FALL FERTILIZER NOURISHES ALFALFA AND HAY FIELDS

“September is the month to take care of your alfalfa and hay fields,” said Craig Loen, Federated agronomist at the Osceola location. “It prepares them for the long harsh winter.”

Nourishing the high-value alfalfa and hay fields can help produce high feed quality and better yields throughout the year. These crops consume nutrients in large quantities, Loen noted.

Determine nutrient needs with a current soil sample. (“It takes about one week to get results back from the lab,” said Loen.) However, if test results you already have in hand are less than two or three years old, you can work with those.

A mid-season fertilizer application followed by one in mid-September helps plants:

• - produce at peak efficiency,
• - build a health stand, and
• - improve stand longevity.

Fall applications are critical for plant roots and crowns, giving them time to take up the nutrients to survive the winter.

Talk to your local Federated Agronomist to determine your nutrient needs for alfalfa and hay stands this fall to get the most from those fields next season!