Clover vs Alfalfa

[Bowsnbucks]

From all I've read, alfalfa is a plot you want to establish in a good spot / good ground and keep it going for some years. Is that a fair picture for a plan ?? We planted alfalfa last spring in a sunny field, on high ground that drains well, and the soil is crumbly and easily worked. It has Starfire red clover planted in with it. How long should this plot last ?? ( I mentioned this plot in post #11 ).

For alfalfa veterans - are we OK with this plot & it's location ?? My camp is new to alfalfa. We're more versed in clover, WR, WW, chicory, & brassicas. Thanks for any opinions.

 

[John-W-WI]

For alfalfa veterans - are we OK with this plot & it's location ??

I'm no expert, but that sounds ideal.

After I do some soil building on the high side of one of my fields (lighter soil) I'm going to try alfalfa. I hope it's massive root system will do better on the higher and dryer part of the field than clover does. We'll see, I'm a season or two away from giving it another try. Gotta build the OM up first.

-John

 

[swat1018]

pH needs to be in the high 6s for best results and fertilize to recommendations. Definitely doesn't like wet feet.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

pH needs to be in the high 6s for best results and fertilize to recommendations. Definitely doesn't like wet feet.

Well good thing I got the lime man scheduled... Now i just need to deal with that wet spot in the center of the plot.. Need to cut a ditch i guess

 

[swat1018]

Well good thing I got the lime man scheduled... Now i just need to deal with that wet spot in the center of the plot.. Need to cut a ditch i guess

Just throw some Alsike in the wet spot, a little variety never hurts.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

frost seeded clover/alfalfa mix starting to take off. Now leave WW to go to seed or mow?

 

[Bill]

Jordan,
That looks great. Based on the second pic the WW isn't going to shade anything out.
Clover likes a bit of shade anyway.

I'd leave it go and mow later if the broadleaf starts coming on.

 

[JFK52]

I rent out a 12 acre to a local farmer friend who has it planted in alfalfa. It is in Portage county WI so it is definitely sandy soil. The farmer takes care of the field by baling it and spreading X amount of pounds of potash after every cutting. It is one of the best decisions I made. It provides early food for the deer in the spring and goes until a hard killing frost in the fall. Deer use it extensively. It is close to my RR corn and soy beans that are left as overwinter food for the deer. The alfalfa field was put into RR soy beans the year before it was seeded as a way of controlling weeds in the field.

 

[j-bird]

I'm a little late to this party but in my situation alfalfa simply hasn't been a significant part of my plotting. I have great soil for it and it does fine, but I simply don't have the deer numbers to make ample use of it and I tend to be surrounded by 100's of acres of soybeans for summer forage. I actually mixed it in with clovers for variety and I simply do t see the deer use it much on my place. Clovers are simpler to grow and to care for and cover a greater span of the year when at least in my area food sources are more limited.

 

[Barndog56]

I'm a big fan of alfalfa. Deer around me seem to prefer it over clover, and it does better during the dry part of the summer. Only advantage I see for clover is it lasts longer into the cold temps at the end of the year.

Here's a nice alfalfa field, in very sandy soil, on DNR public hunting grounds.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

I'm a big fan of alfalfa. Deer around me seem to prefer it over clover, and it does better during the dry part of the summer. Only advantage I see for clover is it lasts longer into the cold temps at the end of the year.

Here's a nice alfalfa field, in very sandy soil, on DNR public hunting grounds.

View attachment 13034

Wow thats beautiful!
Hard to believe that's on public land!

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

We have quite a bit of crops in my area on public ground. The farmers make no payment to rent it but at the end of the year have to leave 25% of the crop stand for the wildlife over winter. In some of the off the beaten path spots, It can be great for late season ML.

 

[sandbur]

We have quite a bit of crops in my area on public ground. The farmers make no payment to rent it but at the end of the year have to leave 25% of the crop stand for the wildlife over winter. In some of the off the beaten path spots, It can be great for late season ML.

There is an effort by the DNR to keep our WMA's in pollinator mixes. They also do not want the use of GMO's or the accompanying sprays on the wildlife lands. This is severely hurting some of our wildlife areas depending on the area manager and his attitudes.

