Dale Dewing, Watershed Team Leader, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County, Watershed Agricultural Program
On your mark, Get set, MOW!!
It’s been a great week for hay growth. Grass jumped an average of 6 inches while alfalfa put on about 5 inches. We didn’t see many headed grasses, but stem elongation has started, so it won’t be long. We recommend beginning harvest of core acre fields, starting as soon as possible with grass fields, followed quickly by mixed stands and moving on to high percentage legume stands.
The table below has the details for each sample location. NDF is the best predictor of forage quality and we recommend grasses be harvested starting about 50% NDF and alfalfa about 40% NDF, with mixed stands between 40 and 50 based on the alfalfa content.
We have also updated the Google map of our sampling sites with this week’s results. Check it out.
To view or print a pdf of the complete report click here.
We will sample un-harvested fields again on May 21 and send results on or about May 23.
Remember, grass hay cut mid-May regrows aggressively; fields you cut this week will be ready to harvest in 30 days and will yield nearly as well as first cut. Grass fields that do not receive much manure will benefit from 50 lbs/ac of nitrogen shortly after harvest. If you’re a little short on forage this year, this may be a good opportunity expand your inventory.
