Oats and Crimson Clover

[chucker66]

Looking to add a few plots this year by just clearing brush this spring and seeding Oats and Crimson Clover and then following up in July with an LC mix. I started one plot last year in July by clearing brush and then broadcasting an LC mix and had great success (This plot will be brassicas this year). This is on a pine plantation that was harvested in 2015 so there are stumps but I don't care. The questions I have is do these 2 work well together or would I be better off starting with Buckwheat? I know the deer in my area love the oats but that's not the reason for getting these started, its to add to the soil health for a fall LC mix. The other thing I want to do is plant the Oats and CC at my house in a highline path just to see what happens. Thought or ideas on this plan?? FYI I have not turned over any soil and don't plan too.

Thanks

Chuck

 

[Honker]

I don't see a reason why it wouldn't work, from what I've read those two are good companions. Have you, or are you going to do anything to set back the vegetation that is already growing there before planting since you don't intend on working it up? You didn't mention what is currently growing so it may or may not work.

My only concern would be if it is a former pine plantation do you need to focus on varieties that can handle low pH soil? I would be inclined to try a half buckwheat half oats/crimson planting experiment and see how they compare.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Just speaking from my own past experience, I'd put down some lime as soon as possible. We tried the quick, " easy " method of planting a few years back. We got germination and some growth, but not what we wanted or expected. The following fall / winter, we started to put down lime and the next spring's planting, we had much better growth and thickness to the plots. I remember reading something that Paul Knox ( LC ) said about soil ammendments: " If you do nothing else at all - add lime. "

I like Honker's idea ^^^^ above of trying both to compare.

 

[chucker66]

I was planning on putting down lime too. Also, I was hoping to plant it early before anything starts to grow so I don't have to use Gly. Not that I'm opposed to it, that's how I did my plot last summer. Cleared the brush and sprayed the weeds, waited 2 weeks threw down seed. Weed wipped the weeds and sprayed one more time. I had really good growth on my LC mix. I am basically expanding this plot to a full acre and starting another one on another part of the property. This is is NW Wis and nothing has started growing yet.

Chuck

 

[Honker]

I think you are going to be fighting an uphill battle if you don't hit it with at least one application of gly before you seed. I'm all for not tilling, but if I am following you, the existing vegetation (perennial) is going to get a jump on your seeding. I would wait, hit it with gly when it greens up and seed it with buckwheat or the mix or both the same day. Crimson, from what I understand, isn't a great variety for an early spring planting. It likes a pH of 5.5-7.0, you might be better off with medium red this year.

 

[Buckly]

Yep, you're going to need a lot of lime over a few years. I start all my new spring plots with oats and crimson as it works really well. I do the same in the fall but, go lighter on the oats and heavy on the winter rye. Use herbicides as needed but , once you get the LC rotation going you'll be surprised that you don't require herbicide very often.

 

[chucker66]

I was totally blown away with the results I got last year. I was just looking to get some of the new spots started earlier, but I think I will spread some lime for now, wait for green up spray Gly and then plant my oats and CC. Thanks for the input.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I agree with Honker - post #5 - on the gly spray. My camp did the " no-spray " method and had so-so results. After we did the gly spray before seeding, we had a much better plot and lots more growth on what we planted. We spray now if we get weeds / grass.

 

[bbcoach]

Oats and crimson clover are two great companions together. If you are planning on starting plots from scratch, I would clear the plots, get the soil tested and limed ASAP (six months for lime to do it's magic) and spray with glyphosate a couple of times during the summer and wait till fall to plant. Two things will get accomplished with this action 1. It will give the lime time to correct the PH and any fertilizer you put down in the fall will benefit the crop you plant 2. You won't be fighting weeds, through the summer, that will overtake anything you plant this spring and you will have tons of weeds with new plots. A fall planted clover plot will thrive next spring and summer but clover planted this spring will be very hard pressed to make it in a newly established, low PH soil and fight weeds all summer. My avatar PIC to the left is a plot started in the fall of 2015 with LC's mix and durana clover that was limed in March 2015 and the additional PICS below are PICS taken in May 2016 of the durana clover. Good Luck.