Frost seeding durana....

[hesseu]

Anyone done it? Plan on doing it? If yes, what kind of results...?

 

[Mortenson]

This is durana and ladino 13 months after being frost seeded into an expired brassica plot.

 

[Diesel5610]

It will work fine, I would add another variety as Mortenson did, they say Durana is a little slow to start. That has been my experience and I add Medium Red to my plots. Beautiful plot Mortenson.

 

[yoderjac]

Anyone done it? Plan on doing it? If yes, what kind of results...?

May depend on your location and weed conditions. Durana is slow to establish. I find planting it in the fall with a WR Nurse crop works the best in terms of establishing a weed free field. The Durana gets an early jump on weeds and the WR keeps the weeds at bay if mowed regularly to release the clover.

As far as germination, Durana frost seeds as well as any clover. I frost seed thin spots regularly.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[hesseu]

Is there a "best" clover to frost seed?

 

[yoderjac]

Is there a "best" clover to frost seed?

"best" really depends on your objectives. Durana, once established is very drought resistant and persistent but it is expensive compared to common clovers. You can get a lot of years out of a well established field. So, when I plant Durana, I want to be sure to maximize the chance of an initially weed free field. After that, I don't worry so much about weeds. But my objective is to have a low maintenance long lasting field that produces quality deer food over a very long portion of the year in my zone (7a).

Medium red clover is a short-lived perennial that can fix a lot of N fairly quickly. It frost seeds well and deer love it. It establishes much faster than Durana and I'm not expecting a long-term plot when I use it.

Bottom line is that each clover variety (not brand name) has it's own characteristics. The key is to select one that meets your needs and does well in your zone.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[hesseu]

If you continually frost seed red every few years, will that keep it going?

 

[yoderjac]

If you continually frost seed red every few years, will that keep it going?

Until it become time when rotation is advisable, sure. Eventually, any field will become "tired" of growing clover and will benefit from a year of rotation into an N seeking crop like corn or brassica, but sure, you can repeatedly frost seed medium red. Keep in mind that there are other ways to manage clover. Depending on your location you can also mow clover in bloom to reseed depending on the clover type. For example, In my zone (7A) crimson clover doesn't frost seed well but acts as a reseeding annual. Further north it acts an annual.

Just one more example of why it is wise to either include your general location and zone in your profile or to post it when asking questions about crop selection and management technique.

Thanks,

jack