Table of Contents
What month is hay harvested?
From the month of May to late summer and early fall, hay baling is on the minds of many farmers.
Is hay planted every year?
Some fields are always used to grow hay, and don’t require re-planting every year. In other cases, hay is a part of a crop rotation, where farmers plant different crops on the same field in different years. Hayseed can be a mixture of many types of seeds, with alfalfa, clover, and timothy being among the most common.
How long does it take for hay to grow?
Second Cutting: Depending upon the temperatures of the days and nights, it typically takes 40-45 days for regrowth of alfalfa, mix hay, and orchard-grass , and 55- 60 days for regrowth of timothy.
How often do farmers cut hay?
The first cutting in the spring should be when grass has greened up and reached 12 – 16 inches tall. This should clean up all the old growth of winter weeds and such. Then each subsequent cutting is at 3.5 to 5 week intervals. This is dependent on fertilizer and moisture.
What cutting is best for hay?
second cutting
The most common choice of hay is second cutting, but first cutting is also good for horses, plus it is usually cheaper than the other two. Choose hay that is soft, green, and leafy, with thin stems, so it is easier for horses to eat.
How many times do you harvest hay?
In most areas of the country, grass hay can be cut twice, sometimes three times, per year. The first cutting generally has the largest yield.
How do you maintain a hay field?
Other landowners just want to maintain the fields with desirable grasses and open spaces….Steps to renovate an old hayfield:
- Assess the condition of the field, your goals and your resources.
- Get a soil test.
- Mow field with a rotary mower.
- Lime and fertilize.
- Remove rocks and stumps.
- Till (if necessary) and seed.
How many bales of hay can you get from an acre?
With an average bale weight of around 40 pounds (with our Abbriata small square baler or any of our mini round balers), that’s 100 bales to the acre for a first cutting.