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Alfalfa hay planting and harvest datesAlfalfa hay Planting Dates in Minnesota
Usual alfalfa hay planting and harvest periods in Minnesota, shown as ranges with their source. Use them to frame a plan, then adjust for your own frost dates and soil temperature.
| Activity | Window | Source | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvest | May 25 to Sep 24 usual | source | 2026-11-11 |
| Item | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvest | Harvest window in May | Harvest window in June | Harvest window in July | Harvest window in August | Harvest window in September |
What these dates mean in Minnesota
Harvest usually runs about 123 days, from May 25 to Sep 24.
Frost-date caveat: these are published ranges for Minnesota. A northern or high-elevation site will run later than a southern or low one, and a cold wet spring can push planting past the window. Frost dates and local conditions vary; NASS state-level usual harvest dates (Oct 2010 edition); planting dates not published for alfalfa in most states. Check your last spring frost and soil temperature, and confirm with your county extension office.
Related guides
- Alfalfa Planting Calendar: Establishment and Cutting
- Hay Planting Calendar by Region
- Harvest Timing for Hay and Forage
- Hay Harvest and Storage Calendar
Alfalfa hay dates in other places
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Delaware
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New England 1/
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Other crops in Minnesota
- Asparagus (crowns)
- Beans (dry shell)
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage (early)
- Cabbage (late)
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Chinese cabbage
- Collards
- Corn
- Cucumbers
- Eggplant
- Endive
- Head lettuce
- Horseradish
- Kale
- Kohlrabi
- Leaf lettuce
- Lima beans
- Muskmelon
- Okra
- Onion (seeds, transplants and sets)
- Onion (transplants)
- Parsley
- Parsnips
- Peas
- Pepper
- Potatoes
- Pumpkin
- Radish
- Rhubarb
- Rutabaga
- Snap beans (bush and pole)
- Soybeans
- Spinach
- Spring barley
- Spring oats
- Spring wheat
- Squash (summer and winter)
- Sunflowers
- Sweet corn
- Sweet potatoes (roots)
- Swiss chard
- Tomato
- Tomatoes
- Turnip
- Watermelon
- Winter wheat
Last reviewed: November 2026. Source: USDA NASS, Field Crops Usual Planting and Harvesting Dates (October 2010 edition, copy hosted by Cornell University Mann Library). Dates are the usual start and end of the period when about 5% to 95% of the crop is planted or harvested, from long-run state progress data. They are historic averages, not a forecast.