how about planting alfalfa?

[bigbore]

With the thread going on clover right now, it has brought up an issue I am facing. I have some bees on a field that the farmer doesn't mow for hay untill late about second cutting time around here. I want to increase the quality of forage in the field, (now mainly thistle and milkweed) by adding some alfalfa to it. He doesn't mind, but doesn't want the sod disturbed. can I just broadcast seed some of it, and if so when should I do it?

[TWall]

You can try frost planting in late winter.

http://www.covercrops.msu.edu/pdf_files/covercrop.pdf

Tom

[bigbore]

OK Thanks TWall

[Dave Burrup]

Your success will depend on the type of grass competion you have. If it is a dense sod type like Blue Grass or Smooth Brome you might not see any alfalfa make it. I have been doing this myself the past couple of years. What I have done is burn the field then run over it with a heavy harrow or a closed disk. Then frost seed. Next spring spray the young grass with a weak mix, 1/2 strength, of selective grass kill, Select, Poast, or Fusilade. These chemicals will thin the grass but not kill it, and hold it down to give the alfalfa a chance. Good Luck
Dave

[slickbrightspear]

broadcasting alfalfa does not usually work very well to much competition. also alfalfa likes soil near 7.0 ph you may need to lime the feild to get any of it to come up. I broadcast some on one of my pastures just to see what would happen and the only place that any of it came up was around the barn in the gravel where the soil was not to acid.