More on alfalfa injury The snowstorm on Feb. 2 protected alfalfa fields in Meeker County from severe winter injury. The injury is much worse farther south and north where many fields will need work. Nearly all fields I have seen that were cut last fall, leaving little stubble, have varying degrees of injury. Even old stands came through quite well, as long as a fourth cutting was not taken. An easy way of determining if the field should or should not be saved is to count the number of stems per square foot. Fields should have a minimum of 40 stems per square foot. This will vary greatly in fields due to soil fertility, exposure and root rot in wet soils. Alfalfa can be replanted in the same field if the field was planted last spring. Stands older than this create toxins in the soil that kill young seedlings or stunt their growth. CRP sign-up Landowners have an opportunity to sign-up land into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) through Friday, May 30. I use opportunity because it has been several years since the last program. Sign-up will be conducted on a competitive basis. Bids will be evaluated on environmental benefits, water quality, wildlife and soil erosion. This is one of the more successful conservation programs that the USDA has developed. The program certainly has benefited wildlife and reduced erosion rates. Associations, corporations, estates and trusts are eligible as well as individual landowners. Gary Hachfeld, Regional Extension Educator in Nicollet County, put together a nine-page summary for anyone looking for assistance. Call our office at (320) 693-5275 for a copy. Check grain in storage A higher percentage of our corn and soybeans went into storage last fall, a point or two wetter than normal. Be sure to aerate grain now and monitor bins weekly during the growing season. Bins should be aerated long enough so all grain has reached a uniform temperature of 40-50 degrees. Grain markets have been strong this spring, so be sure to take advantage of not only marketing the 2002 crop but some of the 2003 crop as well. New crop soybean prices have been well over the loan rate. Sodding or seeding a new lawn It seems to me that more sod is being used now than in previous years. New homeowners want a nice, lush, green lawn instantly, and sod can provide this. Seeding a lawn can save homeowners money, but takes months to get an entire lawn established. If the area is sloped, I strongly recommend using sod. I recently talked to a homeowner who seeded their lawn last summer only to have the grass seed wash off the yard during a heavy thunderstorm. Their yard now consists of weeds. Be forewarned that sod on sloped land can move, so it’s a good idea to stake it down until it develops a good root system. Whether the lawn is seeded or sodded, be sure to water regularly for two or three weeks. Grass seed is small so it needs to be kept near the soil surface and the soil should be kept damp to improve germination. Sod has a very limited root system and needs to be watered well until firmly rooted into the soil. For families that have a mom and/or a dad on the go, sodding may be preferred over seeding, especially if the lawn area is sloped. If possible, try to avoid sodding during July and early August when temperatures are hot. Lawn establishment is much less work if done in spring or fall.
