Best way to kill clover?
- Thread starter ruskbucks
- Start date
I feel clover is way over rated at my place. It is growing all over the place, on paths, ditches, along the road. I had a beautiful 1/4 acre plot of whitetail Institute clover that the deer barley used in 3 years. I had to keep mowing it. I can plant 2.5 acres of bean or brassica and it will be eaten to the dirt. I like to have brassica for the deer in the winter months. This clover is gly resistant and is expanding in my rotation of beans, wr, and brassica.
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
24D will kill clover and so will gly if applied properly. Clover has a natural resistance to gly and requires higher rates. Of course both of these are burn-down methods before you plant. When you've got clover and brassica, I'd just embrace the clover.
Are you using exclusion cages on your clover. Without them it can be hard to see how much use they are actually getting.
Consider using annual clover in your mixes rather than perennial. You will have less issues killing it.
Another option is to use LL beans next year so you can use liberty herbicide instead of gly for the beans.
Are you using exclusion cages on your clover. Without them it can be hard to see how much use they are actually getting.
Consider using annual clover in your mixes rather than perennial. You will have less issues killing it.
Another option is to use LL beans next year so you can use liberty herbicide instead of gly for the beans.
Tough clover in my area laughs at Gly and 24D. A combo product of 24D and dicamba or triclopyr may be needed. This of course would have to wait until spring/summer. There is nothing to be done this season. If it's not tough, 24D ester with COC will get you a fresh start next year. That being said, sometimes it's easier going with nature than against it. If the deer are using it during season, maybe it's a blessing?
Tree Spud
5 year old buck +
I usually till mine under before planting brassica or beans. This gives the beans & brassica a chance to get started. The clover will then start to fill back in.
I have never tried to kill the clover, it does just smile ay Gly.
Hoytvectrix
5 year old buck +
Like @yoderjac said, not all clovers are the same. I think some species are preferred by deer over others, and I am sure it is based on the local forage available. I have noticed that with the same clover plot that hasn't been getting much attention, is to cut it a little lower than you normally do. Deer should be all over the new shoots. This doesn't work for your brassicas, but it might be a good strategy in the future besides killing an at least somewhat desirable plant.
Bassattackr
5 year old buck +
Discing when planting your fall plot will set it back before planting brassicas. Fertilize upon planting and the brassicas should get out in front of it, shading it out. You'll have some patches still survive but the majority will be set back or gone.
Annual clovers are easy to kill. Perennial / Biennials tend to be a lot more persistent..
Annual clovers are easy to kill. Perennial / Biennials tend to be a lot more persistent..
Nightvision
5 year old buck +
And my kid will eat it 3 meals a day if available. And he’s in great shape. Told him to enjoy it while it last.
Sorry OP. Off topic!
S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
I have cut way back on my clover planting over the years. I'm in a rich dairy area and all of the farmers around have alfalfa. Why would I need to plant clover. The only reason I use it anymore is simply for a crop rotation for future brassica plantings. I am trying to figure out the right amount of ground to plant with clover so I don't have to touch it. (the deer keep it in check) With lower percentages of clover I can now actually tell where they have been feeding in it. (no cages)
Nightvision
5 year old buck +
If I had better dirt I would plant ladino clovers as I think they’re more attractive than Durana clover but Durana is tough.
Easy food plot when it’s a perennial clover and you just drill oats through it.
Easy food plot when it’s a perennial clover and you just drill oats through it.
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
With fertilizer prices at an all time high, having nitrogen producing clover that won’t die seems like a good thing - especially for someone who wants to grow nitrogen loving brassicas.
Just knock the clover back at brassica planting time and enjoy the free nitrogen for your brassica plot year after year.
Just knock the clover back at brassica planting time and enjoy the free nitrogen for your brassica plot year after year.
I'm still fighting this dreaded white clover. I sprayed with 2 quarts of 24d as suggested. It looks like the clover used it like fertilizer. It is now even thicker than last year. I tried discing it heavy right before I planted brassicas this last weekend. Hope that helps. I'm going to have to find some dicamba or triclopyr as Nathan suggested. I think I found the source, every hay field I see has this clover.
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SD51555
5 year old buck +
You have a way to plant corn into it? There's a dude out there that's mastered no-tilling corn into alfalfa. I believe he rolls it after the corn reaches a certain height and that's enough to get the corn above the alfalfa, and then the crop canopy kills it off. I don't know that it'll work with clover, but short of moldboard plowing it, that might be something I'd try.
Rolling it is tricky though. There's a sweet spot between waiting long enough for the corn to be developed enough to shoot ahead of the clover, but not so long the corn doesn't tolerate being flattened. I'm not certain where that is, and I haven't been able to find his presentation since I seen it the first time.
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
Another interesting technique I've seen with perennial clover and non-RR corn was pretty need. The drill was rigged with a sprayer that had nozzles right over the rows that had a narrow spray. They used gly to suppress the clover in each row. This let the corn get started before the clover rebounded. This both fed the corn with N and kept the weeds down. I thought it was a pretty interesting technique.
Thanks,
Jack
