I want to learn how to grow alfalfa?
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20 years ago alfalfa could only be grown on our sandiest, most well drained soils. It's native to desert places, like Iran and Iraq. But varieties that can resist the "wet foot disease" have been developed, and it's more common now. Still, it can be a hard crop to grow.
It takes most of a year to get established, but once estabilshed, a good stand will last 5 or 6 years. The tiny seeds need to be spread evenly over a field and covered with just a little dirt to keep them moist and dark. If it's more than half inch down, it won't have enough strength to push out.
It's frequently sown with a "nurse crop" of oats. The seeds are planted together. Alfalfa seedlings are weak and slow growing. The oats are a faster, cool season grass. It will grow vigorously tall in the early spring and will shade out weeds. Since alfalfa is growing very slowly in the spring, its light needs are not as demanding as those of weeds. So while the weeds are starved fro light and die, the alfalfa grows slowly up around the oat stalks.
Mid-summer, the oats are harvested, the alfalfa is spindly and anemic but alive and around 6 to 10 inches tall. Once the oat crop is off, the alfalfa responds to the hot summer sun and shoots into full full growth mode. Few weed seeds sprout in mid-summer. By the time they do sprout in fall or next spring, the alfalfa has a complete canopy of green leaves shading the field, and the the weed crop is again light-starved.
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Well back on the far we grew a lot of alfalfa (HAY) and it grows well in poor soil, grew OK in blue clay (all over Indiana) we had one field that was worthless soil, my great-Grandma had alfalfa there for about twenty five years - turned into excellent soil and contrary to what everybody tells me is so, we grew it without re-seeding, without re-planting alfalfa will self seed and will continue for a long time will grow nearly enywhere and if you want to be safe then use red clover cows loves horses too and it has the same nitrogen benefit as alfalfa
You will need to mow it then rake it prior to bailing
"Cat" about nailed it but to find the best 'new' varieties and 'new' nurse crops being used, contact your County Agent. He can also recommend the best soil prep, sowing and harvesting techniques and the equipment needed specific to your area. But, if your not trying to feed a herd of cattle, just a bunny or two, just throw some seed in an out of the way corner of your garden and give it "lots" of benign neglect. RScott
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