Clover Questions

[strawhead]

Plotting in northern 1/3 of Wisconsin for 15 years mostly tweaking with LICKCREEK systems.

Been buying different varieties of annual clover to plant in spring plantings. I have used crimson, berseem(vns), and medium red(perennial).
I don't mind having "volunteer" clover growing in any plot.
I buy a 50lb bag of one kind every year.

Questions: 1) Does anyone see a benefit to using "Frosty" berseem vs "vns" berseem clover?
2) Anyone see any benefit in trying fixation balansa clover? More nitrogen fixing?
Thanks

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

I tried fixation but i cant say for certain if any of it ever even grew. I planted it for the first time last year 50/50 w/ berseem using the TNM technique. I did have some clover growing but with the dry conditions we had last year it didn't do great. I have never planted either so not sure what each variety even looked like. If I was to do it again I think i'd just try one variety so I can get familiar with what each variety looks like. I guess one could label a couple of flower pots and put some seed in them for identification reasons.

Will you be using tillage? I havent tilled my "diversity" plot for several years and I think i may have to one of these years. I have a lot of thatch build up and i think it is limiting the success on some of the larger seed species that I like to plant. Plus I am thinking of doing a monoculture of corn one of these years. I am a bit hesitant to till it though because the soil tilth is so nice. The entire plot has a spongy feel to it when just walking across it. I may do a good herbicide burn down late spring and then put the drip torch to it. The soil will warm fast and I may try a buckwheat, cow pea, and sun hemp mix.

 

[scott44]

Are you planting to terminate it later or are you planting for a clover plot? My go to clover plot mix is Crimson, Ladino, Med red and WI Alfa rack plus ( alfalfa and chickory ). The Crimson comes up first and then fizzles out and the rest come up slower but last longer. I use Crimson and Med red for my plowdown mix.

 

[Crimson n' Camo]

I tried fixation but i cant say for certain if any of it ever even grew. I planted it for the first time last year 50/50 w/ berseem using the TNM technique. I did have some clover growing but with the dry conditions we had last year it didn't do great. I have never planted either so not sure what each variety even looked like. If I was to do it again I think i'd just try one variety so I can get familiar with what each variety looks like. I guess one could label a couple of flower pots and put some seed in them for identification reasons.

Will you be using tillage? I havent tilled my "diversity" plot for several years and I think i may have to one of these years. I have a lot of thatch build up and i think it is limiting the success on some of the larger seed species that I like to plant. Plus I am thinking of doing a monoculture of corn one of these years. I am a bit hesitant to till it though because the soil tilth is so nice. The entire plot has a spongy feel to it when just walking across it. I may do a good herbicide burn down late spring and then put the drip torch to it. The soil will warm fast and I may try a buckwheat, cow pea, and sun hemp mix.

I went through a time period when I was getting too much buildup on the surface but I think it was a little bit of lag time for my microbial community to catch up......You can add nitrogen to help speed up decomposition.....Dont be afraid to lightly disk it if you need to.....Its not always ALL or NOTHING.....Just because you hook the disk up doesnt mean you have to disk it to powder....Just lightly do it to help decompose the surface residue a little faster and agitate the seed bank

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

I went through a time period when I was getting too much buildup on the surface but I think it was a little bit of lag time for my microbial community to catch up......You can add nitrogen to help speed up decomposition.....Dont be afraid to lightly disk it if you need to.....Its not always ALL or NOTHING.....Just because you hook the disk up doesnt mean you have to disk it to powder....Just lightly do it to help decompose the surface residue a little faster and agitate the seed bank

I was thinking the same about the N. The past couple of years ive been leaning much heavier on the higher Carbon plants.

 

[strawhead]

I tried fixation but i cant say for certain if any of it ever even grew. I planted it for the first time last year 50/50 w/ berseem using the TNM technique. I did have some clover growing but with the dry conditions we had last year it didn't do great. I have never planted either so not sure what each variety even looked like. If I was to do it again I think i'd just try one variety so I can get familiar with what each variety looks like. I guess one could label a couple of flower pots and put some seed in them for identification reasons.

Will you be using tillage? I havent tilled my "diversity" plot for several years and I think i may have to one of these years. I have a lot of thatch build up and i think it is limiting the success on some of the larger seed species that I like to plant. Plus I am thinking of doing a monoculture of corn one of these years. I am a bit hesitant to till it though because the soil tilth is so nice. The entire plot has a spongy feel to it when just walking across it. I may do a good herbicide burn down late spring and then put the drip torch to it. The soil will warm fast and I may try a buckwheat, cow pea, and sun hemp mix.

Very light disking. I haven't done a side by side comparison. Used crimson a couple of years and have used a vns berseem last couple of years. I think we got a little browsing from the berseem. It has always been terminated for the fall mixes.

 

[strawhead]

Are you planting to terminate it later or are you planting for a clover plot? My go to clover plot mix is Crimson, Ladino, Med red and WI Alfa rack plus ( alfalfa and chickory ). The Crimson comes up first and then fizzles out and the rest come up slower but last longer. I use Crimson and Med red for my plowdown mix.

Planting to terminate. I'm sure these are for the most part not questions to lose sleep over.

 

[scott44]

Planting to terminate. I'm sure these are for the most part not questions to lose sleep over.

If you are like me you like to try different mixes and see if something else works and if it works better, sounds like what you've been doing is working. I personally have used both berseem and crimsom and found no difference for plowdown, crimson was easier to get and that's why I use it.