To be catagorised as prime lucerne hay, among other things, a bale should contain >90% lucerne. Cheaper lines of hay are often so because they contain 10% or more of plants other than lucerne.
The purpose of this article is to give a brief overview of what some of these plants are likely to be. Lucerne, being a perennial plant, generally lasts for 3-5 years after planting. During that time it is not uncommon for plants other than lucerne to appear in a lucerne paddock.
The purpose of this article is to give a brief overview of what some of these plants are likely to be. Lucerne, being a perennial plant, generally lasts for 3-5 years after planting. During that time it is not uncommon for plants other than lucerne to appear in a lucerne paddock.
These fall into two broad categories: winter herbage and summer grasses.
Winter herbage includes a range of plants that come up in fresh cultivation, so occur mainly in the year that the lucerne is first planted especially in the first spring cut. They include:
Wild turnip and radish (members of the brassica family along with radish, broccoli, etc), which show up as thick strong stalks with no leaves, or as young plants that smell a bit like broccoli.
Milk thistle – a common garden weed in winter/spring well liked by chooks and horses. Despite the name, it isn’t prickly.
Carrot weed - a small fine green leafy plant that will smell like carrot tops in fresh hay but lose its smell once it becomes shedded.
Chickory – which appears as a hard woody skeleton of a plant with swollen nodes, that’s left behind after the rest of the hay has been eaten.
Cobblers pegs- also known as “farmer’s friends” though I refuse to call them that because they’re no friend of mine. When seeding will give hours of fun picking the seeds out of your socks and trouser legs.
Scotch Thistle– which if present in a bale of hay will find your middle finger tip the first time you touch the hay. While not dangerous, this one is prickly.
one of the above plants are hazardous, but some (particulary if old and woody) may be left behind and not eaten with the rest of the hay. Some may give a different smell to the hay which may be off-putting.
Summer grasses grow up between the lucerne plants if given enough room so become more prolific as the lucerne stand ages and thins out. They thrive in hot humid weather.
The most common are:
Urochloa – a soft, very palatable grass that makes good grassy hay. It can be itchy when handling so is definitely not the sort of hay in which to romp.
Swamp pannicum/barnyard millet – another soft, fine palatable grass that produces a millet like seed. Both this and urochloa seed in autumn. Mice love the seed so long term storage of hay in seed can be a problem.
Rhodes grass – while not an annual grass it commonly works its way into a lucerne stand over the years and is often the one that will take over in the end. When cut regularly it makes an excellent grassy hay.
Hay containing the above grasses are well sought after.
Two things to avoid from summer/autumn hay are:
In summary becoming familiar with which of the above works for you and which to avoid, should make future hay purchases trouble free.
Winter herbage includes a range of plants that come up in fresh cultivation, so occur mainly in the year that the lucerne is first planted especially in the first spring cut. They include:
Wild turnip and radish (members of the brassica family along with radish, broccoli, etc), which show up as thick strong stalks with no leaves, or as young plants that smell a bit like broccoli.
Milk thistle – a common garden weed in winter/spring well liked by chooks and horses. Despite the name, it isn’t prickly.
Carrot weed - a small fine green leafy plant that will smell like carrot tops in fresh hay but lose its smell once it becomes shedded.
Chickory – which appears as a hard woody skeleton of a plant with swollen nodes, that’s left behind after the rest of the hay has been eaten.
Cobblers pegs- also known as “farmer’s friends” though I refuse to call them that because they’re no friend of mine. When seeding will give hours of fun picking the seeds out of your socks and trouser legs.
Scotch Thistle– which if present in a bale of hay will find your middle finger tip the first time you touch the hay. While not dangerous, this one is prickly.
one of the above plants are hazardous, but some (particulary if old and woody) may be left behind and not eaten with the rest of the hay. Some may give a different smell to the hay which may be off-putting.
Summer grasses grow up between the lucerne plants if given enough room so become more prolific as the lucerne stand ages and thins out. They thrive in hot humid weather.
The most common are:
Urochloa – a soft, very palatable grass that makes good grassy hay. It can be itchy when handling so is definitely not the sort of hay in which to romp.
Swamp pannicum/barnyard millet – another soft, fine palatable grass that produces a millet like seed. Both this and urochloa seed in autumn. Mice love the seed so long term storage of hay in seed can be a problem.
Rhodes grass – while not an annual grass it commonly works its way into a lucerne stand over the years and is often the one that will take over in the end. When cut regularly it makes an excellent grassy hay.
Hay containing the above grasses are well sought after.
Two things to avoid from summer/autumn hay are:
- Fluffy top rhodes seed which occurs in late autumn with a finer seed head than most rhodes grasses. It will identify itself by sticking to your pants legs and burrowing in needing to be pulled out. In large numbers it has been known to cause mouth ulcers in horses; probably due to the seed getting stuck up under the lips and causing irritation.
- Khaki weed, a low growing plant that produces a mass of very sharp prickles. These are at their worst in the peak of summer. Hay containing this is probably the major type to avoid and if discovered is removed from sale.
In summary becoming familiar with which of the above works for you and which to avoid, should make future hay purchases trouble free.
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