Alfalfa monoculture next year Z4

[sandbur]

View attachment 91978
'This is the last soil test I had done. How much gypsum per acre to grow alfalfa?? I do not understand the Calcium / Magnesium relationship.

I am happy to let my dairyman/ renter and his soil consultant worry about those things. They monitor for insect pressure and many other things.

 

[Foggy47]

Bump. I'm hoping someone (SD?) can explain the relationship of calcium to magnesium, and also tell me a decent rate to apply to an acre? (Art covered me up with his post.....grrrrr. grin)

 

[homerj]

^^^
@SD51555

 

[Foggy47]

So I Made a trip to Menards today. I bought some pell lime and gypsum (which contains a high amount of sulfur <---huge to me!). I planning to plant two 1/2 acre plots with alfalfa pretty soon.....and put down the equivalent of 2400 lbs / acre of both gypsum and pell lime on these two plots. It's got pretty good clover on it now....but I will nuke this soon after the rain events this week are past. Then wait a bit for soils to wam and drill the alfalfa and some chicory into these plots. I want a nearly clover-free situation to start these to plots.

The prices at MENARDS are fantastic on these commodities and on 41% Glyphosate too! See pics of prices paid (and you get 11% refund).

But I also plan do drill more alfalfa (and chicory) into existing clover plots to evaluate if I can get some alfalfa established in my clover plots. If so, I will do more. I have my doubts....thus the tests year.

The whole point of this exercise is to find a good forage crop that will last into November and MN's rifle season. Sometimes? clover will make it ....but more often NOT. It really diminishes with the first freezing weather.....and typically is pretty sparse and dormant by our rifle season. The alfalfa will get me there....I hope.

Got the Gypsum and the lime down this afternoon....and it's gonna rain for a day or two. Good timing. I put my tractor and the cone spreader outside of the she tonight. 'they both need a good bath.....and I dont have my water hooked up yet. Rain Baby Rain.

Stay tuned.

 

[Maddog66]

I’m terrible at searching… but my memory is telling me SD either wrote or forwarded great info on the relationship of Ca/mg awhile back.

Can anyone find that? Honestly I’d like to read that again myself.

 

[SD51555]

View attachment 91978
'This is the last soil test I had done. How much gypsum per acre to grow alfalfa?? I do not understand the Calcium / Magnesium relationship.

You want high calcium base saturation in soil usually. You have about the lightest soil I’ve ever seen, and you’re already at 75% Calcium base saturation (don’t want to go past 85%). Your calcium numbers will move quickly with any amendments.

I’d do 80 lbs/ac and put it on June 1st each year. If you’re doing any liming, make sure it’s dolomitic.


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[Foggy47]

You want high calcium base saturation in soil usually. You have about the lightest soil I’ve ever seen, and you’re already at 75% Calcium base saturation (don’t want to go past 85%). Your calcium numbers will move quickly with any amendments.

I’d do 80 lbs/ac and put it on June 1st each year. If you’re doing any liming, make sure it’s dolomitic.


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Just before the rains came......I wanted to amend two plots of about 1/2 acre each. I put down the equivalent of 240 lbs / acre of pell lime and 240 lbs / acre of gypsum.with a good sulfur content. (Menards)

In the past....when I limed.....I bought dolomitic lime out of a quarry in Mpls. <----that was highly productive. I'd like to get another load of that at some point.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

SD -

Dolomitic ups the magnesium levels?

 

[SD51555]

SD -

Dolomitic ups the magnesium levels?

Yes. Dolomitic lime is roughly 2 parts calcium to 1 part magnesium. It can vary some by source, but the big idea is it will lower your calcium to magnesium ratio. Good for sandy soils if you have room or a need to raise pH.


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