Growing Alfalfa Successfully

Warren C. Thompson National Forage Specialist: America’s Alfalfa

Eleven Tips to Establish and Use a Successful Alfalfa Planting 

• Plant on well-drained soils.
  If you have it, brown or brownish red soils are good signs you are on the right track. Hardpan or soggy soil is no place for alfalfa.
  
  
• The soil pH must be 6.2 or above at seeding.
  A lower pH soil test just ahead of intended seeding needs to be treated for next year’s seeding plans: To amend a low pH takes 6-12 months.  
  
  
• Elevate P and K, (phosphate and potash) to soil test recommendations. 
  
  
• Do not bury the seed.
  Usually, ¼ to ½ inch depth is right on most soils. Can be up to ¾ inch depth on sandy soils.
  
  
• A firm seedbed helps to place the seed at the correct depth and holds moisture for more uniform early plant growth.
  (You can’t beat a cultipaker).
  
  
• Seeding Time:
  Spring: As soon as the frost is out of the ground
  Fall: At least 6 weeks ahead of the historic freeze date.
  
  
• Seeding Rate:
  15-20 pounds per acre nationwide but generally 20-30% higher in the South and far West.
  
  
• Variety selection:
  Study the technology brochure that is available to you that is free for the asking. If you are planning to graze, be sure to use a variety that is verified to be grazing tolerant. Nearly all of the Americas Alfalfa varieties are developed under intensive grazing conditions. Mechanical traffic and manure resistance has been added to varieties in recent years. Five of our more famous and successful varieties for most of the USA are: AmeriStand 403T, AmeriGraze 401+Z, Alfagraze. In the South there are AmeriGraze 702 (south east) and AmeriGraze 701 (south west) and AmeriGraze 201+Z (north).
  
  
• Seeding with a companion (nurse) crop?
  Only when erosion hazard is great without it and when you feel you need the cover to help control early weed invasion.
  
  
• Seeding No-till?
  Study our no-till brochure that is free for the asking. No-till is a great way to save soil and time in seedbed preparation and to get excellent stands when the ‘prescription’ is followed; no shortcuts allowed!
  
  
• Harvest first crop, first year at early to mid-bloom.
  Mechanical harvests can follow at 30-35 day intervals. Second and subsequent years, the harvest intervals can be reduced 2 to 5 days to increase quality depending on moisture and soil fertility. A same schedule is a good guide when grazing. Be warned however, even though many of the newer varieties will survive with more frequent harvests, (including grazing) shorter recovery periods result in lower yields while gaining quality.

Note: The above listing of tips is about as simple as it gets!

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