Last year we had a discussion about serecia that causes so much trouble in Kansas that is has been declared a noxious weed. I commented that here in SC I had made hay from it and liked the hay. I fed it to cows, never had a horse. Cows here will graze it if it dosen't get too tall, but they prefer something else. They will clean up the hay if put up properly.
The proper way to put up serecia hay is to first, cut it before it is knee high. Now is the right time of year here to cut it for hay, season may be later in Kansas. THERE IS NO SEED ON THE SERECIA IN THE SPRING, SO NO DANGER OF SPREADING IT FROM HAY.
Basically, serecia is baled green. Cut only an amount that can be baled in a short time. Dosen't matter if it is cut with MOCO, disc mower, or sickle mower. After cutting, have rake and baler ready. It will be ready in less than 2 hours. Feel the leaves at the tip of the hay. It is ready to bale when the leaves in the top 2 inches are dry and crackly. If you cut with a MOCO and leave it in the windrow It will need to be a little drier. If while baling you see leaves falling off the baler pickup, it is too dry. It can be baled the next morning with dew on the leaves. The bales will be rather heavy, but wont get too hot in the bale. It needs to cure in the bale before feeding it.
The plant blooms and sets seed in the fall. A fall cutting needs to be made before or just as it starts to bloom. After it seeds out, hay quality is bad, anyway you don't want to spread the seed.
It has been my experience here that serecia that is cut twice a year for hay has the stand dwindle away after a few years.
I would be curious to know if it would make decent hay there.
KEH
