Any suggestions? Experience? Our new farm has a 1+ acre straight alfalfa field and I want it gone. I’m surrounded by corn & soybeans so finding a farmer to till wouldn’t be a problem but the alfalfa is surrounded on 2 sides by lawn and grass pastures that will always be in use and I hesitate to spray due to proximity and health concerns. I’d like to make sure no alfalfa pops back up since I have plans for that space including a dry lot for my minis and the rest a possible obstacle course. Anyone?
Alfalfa has to constantly be reseeded to keep it dense. If you don’t want to spray I would mow it super short and then seed it with the grass mix you want to have. It may take a little while but without spraying that’s going to be the least invasive way to get rid of it. You could have it tilled up then seed but if it’s already the amount of level you are looking for it might make a bigger mess to cultivate it before seeding.
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You can try mechanical elimination using a rototiller or disk but you won’t get it all and will like have to do it more than once.
Or you can join the 21st Century and make one pass with RoundUp and it’s one and done!!! 
I understand a lot of people have difficulty with spraying chemicals but IMO those difficulties are the children of the “false news” that surrounds these products. When used IAW the label they present not demonstrable harm to humans, animals, or the environment.
Your land, your money, you choice. Choose wisely!
G.
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Agree around here Round up is the product of choice.
Just avoid spraying on a windy day. It dies pretty easily. My pasture was in alfalfa before I planted grass. The coop hit it with one pass. None of the trees next to it died. Worst thing I did–there was a huge hay shortage that year, and I could have sold that crop for a fortune!
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Thank you for the responses. I forgot to add we live in an area where the wind blows every.single.day. Today we are at 14 mph and that’s considered just a breeze in my neck of the woods!
Does the wind blow at night? Serious question. If you apply at night or maybe at dawn before the wind rises that might be the way to go.
G.
If you feel you have to be “green” about it. Deep tilling should take care of most if not all of it. Alfalfa has deep roots. But after tilling you will have the added expense and labor of floating and packing. Instead of just drilling seed if you plan on reseeding.
Spraying with industrial strength vinegar should/may work. Some research may give answers.
There are spray equipment set up and methods to apply in windy conditions. You live in an Ag area you neighbor farmer should know how to go about it. Speak to them. It’s only 1 acre which isn’t very big and could be done with an inexpensive 15 gallon spot sprayer. Which is easy to control the drift. Start in the middle until you get a good idea of the best way to go about it.
It should take about 2 quarts of Roundup and mixed according to instructions . The Alfalfa has to be growing or green.
“Alfalfa has to constantly be reseeded to keep it dense”
Maybe in your neck of the Alfalfa growing woods. But not in SE Pa. It also depends on management and growing climate.
I have seen the same said about Orchard/Timothy. But my pure stand was planted going on 14 years ago. Still growing strong with very good yield. It has thinned a bit and is not as “pure” as when first planted. But not enough to warrant the expensive of over seeding yet.
Which variety of OG, do you remember? There are some more hardy varieties, such as Persist, and others that don’t last as long in general.
If it’s Roundup Ready alfalfa the Roundup isn’t going to help much! :lol:
I’d try to mulch it to death with grass seed and mow mow mow.
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That’s crazy!! I know they reseed at least every couple years here some do it yearly. Maybe because it’s for dairy cows and they try to keep it as pure as possible?
FWIW, there are now plants that are resistant to the active ingredient (glycophospate) in RoundUp. Easy to say to use but there is a potential impact.
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So do a test spot if you are worried about Roundup ready. Or use 2-4-D. Alf is a broadleaf.
Maybe see id you can pay your neighbor a little to spray your fields, esp if he has a sprayer. While normally I am a DIY person, if I thought someone was going to be aggravated by drift, best way to prevent that is to have them do it. Yes, Machiavellian but I try to reduce neighbor issues when I can. 1 acre is not much.
http://hayandforage.com/article-309-to-kill-an-alfalfa-stand.html
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Truly, the most effective, most soil sustainable, most economical way to kill alfalfa, is to spray it.
I understand that you have concerns, but I suggest you visit your local farmer’s co-op and talk to an agronomist. They will be able to keep you get the right herbicide, surfactant, and drift control agent for your area. Be sure to tell them about any sensitive crops (i.e. gardens, trees) that may be in the area. They may even be able to come out and spray it for you - meaning they will have a licensed, tested applicator doing the work, which may help ease some of your concerns about the spraying in general. Be sure to ask about the re-entry and grazing restrictions (most herbicides I would use in this situation would have very short intervals).
In our area, I usually prescribe a tank mix of RoundUp or anther glyphosate (It’s not glyCOphosphate. Spelling is important in chemistry!) active ingredient product, and Status herbicide or another dicamba salt herbicide. Dicambas have a very thorough alfalfa kill.
By spraying, instead of working/tilling the soil, you can preserve the soil structure and greatly reduce erosion, by leaving the residue (the dead alfalfa) in place. You can then plant (drill) directly into the soil with great stability.
If you have any questions, let me know! This is my area of expertise!
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To my understanding, it’s a rare alfalfa these days that isn’t roundup ready.
You all do not like alfalfa? Can you throw some timothy with it for a nice mix?
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Lucerne doesn’t like to get its feet wet. If you can flood the field for over a week.
around here the best way is just try to grow it, that goes for anything you want, as it seems the greater you want to the thing survive the less likely it will
just advertise you have alfalfa for sell, then it surely will die
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LOL I was going to say the same thing. Plan to use it as pasture so you can reduce your hay expenses, and it will certainly die, as well.
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