Clover Rotation?

Victor Van Meter

5 year old buck +
Any issues planting clover in the same plot year-after-year? I know some plants should be on a rotation, but wasn't sure if clover needed to be one of those?

VV
 
No issues, and if you plant a perennial, it will come back year after year without replanting. I know some that are on 12+ years with Durana.
 
No issues, and if you plant a perennial, it will come back year after year without replanting. I know some that are on 12+ years with Durana.

^^^^ I agree. And the longer you leave the clover the more nitrogen it will scavenge. Leave the clover in for 3 years and year 4 nuke the clover when it first greens up, and plants legumes, brassicas, & turnips. The over seed clover & WR in the fall and start the cycle over.
 
Clover provides nitrogen, but too mch can cause issues. Here in NY without herbicide maintenance, you get about 304 years before its a weedy mess. However, some weeds can not be a bad thing. I have alot of plantain in my backyard plot. I tried to shoot a picture of it i late october last year. Deer nibbled every one of them to the ground.

Fall grains can help use up some of that excess nitrogen, as well as some brassicas in the fall. Some folks here spray a light dose of gly in the spring to take out some of the clover's competition. Clethodim can be used if you have grass issues in there. 2,4db can fight most broadleaf weeds. Don't assume your trouble plants. ID them well. Things that clethodim don't do anything to look like grass.

Monthly or so mowing can be hepful. If you se certain annual weeds in early seed production, mowing at the right time can eliminate most of the seeds it produces. Spraying is better though.

Pure stand of clover for a long period of time, durana is good. Dutch white can be another good one, but is very competitive. It'll drown out brassicas and grains in the fall. medium red and ladino clovers can live well with other plants.

We get to do out habitat work when we can. I have been doing the graisn n clover rortation. I have skipped years without any major negative effects. Just have a clover and weed plot.

I have a happy balance between golden rod and clover. The golden rod grows in the summer, then dies off in the early fall and clover takes over. I am on the begining of year 3 in that plot. I am on a hunting club lease, so most members don't even think it's a food plot......... When the apples trees starting growing next to it, they might catch on.
 
I like to broadcast rye in my clover plots in September. I will usually let it self terminate and then roll or mow the next summer depending on my germination rate. I also broadcast chicory in my clover for the excess N before my last mowing. Both methods have worked good for me with the rye having a slight edge for weed suppression in addition to the N uptake and OM. My plot is going on 10 years now and still looks pretty good. I have never fertilized but I do monitor my ph and then lime accordingly.
 
I have one plot up at camp that grows monster goldenrod in a clover plot. I either mow it in august, or just let it go. Then in the fall the clover doesn't skip a beat. Once clover is established it is very hard to shade it to death.

IF you start getting bald spots, dig up some soil in that spot. See if you got insect problems.
 
Top