Page 18—Foraging Around, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 11, 1998
LATE SUMMER ALFALFA
SEEDING TIME IS NEAR
Warren C. Thompson
National Forage Specialist
AgriPro Seeds Inc.
Heavy rains and cooler-than
normal temperatures throughout most
of the Northeast (and the nation as a
whole) has caused many farmers to
miss or greatly reduce their spring al
falfa seedings this year.
Seedings can be quite successful
when made in the late summer and
early fall. Problems is seeding this
time of year hinge on getting the
ground ready and the seed in the
ground early to grow sufficiently to
counter harsh weather and possible
disease invasions.
Is there an accepted prescription for
success at this season? I doubt it
depends on who’s talking. But there
are some practices that successful
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farmers have been using for years that
help.
1. Seed early. Alfalfa needs six to
eight weeks of growing time before a
hard freeze. This gives the plants time
to grow and get robust enough to with
stand ravages of winter and normally
resist invasion of slow growth and
week plant related diseases, especially
sclerotinia crown and stem rot. Then
the following spring/early summer,
harvests will expect to be much more
abundant and ready to harvest in the
desired stages of maturity for high
quality hay, silage, and grazing. Seed
ings made later than the above win
dow should be delayed until next
spring. Should the ground be prepared
and ready for seeding and the moisture
is not present, thus delaying seeding,
an option is to seed winter wheat at 75
percent of normal rate for winter cov
er. Then in the spring, no-till seed the
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alfalfa into the wheat following the
no-till prescription found at your
county extension office.
2. Before even planning a seeding
date test the soil and apply the
needed lime and fertilizers recom
mended. The ideal pH for alfalfa is 6.5
to 7.5. If the pH is lower than this but
not lower than 6.2, you might want to
consider using 500 to 1,000 pounds of
finely ground or hydrated lime lightly
worked into the soil ahead of seeding
to “hold the seeding” until the recom
mended rates of ag lime has time to al
ter the pH to the desired level.
3. If you ar making a seeding “from
scratch,” prepare a clean, well-firmed
seedbed that will retain moisture and
help you prevent burying the seed. By
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the way, seed depth should be no more
than eight times the thickness of the
seed That means /* to 'A inch is the
ideal depth for this region. Of course,
it is not necessary to remind folks in
Pennsylvania and surrounding states
that contour seedings help prevent
erosipn. Nurse crops usually interfere
with abundant alfalfa growth and uni
form stands. But is often necessary to
help prevent excessive runoff and
sheet erosion. Just keep the seeding
rate reasonable to avoid choking or
smothering the alfalfa. In the spring,
why not remove the small grain (pre
ferably winter wheat) for silage early
to reduce as much late competition as
possible on the alfalfa?
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