How many hay cuttings per year

Hay tends to grow best in soils that are high in organic matter and contain adequate amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The latter can be achieved by either planting nitrogen-enriching legumes alongside grasses or by rotating seasons that each is planted. The timing and number of cuttings. The amount of hay produced at each cutting can vary dependent upon weather conditions, plant stage when cut, and species planted.

The best yield calculations involve finding an average yield of many cuttings over several seasons. Please keep in mind that comments are moderated according to our comment policy.

Toll-Free Sunday, November 14, Western Pa. Co-ops that once brought electricity to rural Ohio work to offer…. Public hearing set for Hancock Co. Stay safe against hepatitis A outbreak. Home Columns How often should you cut alfalfa? Columns Dairy Excel. Share on Facebook. Farm and Dairy file photo. Sign Up. How to conduct a leaf chromatography experiment at home. Does Daylight Saving Time make sense?

Based on past history of the corn for ethanol phase and before that the poplars for papermills craze and now the plant-hazelnuts-everywhere looming debacle I think it will last about five years. You do not want to feed any animal — no, not even cows or goats — the chemicals that are in those leavings. Excellent information and descriptions. I grew up being told 2nd cutting was the best. When stand density and vigor deteriorates and yield begins to fall away, rotating the field through a corn crop to capture nitrogen may be the best solution.

Maintaining highly productive stands for just 3 years may be the realistic goal for many farmers. For others longer stand duration may lessen the frequency of stone picking. When considering the last harvest of the season, if the decision is to maintain the alfalfa for another year, then a longer stubble needs to be left to collect protecting snow especially if no further growth is expected. Often the amount of forage available to be harvested after a killing frost may be hardly worth collecting.

Stephen J. Herbert Dept. Agricultural Experiment Station. Commercial Horticulture. Environmental Conservation. Soil and Plant Nutrient Testing Laboratory. North American Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative. Crops, Dairy, Livestock and Equine.

Greenhouse Crops and Floriculture. Pesticide Education.