 

[dogghr]

From all I've read, alfalfa is a plot you want to establish in a good spot / good ground and keep it going for some years. Is that a fair picture for a plan ?? We planted alfalfa last spring in a sunny field, on high ground that drains well, and the soil is crumbly and easily worked. It has Starfire red clover planted in with it. How long should this plot last ?? ( I mentioned this plot in post #11 ).

For alfalfa veterans - are we OK with this plot & it's location ?? My camp is new to alfalfa. We're more versed in clover, WR, WW, chicory, & brassicas. Thanks for any opinions.

Sounds perfect. As mentioned have ph 6.5+. Not sure why alfalfa is made by many to be such a hard thing to grow. I've got a non RR alfalfa/clover/chicory plot on a ridge top. Main purpose was to have more drought resistant plot on this south facing slope in heat of summer. Deer keep it grazed and I mow 2-3 times a year to control weeds. Mow about a foot tall and you won't have the smothering affect. I think that is more an issue with monoculture farmers crops. My plot is 5 yo and is one of the best choices ever made. I add a bag of 0-20-20 to mix in Boron/Borax per soil test each spring.
Deer browse alfalfa until first heavy couple freezes, then will back off as acorns fall then back on it from Dec thru end of winter. My exclusion cage I ckd today was 12in taller than the browse outside the cage.

 

[yoderjac]

Sounds perfect. As mentioned have ph 6.5+. Not sure why alfalfa is made by many to be such a hard thing to grow. I've got a non RR alfalfa/clover/chicory plot on a ridge top. Main purpose was to have more drought resistant plot on this south facing slope in heat of summer. Deer keep it grazed and I mow 2-3 times a year to control weeds. Mow about a foot tall and you won't have the smothering affect. I think that is more an issue with monoculture farmers crops. My plot is 5 yo and is one of the best choices ever made. I add a bag of 0-20-20 to mix in Boron/Borax per soil test each spring.
Deer browse alfalfa until first heavy couple freezes, then will back off as acorns fall then back on it from Dec thru end of winter. My exclusion cage I ckd today was 12in taller than the browse outside the cage.

It is not that it is particularly hard to grow. However, when compared to clover, the requirements for growing and maintaining it are greater and I'm not convinced the benefits are greater. It is certainly a crop that has a place in many programs, but it fills a similar niche to clover. I'm have not found the added trouble to be worth it for me.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Thanks for the input Dogghr. Our alfalfa plot location is on a south-facing, very gentle slope at the top of a high piece of ground. We seeded it last year with Starfire red clover and this spring it just jumped. It is very thick and lush, and both the alfalfa & clover appear to be doing very well. Like you said, our local ag supplier told us alfalfa likes boron. We'll try to keep a handle on the soil tests so that plot keeps flourishing. The alfalfa keeps growing when the summer heat stagnates the clover, so it's a good addition to our plots.

 

[j-bird]

I was told when I planted my alfalfa....it like well drained, drier soils, full sun and pretty good soil fertility. I was then told if my soil holds water, battles some shade and is of lower soil quality (ph level) then to stick with clovers. In the right spot alfalfa will thrive and do well, in others clover is simply a better choice. Clovers have been pushed by the plot industry because they are cheaper, more adaptable and easier to establish. Clover and alfalfa are like different tools....some do only a specific job and do it very well, while others are more general purpose and cover many more situations. Alfalfa is a box end wrench and clover is an adjustable wrench......both have their place in the tool box.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

J-bird - Agreed. ^^^^ Most of our plots are in some kind of clover, or clover mixed with chicory or a grain. We wanted to add some alfalfa to increase variety and to cover more bases.

 

[j-bird]

J-bird - Agreed. ^^^^ Most of our plots are in some kind of clover, or clover mixed with chicory or a grain. We wanted to add some alfalfa to increase variety and to cover more bases.

And it will do that.....you just have to use the right "tool" in the right place for the right job. When I was a kid my grandfather always said....."a toolbox full of tools isn't what makes you a mechanic/carpenter.....knowing how, when, where and why to use those tools is what makes you a mechanic/carpenter!"