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By RAPOWINGS
VP! Extension Agent
MAKE HAY WHILE THE SUN SHINES
As much as two-thirds of the season’s hay yield is often produced by the spring growth. In order to take full advantage of the potential of the hay crop, it is extremely important to harvest the spring grpwth on time.
Orchardgrass, tall fescue, and timothy are the primary grasses grown for hay in Rappahannock. Each of these is a cool season perennial plant that heads out in late spring. Once the seed head emerges and the seed stalk appears, the plant has made most of the growth that it will make until it is cut off and new tillers can develop. The best compromise between high yields and high quality for the first cutting of grass hay is to harvest when the grasses are beginning to show heads.
When grasses and legumes are growing together and at least Vi the stand is legume, harvest for hay when the legume is ready. The spring cutting of Alfalfa should be made when Alfalfa is in the bud stage. Later cuttings should be made when flowers begin to show. Red clover should be harvested at the V* bloom stage.
Just as with grasses^ yields are near maximum when the legumes begin to flower. Beyond that point, quality begins to drop as the stem becomes tough and woody and the lower leaves begin to fall.
Early harvesting in the spring also allows regrowth to start while soil moisture is still available and before hot summer weather.
Of course, as Wade Massie says, “you can’t make hay till the weather’s right.” Some years we have excellent hay making weather conditions in mid-May and other year’s we don’t. TENT CATERPILLAR- First
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