I’ve had a plot that didn’t drain well before and used Imperial clover by Whitetail Institute. It held up well. According to Google, it appears as tho Aslike is one of the top clovers for poorly drained soils. I would like to do a mix if 3/4 perennial clovers in this 3/4 acre plot next year. I’m located in Connecticut . Anyone else have experience with poorly drained soils and clover ? Which ones held up good ? Thx, Bob
Clover for wet soil
- Thread starter BobinCt
- Start date
FarmerDan
5 year old buck +
I wish I could tell you what clovers are in there. It's a tricky proposition. That's about a tenth of an acre in a 5 acre field. It's possibly the worst drained piece in the farm. Sometimes it drains. Sometimes it just stays flooded. I keep throwing down any kinds of clover to keep the plot going. Underwater very long and it all dies. I'd bet there are a dozen types/varieties seeded. I can't name what has survived. I've used Durana, ladino-variety-not-stated, Imperial, and my mind says there was a lot of white Dutch in the plot when the picture was taken. As I write this a moral-to-the-story comes to mind.
If I were to do it again I would buy a little of a lot of different clovers, mix them and seed that wet plot. Mother nature will determine what survives.
If I were to do it again I would buy a little of a lot of different clovers, mix them and seed that wet plot. Mother nature will determine what survives.
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
Best clover is the one you got when the plot dies. I use a mix. Like farmer dan said, dutch white does pretty good. I almost think, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Balsana and medium red don't seem to do as well as the dutch and ladino ones do. Working on drainage is the best bet. I did that in my home plot area, no fluke flooding issues anymore. Instead of a week, a day or two and it's down. Mine didn't take lot of work to correct, so I am lucky.
White is a long term solution. But, focusing on a short term one is good too. Having a way to apply seed in a mud mess field and having it on hand. Year 2 using rye heavily, but throwing oats and some medium red clover makes the place look real good in a short period of time.
MY old theory of food plots was to put oats and red clover as a nursery crop for white clover. When the thing eventually made a weedy mess in 2 or 3 years, mess it up and remake it again.
How well your clover does is also a factor of how long has it been alive. 1st year plots are more suspectible than multi year establishments.
Making a place for the water to drain to can be a bg undertaking. If the water has a place, but is stubborn to get it there, a subsoiler can help your issues alot.
White is a long term solution. But, focusing on a short term one is good too. Having a way to apply seed in a mud mess field and having it on hand. Year 2 using rye heavily, but throwing oats and some medium red clover makes the place look real good in a short period of time.
MY old theory of food plots was to put oats and red clover as a nursery crop for white clover. When the thing eventually made a weedy mess in 2 or 3 years, mess it up and remake it again.
How well your clover does is also a factor of how long has it been alive. 1st year plots are more suspectible than multi year establishments.
Making a place for the water to drain to can be a bg undertaking. If the water has a place, but is stubborn to get it there, a subsoiler can help your issues alot.
jsasker007
5 year old buck +
Yep, Alsike went into my wet swampy area and is still growing there three years later. Really wet every spring with minimum maintenance. Lightly hit it with the disk a month and a half ago and it responded to the abuse very well.
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
Alsike did well for us on heavier clay soil that stayed "gummy" after rains. Alsike does well on poorer pH soils too.
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