Fertilizing clover plot before overseeding

[H80Hunter]

I've got an acre clover plot I'm going to overseed with white clover and winter rye and then mow in about a month. I also have 200 lb of 6-24-24 to spread at that time. I limed and added 0-0-60 in June.

To save time, I was wondering if there's any issue with broadcasting the 6-24-24 on an earlier day than I seed and mow. A couple weeks maybe? I know rye is basically fine with no fertilizer so I assume it's fine. I also assume it's "less effective" to do it that way, but the existing clover should start uptaking the fertilizer anyway so it's not really going to be "lost."

Anything else to consider or no worries spreading fertilizer early?

 

[H80Hunter]

For that matter, I could also broadcast the seed and mow and then come back with the fertilizer a week or two later? That might be more effective?

 

[scott44]

I think either will work bit I'd go with spread the fertilizer when you know there's rain coming, I'm not sure where you are but we're pretty dry here in MI I held off on my brassicas doing a TnM until I knew there was a good rain coming. I know that sometimes you have to seed/fertilize when you have time and there's no moisture in the forcast but if you can wait for moisture I'd do it and give your seed and fertilizer a running start.

 

[yoderjac]

I haven't used fertilizer for a few years now and I see no difference in crop usage. The key has been minimizing tillage, building OM, and selecting crops that do well without high fertility. I have clover fields that were established with a WR nurse crop. I've been using a combination of Buckwheat and Sunn Hemp for summer and then WR/CC/and PTT. The sunn hemp fixes a lot of N into the soil and the PTT seems to get sufficient nutrition. It is a big N consumer, but I keep the rate down to about 2lb/ac in the mix. Both sunn hemp and buckwheat have low fertility requirements as do WR and CC.

Every few years I do soil tests. If I find my P or K levels dropping too much I will fertilize to bring them back up. Also, if I notice a drop off in plant quality or deer use, I may do the same. But so far, so good...

For the OP: You would have to have very poor soil for WR not to perform without fertilization. Clover will fix its own N as it establishes. Legumes like clover seem to be more responsive to K than P. So, if you are going to fertilize, put your money into K. I never like to put N on clover as that just speeds the attraction of grass infiltration.

Thanks,

Jack