Harvest Schedules for Alfalfa

As a general guidline, all perennial forages should be harvested at early stages of maturity when both palatability and nutrient content are high. For alfalfa, the neutral detergent fiber (NDF) value should be approximately 40 percent. This occurs at a late bud stage for the spring harvest of alfalfa. Early harvest also allows time for regrowth and subsequent harvests during the growing season.

Alfalfa can be harvested two to four times a year in New York, depending on the growing season and soil type. Alfalfa stands will persist longer if there is a forty- to forty-five-day interval between harvests. All studies comparing various harvest schedules indicate that four harvests per year decrease the long-term persistence of stands compared to three harvests per year. Frequent harvests, with a shorter interval between, may be more advantageous in short rotations, where stands of alfalfa are only kept down for two to three years.

The last harvest of alfalfa can be made anytime during late summer or early fall under the following conditions:

The alfalfa is vigorous, disease-free, and grown on a well-drained, fertile soil.
There is a rest period of six to seven weeks between the last two cuts.
The first cut the following spring is not harvested unusually early.

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