Food Plots alfalfa

[bassinbrian]

does any plant alfalfa anymore? Deer here stay in the local pastures where alfalfa is grown. Is it because its hard to maintain or expensive to grow? Im putting in plots next year and would like the best plots for my money. I 2acre plot 1 1acre plot and a 1/2 acre plot. Would alfalfa be a waste of my time and money?

 

[eastTN270]

Interested in this also. My wife's uncle has an alfalfa field and I see deer in it many times when I drive by.

 

[Boll Weevil]

Google "alfalfa in tn" and you'll find numerous articles about this crop in our state and the south. I researched the prospect of planting alfalfa but decided against it primarily because it requires quite alot of maintenance to sustain a great stand. Seems it's pretty picky about soil and really likes to be mowed, baled, or grazed.

When it comes to wildlife plantings, managing longterm maintenance and cost are major considerations for me. Alfalfa is high cost and high maintenance.

 

[Jmed]

Its easy to get it to come up, but I have had trouble getting it to come back the following year. My deer love it. Plan on dumping a ton of lime if your ph is elevated. It likes 7.0

 

[blountcountyboy]

Better have the PH right on the ground or your wasting your money and alfalfa seed isn't cheap. 50# is around $200 and that will do 2 (ish) acres. It needs to be cut and the fodder removed or what's under the clumps will mildew and die back. Just my experience.

 

[bbuck14]

I planted 7 acres awhile back and it came up good and the deer loved it. Problem I had was it was on CRP ground and I couldn't bale it. It grows fast in the Spring. I had to bush hog it and the clippings would lay on top of the existing Alfalfa and that wasn't good. I had a neighbor that planted it for hay and got right at 10 yrs out of it. I only got really 3 decent years out of mine. Make sure your ph is close to 7. I didn't have a lot of maintance with mine besides occasionally bush hogging it and watching for I think they were called army beetles. If you spot damage from them spray immediately. I'd recommend planting it in the Fall around Sept. 1st. Alfalfa has a deep root and it'll get established better in the Fall then in the Spring and it'll take the drought better then having a deeper root system on it.Other then that if you can bale it you'll get several years out of it.