Planting Instructions

When to Plant
  • Spring Planting: Plant between February 20th and April 10th.
  • Fall Planting: Plant between August 8th and September 2nd.
  • Important: Avoid planting if hot, dry weather is expected for at least 10 days. Seedlings require consistent moisture.

Preparing Your Field

  • Disking, Dragging, and Compacting: Create a firm, even seedbed by disking, dragging, and compacting the field.
  • Seed Depth: Set your no-till drill to a planting depth of 1/8 to 1/4 inch.
  • Seeding Rate: Apply 25 pounds of seed per acre while traveling at 10 mph.
  • Seed-to-Soil Contact: Compact the field after planting to ensure good seed-to-
  • soil contact.
  • Irrigation: If irrigating, water every other day until plants reach 6 inches. Reduce watering to once every two days or stop if rainfall is sufficient.

Harvesting Your Crop

  • First Cutting (Hay Harvest):
    • Wait until the forage is at least 18 inches tall.
    • Set swather knives to a 4-inch cutting height to protect the crown.
    • Use a swather with a crimping head and slow down for thick forage.
    • Turn the hay after two days.
    • Bale the hay when moisture content reaches 12-16%. Loose bales are acceptable.
    • Vermeer and New Holland balers are recommended.
  • Interseeding:
    • Plant while the existing stand is short, especially for warm-season grasses.
    • Plant at a quarter-inch depth with a seeding rate of 35 pounds per acre.
    • Avoid planting during hot, dry periods (10-14 days).
    • Consider a crisscross pattern (east-west, then north-south) for even distribution.
  • Harvesting Interseeded Crop:
    • Swather knives are set to a four-inch cutting height.
    • Forage should be at least 18 inches tall before cutting.
    • Use a swather equipped with a crimping head and operate at a slow speed due to thicker forage.
    • Turn the hay two days after cutting.
    • Bale the hay when the moisture content reaches 12-16%. Loose bales are acceptable.
    • Vermeer and New Holland balers are recommended for this task.

Additional Tips:

  • Proper field preparation is essential for successful planting.
  • Consistent moisture is crucial for seedling establishment.
  • Timely harvesting is important for maximizing yield and quality.
  • Consider using a crimping head on your swather to improve hay quality.

Note: Local conditions and specific crop varieties may influence planting and harvesting
practices.