Never got hay cut

[smalltimer]

I have a Bahia grass hayfield located in South East Texas near Wharton. Due to a variety of reasons I never got the final cutting of hay done. It should have been cut in September. My question is what is the best thing to do for the field now?

It is not fenced and has no water, so grazing it isn't an option. Burning it isn't an option in this area either. I could: 1) bale it when I get a weather window-it would have almost no nutrition but better than nothing; 2) Cut it and leave it lay to try and get some of the nutrients back in the ground, but it is knee high and it seems like it would leave a thick mat of grass; 3) Do nothing and worry about it in the spring. I could probably use the hay, but hay is cheap this year so not a big deal.

What is the best option for the long term health of the field?

 

[Brute 23]

It happens. Been there.

Are you not wanting to cut it?

It's a little risky now with potential freezing next week but it could have been cut Oct, Nov, or Dec. Doesn't it look like spring around yall right now?

 

[wbvs58]

A flail type mulching mower might be an option but expensive to buy but might be a contractor you could hire.

Ken

 

[Mark Reynolds]

I found this after a google search. I don't know how much of a problem it will be if you leave it standing and harvest it with your first cutting next year, or how your first cutting will be affected. My thought is you decide to mow it and leave it, mow it high. I believe that would serve to decrease thatch accumulation.

 

[bird dog]

Run a disc over it to break it down and incorporate some of it (and any thatch) into the top part of the soil. You need to do it asap though so it will have time to further break down before spring green up.

 

[Brute 23]

Ya I would cut it high, leave it , or disk it.

The only thing I would absolutely not do is shred it.

This would have been a good year to spray any woody plants in it and let them stand until next spring. It can be tough to kill them out of a hay field that is being cut constantly.

 

[moses388]

Bale it and use for animal bedding or mulch over bare ground?

 

[4hfarms]

I had about 15ac this happened to last year. I left it over winter and cut it high after last frost. The thatch kept it alive all winter. Grew like crazy in the spring. Thick summer grass....

 

[wbvs58]

Ya I would cut it high, leave it , or disk it.

The only thing I would absolutely not do is shred it.

This would have been a good year to spray any woody plants in it and let them stand until next spring. It can be tough to kill them out of a hay field that is being cut constantly.

Why not shred it Brute?

Ken

 

[Brute 23]

Why not shred it Brute?

Ken

It will leave the old grass every where and could hurt growth next season. At that point a person might as well leave it standing and save the money.

 

[ClinchValley86]

I'd cut it and Ted it wide as possible.

 

[wbvs58]

It will leave the old grass every where and could hurt growth next season. At that point a person might as well leave it standing and save the money.

The purpose of a flail type mulcher is to chop it into lengths 75-100mm and to disperse it evenly across the width of the mower in contrast to the thick thatch of the windrow from a bush hog.

Ken

 

[ClinchValley86]

The purpose of a flail type mulcher is to chop it into lengths 75-100mm and to disperse it evenly across the width of the mower in contrast to the thick thatch of the windrow from a bush hog.

Ken

that'd be the most ideal approach. However those things aren't cheap, right? Ive never seen one in use but would love to own one.

 

[Brute 23]

The purpose of a flail type mulcher is to chop it into lengths 75-100mm and to disperse it evenly across the width of the mower in contrast to the thick thatch of the windrow from a bush hog.

Ken

I got ya. Ya that would probably work but I don't think they will be common in his area. I live and hour, maybe and hour and a half south of there and I've never seen one before.

Literally yesterday it was 80 degrees and and looked like spring. All our grasses were still growing. You could have cut hay last week but he was probably getting a ton of rain since Xmas. It's 33 this morning but it will likely be short lived.

Next month it's time to put fert down again and it's not uncommon to cut in April or May. I honestly don't think paying the money to put any equipment across it at this point is worth it. It will green back out and what doesn't will decompose on it own. The first cutting may not be perfect, but it's bahia any ways, so..

 

[Stonewall Joe]

that'd be the most ideal approach. However those things aren't cheap, right? Ive never seen one in use but would love to own one.

there's usually one at a richie bros auction, we have one I bout off ebay long agao, it originally went on a boom mower so it's only 5' wide has a hydraulic motor, we adapted it to a skid steer hook up and it is great, kind of small for mowing big acreage though. I think I gave 3 or 400 for it. I saw a 12' one a couple of weeks ago on there but it was too far away. It was pto drive They do chop stuff up pretty well

 

[Brute 23]

I have done this and would do it in this situation also. I will let some one cut it and take the hay for free if I want it out that bad before I will spend one dime doing any thing. No matter how much hay is in the area some one will always cut it for free.

Buying equipment or burning diesel for a one off accident is exactly how you lose money in this business. Talk about compounding a problem.

 

[smalltimer]

I got ya. Ya that would probably work but I don't think they will be common in his area. I live and hour, maybe and hour and a half south of there and I've never seen one before.

Literally yesterday it was 80 degrees and and looked like spring. All our grasses were still growing. You could have cut hay last week but he was probably getting a ton of rain since Xmas. It's 33 this morning but it will likely be short lived.

Next month it's time to put fert down again and it's not uncommon to cut in April or May. I honestly don't think paying the money to put any equipment across it at this point is worth it. It will green back out and what doesn't will decompose on it own. The first cutting may not be perfect, but it's bahia any ways, so..

thanks everyone for your thoughts. I'm leaning towards taking this advice from Brute. January/February are usually pretty wet for us so I probably would have a hard time getting in there anyways.

The reasons it never got cut are manyfold, but primarily I have had a good friend cut it for 15-20 years. He had a stroke over the summer and I told his son he could do it, trying to help the family out with cashflow. To call the son less than reliable would be an understatement.

 

[Rafter S]

thanks everyone for your thoughts. I'm leaning towards taking this advice from Brute. January/February are usually pretty wet for us so I probably would have a hard time getting in there anyways.

The reasons it never got cut are manyfold, but primarily I have had a good friend cut it for 15-20 years. He had a stroke over the summer and I told his son he could do it, trying to help the family out with cashflow. To call the son less than reliable would be an understatement.

I'm late to the party, but I would also just leave it.