Was looking at may doing some plots with red clover this year and maybe adding some crimson as a nurse crop, then try to maintain the red clover for 2 or maybe 3 years. What variety would be best
Red clover is a popular hay clover, so it is readily available at your local seed dealer or MFA. They all have "improved" varieties that work well in your area.
In my experience.. deer like them all. It doesn't matter.
A cereal grain like rye or wheat would be a much better nurse crop than Crimson Clover IMO. The only downside to red clover IMO is the hard seed it produces, that stuff spreads everywhere.. We have red clover growing quite a ways from our field from the years of hay cutting from the previous farmer on our property. The deer love it though!
In KY, Kenland does well and would likely do well in your area too. An variety touted better than Kenland is Kenstar, but I can never find it. Here is a link to one developed in Franklin, TN but I don't know where you can buy it.
High forage yield potentialSuperior forage qualityImproved stand persistenceExcellent disease resistanceDeveloped from plant selections made near Franklin, Tennessee, FSG 401RC is an elite new generation diploid medium red clover developed for higher forage yields, improved stand persistence and...
In KY, Kenland does well and would likely do well in your area too. An variety touted better than Kenland is Kenstar, but I can never find it. Here is a link to one developed in Franklin, TN but I don't know where you can buy it.
High forage yield potentialSuperior forage qualityImproved stand persistenceExcellent disease resistanceDeveloped from plant selections made near Franklin, Tennessee, FSG 401RC is an elite new generation diploid medium red clover developed for higher forage yields, improved stand persistence and...
Medium Red with a Winter Rye nurse crop works well. You can add crimson if you want. It won't act as a nurse crop like WR, but it does act as a reseeding annual in zone 7a.
I just bought a 50 lb sack of Medium Red Clover on Sunday.......and paid $150 for it. it did have a coating on the seed......which amounts to nearly 30% of the content.
I just bought a 50 lb sack of Medium Red Clover on Sunday.......and paid $150 for it. it did have a coating on the seed......which amounts to nearly 30% of the content.
This brings up a question for me foggy. In the past I have gotten much better germination from coated seeds, knowing I get less actual seed when I use them. Now that I have a drill, I wonder if the coating is as important, and if I would not be better off getting pure seed knowing I get more seed per weight.
I like Mammoth Red and the Medium red from Merit (not an employee or paid spokesman or anything, have just had good success with their stuff)...the MRC was 143 for a 50 lb bag and the Mammoth was $190.
We've been using Marathon and Starfire red clovers for a few years now. They seem to last for us in the NC Pa. mountains. Starfire and Supreme 2020 brand alfalfa from Welter's ........ mixed gave us a great multi-year plot that draws deer like a magnet.