Almost expired Clover seed?

[Maddog66]

With all the talk of shortages I’ve been buying a few different types of clover seed this winter, among other things. One of them, admittedly one of the “BOB” types, has a statement on the back of it stating that it’s “inoculated until 10/31/22”. (Plus the packaging doesn’t exactly look new….kind of beat up)

Am I wrong to take that as a kind of expiration date?

If so, my planting date will be about 8/1/22….which is what, 2 months before they would toss the seed in a $1 bargain bin?

I paid a premium price for this seed and that’s fine, but I’m also suspicious that I just bought second rate seed at first rate prices.

Send it back or forget it and plant?..that’s my question.

Note: one other type of clover seed I bought had to be pre-ordered now and will ship in March sometime. That seed must be fresher?

 

[Catscratch]

Pull out a handful of seeds and throw them in a wet paper towel. Keep it damp and warm until they start to sprout. Count sprouts per 10, or 100. That will give you a germination rate.

 

[Bill]

you can buy innoculant and redo it.

 

[Maddog66]

Thank you Bill, I had no idea. Look like $5 worth (Amazon) of inoculant for clover/alfalfa should be about 35 times the amount I need (1/2 tsp) . I assume it won’t hurt at all on my feed store 4-mix clover too?

As far as you know, does white clover seed have a long shelf life for germination? I’ve read corn and beans don’t, so I assume most other things do?

Thanks too Catscratch. ….I’m going to try that.

 

[Bill]

Depends on how dry it was stored. Catscratch has a good idea. Test some in a wet paper towel in a zip lock bag and see how much sprouts.

 

[FarmerDan]

I'm always on the fence about adding packaged inoculant to legume seeds. In its purest form inoculant is the beneficial bacteria that uses the plant as its host producing nitrogen in return. The same bacteria is probably already in the soil. I think it's a longshot the bacteria in pre-inoculated seed lives very long. Bill said it above. Heat and dryness are it's enemy.

Clover seed is one of the toughest of all seeds, The coat is hard. The harder the coat the less likely the seed will dry out. Clover is at one end and soybeans at the other. I've seen newly harvested and processed clover seed germination rates improve over time as the seed coat breaks down.

Send what back? Or plant it? The seed? Don't worry about the inoculant.

The seed should have a label showing the germination rate and the date it was tested. If germination a year ago was 75+% I'd plant it, adjusting the rate (lbs/acre) to make up for the dead seed.

I promised myself I wouldn't get too deep into this for fear TreeDaddy would be calling time on the sermon! I don't want to drag that darn cross up the hill again!

Here's the other thing (he said, thinking out loud). In that 10 lb bag of BOB there might only be 3 or 4 lbs of live seed. Half by weight is the stuff smeared around the seed, the inoculant and it's carrier. The other 5 lbs is seed but if the tested germination rate is 75% only 3 3/4 pound is likely to produce clover plants.

 

[trapperm]

With all the talk of shortages I’ve been buying a few different types of clover seed this winter, among other things. One of them, admittedly one of the “BOB” types, has a statement on the back of it stating that it’s “inoculated until 10/31/22”. (Plus the packaging doesn’t exactly look new….kind of beat up)

Am I wrong to take that as a kind of expiration date?

If so, my planting date will be about 8/1/22….which is what, 2 months before they would toss the seed in a $1 bargain bin?

I paid a premium price for this seed and that’s fine, but I’m also suspicious that I just bought second rate seed at first rate prices.

Send it back or forget it and plant?..that’s my question.

Note: one other type of clover seed I bought had to be pre-ordered now and will ship in March sometime. That seed must be fresher?

Am I missing something about a shortage of seed?

 

[Bassattackr]

Agree with @FarmerDan. Plant per the actual PLS amount, not by the bag weight. Most BOB mixes have other coatings as well such as lime, etc.

I don't get too wrapped up in innoculant for clover, especially if there has been clover historically planted in that field.

Let fly!

 

[Maddog66]

Thanks everyone! Let it fly is the decision.

Correct, the 2 types of BOB clover I’ve purchased so far call out 35% coating weight. So I’ve purchased 12# of each for my 1 acre plots. This should put me at about 8# per acre of actual white clover seed. But I forgot to calculate in the germination rate…..dang it!

I’m also adding chicory and alfalfa and some mixed brassicas…..about 2# of each per acre (8# clover, 6# other stuff)

I have a precision broadcast seeder with cultipacker, do those rates seem reasonable or should I seed heavier?

 

[FarmerDan]

Thanks everyone! Let it fly is the decision.

Correct, the 2 types of BOB clover I’ve purchased so far call out 35% coating weight. So I’ve purchased 12# of each for my 1 acre plots. This should put me at about 8# per acre of actual white clover seed. But I forgot to calculate in the germination rate…..dang it!

I’m also adding chicory and alfalfa and some mixed brassicas…..about 2# of each per acre (8# clover, 6# other stuff)

I have a precision broadcast seeder with cultipacker, do those rates seem reasonable or should I seed heavier?

After all the weighing and measuring and calculating and educating and learning it's still in Mother Nature's hands. There's still a lot can go wrong - and right. Of all the live seed you throw down some will fail you. Some you'll love. And you won't know which is which.

 

[TreeDaddy]

After all the weighing and measuring and calculating and educating and learning it's still in Mother Nature's hands. There's still a lot can go wrong - and right. Of all the live seed you throw down some will fail you. Some you'll love. And you won't know which is which.

........a crisis of nihilism


bill

 

[Maddog66]

Some funny stuff!!! And I suspect very true.

Hey, if I didn’t obsess over seeding rates in Mid February, I’d probably be watching TV!!!!

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Some funny stuff!!! And I suspect very true.

Hey, if I didn’t obsess over seeding rates in Mid February, I’d probably be watching TV!!!!

or buying more trees and seed that you may or may not need or have room for