Clover Plots

gwm

5 year old buck +
I have two small 1/4 acre food plots I'm wanting to plant in clover this year. I'm looking at Med Red, Alsike, Ladino and White Dutch. Is there anything else I should plant with these? Chicory? Oats?
 
A nurse crop like WR would help keep the weeds at bay and still give you some attraction this fall. I have minimal experience with chicory but the deer basically ignored it on my property. I don't remember what variety it was.
 
Definately use a grain for a nurse crop. When do you plan to plant spring or fall? If you are fall planting I have found it is better to leave the chicory out of mix and frost seed it the next spring. The deer by me love chicory and will eat that before the clover in summer time.
 
Definately use a grain for a nurse crop. When do you plan to plant spring or fall? If you are fall planting I have found it is better to leave the chicory out of mix and frost seed it the next spring. The deer by me love chicory and will eat that before the clover in summer time.

I'm planning on planting in the fall.
 
I would go with fall planting with winter rye as a cover crop. I also do a 50/50 clover/chicory mix in my plots. Deer hit the chicory harder than the clover. I couldn't figure out why until I tried it myself, the chicory is sweeter.
 
What type of chicory did you plant? I may have to give it a shot again this fall.
 
What type of chicory did you plant? I may have to give it a shot again this fall.
I'm not sure of what kind it was. My local coop had it and said it was good and I went with it from there.
 
I planted this clover 08/20/2013 with rape and a little rye. The rape was thick and the clover just barely came up under it last fall. The deer hammered the rape over the winter and totally wiped it out. The clover has now exploded. Ladino White and Durana...042314cloverplot_zps0f5affcf[1].jpg 042314clovergrowth_zps3eca3b40[1].jpg
 
Here is another plot with Crimson Clover/Wheat and Rye that was all planted with purple top turnips. The deer wiped out the PPT and kept the wh042314Crimsoncloseup_zps31a48575[1].jpg eat and rye really short and the clover just barely showed beneath... Lots of clover mixed in with the wheat and Rye now!

042314crimsonryewheat_zpse23d5b53[1].jpg
 
Top