay. Every few years I have someone plant corn or beans for 2 years then back to hay.
I have put a lot of lime on this field but it doesn't do alfalfa well at all.
Thanks Jeff

 

[AllForage]

The field is in east centeral Minnesota. The soil is rockue clay. Every few years I have someone plant corn or beans for 2 years then back to hay.
I have put a lot of lime on this field but it doesn't do alfalfa well at all.
Thanks Jeff

Gotcha, I'm a soil amateur but alfalfa likes sulfur too. But if it don't work then it don't. With strictly grass and a lagging legume you will need to fertilize with N most likely. Give the trefoil time, and let it set seed a few times. Should come up nice a year or two

 

[Stocker Steve]

Sounds like you have made a good start. Lots of kill after our open winter but timothy is tough. I think that is why you have a thick stand. :banana:
Slow growth in MN this spring due to a dry April and a cold May, but forage is taking off now. Wait a couple weeks.
Advanced nutrient management means taking tissue samples to see how the plant up take is. Just check on the timing and data benchmarks available before you select which species to sample.
Typical advise is to top dress legume hay after each cutting, but not to top dress in early spring. Grass is different.
BFT needs a longer rest period than most. If you cut it on an alfalfa schedule it will die out soon... A two cut system would be my max in central MN.