Soil Prep When choosing to start fresh, remove old vegetation by using a de-thatcher, power rake or tiller to kill the existing vegetation. Rake or drag the area to remove debris and dead thatch for a clean area. Ensure the soil is leveled and loosened to allow the seed to have good soil contact once spread on a clean seed bed. If you have an area with heavy weed coverage, we recommend starting fresh by killing and removing the existing vegetation. If you choose to use chemicals, herbicides or fertilizers, you must check with the product’s manufacturer prior to planting new seed to ensure the proper waiting period.    Seeding Seeding Rate: .45 - .55 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. or 20 - 25 lbs. per acre Overseeding Rate: Not Recommended Drilling Rate: 10 - 12 lbs. per acre The seed is not pre-inoculated. A/B Type Inoculant is recommended for Alfalfa, Sweet Clover, Ladino White Clover, Red Clover, and White Dutch Clover.  Spread at the recommended rate based on total area and whether it is bare ground or pre-existing vegetation. Spreader Settings: There is not any one setting that applies for all brands of spreaders. We recommend reviewing the seed settings chart that came with your spreader or contact the manufacturer directly. Ensure you are choosing a seed on the list by the manufacturer that closely resembles the seed you are choosing to plant. If you have any concerns on what setting you should use, we recommend always starting with the smallest option then adjusting it to match the recommended seeding rate. Overseeding Alfalfa is not recommended. Alfalfa produces autotoxins that reduce the development of seedlings, and suppress growth of young alfalfa plants in existing stands. Alfalfa is a slow growing perennial and has a hard time competing with existing plants and weeds for light, nutrients, and water.   Fertilizer We recommend fertilizing every 3 - 4 months with Hancock's 16-04-08 Lawn & Pasture Fertilizer. Our 16-04-08 Lawn and Pasture Fertilizer is custom blended to provide a slow-releasing, water-activated economical fertilizer. Hancock's 16-04-08 Lawn & Pasture Fertilizer can be applied at a rate of 5 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. or 250 lbs. per acre. If you have any concerns about your soil, we recommend getting your soil tested to determine what nutrients you are low in as well as your pH. The results of the soil testing will give you the best information to amend your soil for the best growth.   Watering Schedule For best results, keep the soil moist while not over-watering the area or creating puddles.   Germination Time 4 - 7 days; under optimal conditions   Grazing & Harvest Recommendations Begin grazing when plants are in the bud stage and move animals to a new area when there is two to three inches remaining. Alfalfa should be grazed relatively short so that regrowth will occur from the crown and not the stems. The growth stages of Alfalfa include bud and flower stages. Early bud stage occurs after germination and when one or two nodes have visible buds but no flowers or seedpods are visible. Late bud stage occurs after the early bud stage and when the plant has more than three nodes with visible buds, but no visible flowers or seedpods visible. First flower stage occurs after the late bud stage and when the occasional flower is opening, less than 10%. Begin harvesting when plants are at the late-bud to first-flower stage and to make subsequent cuttings at 32-to-35 day intervals for higher forage quality and dry matter yield.