How to Grow Hay

Whether you need it for livestock or other uses, growing hay at home is a cheap and easy alternative to purchasing it in bulk. Depending on your preferences, you can use grass, alfalfa, or a mixture of both to make hay. Once you've grown your crop, all you have to do is cut, dry, and store your hay for use as needed. Given seven months and plenty of care, you're sure to have plenty of homegrown hay for your needs!

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Planting

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1
Use grass or alfalfa to grow hay. Typically, hay is made from either grass or alfalfa. Depending on your needs, plant grass, alfalfa, or a mixture of the 2 for use as hay after growing.^{[1]
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- Grass hay is generally more nutritious than alfalfa hay for livestock, but alfalfa has more fiber.^{[2]
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- If you choose grass hay, timothy grass is ideal for growing and harvesting hay.^{[3]
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Plant your grass or alfalfa in a nitrogen-rich soil. Hay grows best in soil with plenty of organic matter. Test the soil's nitrogen content with a home soil test kit and, if low, mix it with a nitrogen-rich compost.^{[4]
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- You can buy home soil test kits from some plant nurseries or agricultural supply stores.
- To make your compost nitrogen-rich, add coffee grounds, plant clippings, chicken droppings or aged manure, or bone meal.
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3
Till the ground with a rotary tiller. Turn on the tiller and push it through the dirt in a straight row. Work your way through the dirt in straight lines until you till the entire area.^{[5]
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- If you don't have a rotary tiller or are tilling a small area, you can loosen the dirt and smooth out any clumps with a shovel.
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Spread grass or alfalfa around the tilled dirt. Grab a handful of grass, alfalfa, or mixture seeds and spread them evenly along the tilled dirt. Rake the entire tilled area to work the seeds into the soil using light strokes.^{[6]
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- If you're growing grass, you can also plant grass plugs or [[lay sod instead.
- Water the seeds immediately after planting to help them adjust to their new environment.

Part 2

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Caring

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Water the grass or alfalfa daily. For the first 10 days after planting, water the grass or alfalfa 3 times a day for 10 minutes each time. After 10 days, you can decrease this number to just once a day for 20 minutes.^{[7]
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- After watering the grass or alfalfa, the soil should be moist but not waterlogged.
Hay grows best if it has plenty of nitrogen and organic matter. Purchase a nitrogen-rich liquid fertilizer and spray the plant and the soil, reapplying the fertilizer monthly to encourage growth.
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Spray the grass or alfalfa with a non-toxic pest repellent. Hay crops are prone to weevil, blister beetle, and other insect infestations. To keep insects from damaging your crop, spray your crop with a non-toxic insect repellent once a month or as you notice infestations.^{[8]
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- You can buy non-toxic pest repellents online or from some plant nurseries.
- Do not spray toxic repellents on the hay. Non-toxic is important, particularly if you plan to use the hay for livestock feed.
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Weed the soil regularly for a healthier crop. Weeds can steal moisture and soil nutrients from your grass or alfalfa. Inspect the soil every day for weeds and pull any as you notice them.^{[9]
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- Do not use herbicides on the weeds, as some may kill your hay as well.

Part 3

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Harvesting

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1
Harvest the grass or alfalfa before it flowers. The best time to harvest grass or alfalfa for hay is while it's green but not yet flowering. If you notice your crop beginning to flower, harvest the crop within several days if possible.
- Alfalfa usually flowers 7-8 months after planting. Plan on harvesting your hay within this time frame.
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Cut the grass or alfalfa using a scythe or shears. Depending on the size of your harvest, chop the grass or alfalfa about 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) from the roots. After cutting the hay, gather it in a container for curing later on.^{[10]
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- For larger crops, you can use a rotary disk or sickle mower instead.^{[11]
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Dry the grass or alfalfa for 2-3 weeks. Lay the grass or alfalfa out on a dry, warm spot with plenty of sunlight. Leave the harvest to dry for at least 2 weeks or until it is completely dry to the touch.
- If you live in a windy location, dry your crops in a greenhouse or a shed with windows.
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Store your hay in a dry location. Hay is especially prone to mold or mildewing. To prevent this, choose a place with low humidity to store your hay (like a shed or garage).
- If you have to store your hay outside, you can cover it with a tarp to protect it from moisture.
- As long as your hay is stored away from moisture, it should last indefinitely.

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What is the best way to stack hay?

Sue Ferreri
Executive Director of Rockland Farm Alliance
Sue Ferreri is the Executive Director of the Rockland Farm Alliance in Rockland County, New York. The Rockland Farm Alliance is a non-profit broad-based coalition of farmers, community activists, local officials, and interested citizens with a simple mission to preserve, create, and enhance sustainable food production in Rockland County. Sue grew up farming and now helps farmers get organically certified and supports them in creating their businesses. She studied Business Management at Millersville University and Community Development and Viticulture at Stellenbosch University in South Africa.

Sue Ferreri

Executive Director of Rockland Farm Alliance

Expert Answer

It is much easier to stack bales of hay if you have a pallet and wrap each bale. Then, you will offset stack them, so it's a strong hold, like the way you lay bricks. Do not stack them one on top of the other.

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If you already grow grass, you can grow it out several inches or centimeters larger than you normally would for a small hay harvest.^{[12]
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