Durana white clover?

[b116757]

I picked up a bag of Durana white and Crimson clover to over seed in a small rye plot planted last fall anyone have any experience with Durana? Sounds like a long lasting white if the hype is to be believed. And I know I should of been doing this back in February just didn’t get to it.

 

[Kdog]

Best clover I have ever used (in GA). This year will be 10 years since planting and it is thick as ever. We do overseed with medium red and rye each year and spray once per year. For some reason our deer are not fans of crimson so I am not a big fan of it either.

 

[b116757]

I had never used any crimson clover before last fall I could believe your statement that the deer don’t care for it I planted this plot last fall in rye and white clover also had a little bag of some hunter mix seed I picked up about only thing growing out there is some rye and crimson clover deer have hammered it so hard all fall/winter/spring it’s just about still bare dirt so I’m trying to get some more clover established. I really considered a light discing and planting buckwheat but was having difficulty finding anyone locally that had a bag of it but they did have Durana so that’s what I bought.

 

[TreeDaddy]

I had never used any crimson clover before last fall I could believe your statement that the deer don’t care for it I planted this plot last fall in rye and white clover also had a little bag of some hunter mix seed I picked up about only thing growing out there is some rye and crimson clover deer have hammered it so hard all fall/winter/spring it’s just about still bare dirt so I’m trying to get some more clover established. I really considered a light discing and planting buckwheat but was having difficulty finding anyone locally that had a bag of it but they did have Durana so that’s what I bought.

Just as well.......Buckwheat 98.50$/ 50# bag in east texas

bill

 

[yoderjac]

I picked up a bag of Durana white and Crimson clover to over seed in a small rye plot planted last fall anyone have any experience with Durana? Sounds like a long lasting white if the hype is to be believed. And I know I should of been doing this back in February just didn’t get to it.

Durana is much less hyped that the WI improved clovers and you can actually buy the seed by itself without a mix of cheap clovers. I use durana a lot. It is more expensive than common clovers like ladino. Last time I bought it, I paid $5/lb TYD from Harvey at Poudre Valley Coop, but that was a number of years ago. The added cost is worth it to me for two characteristics, persistence and drought tolerance. It is slow to establish. It is best planted in the fall with a WR nurse crop. In the first spring, it is important to mow the WR each time it get much more than a foot tall back to 6". This slowly releases the Durana while keeping summer weeds at bay. By the time the WR dies, the Durana has filled in. After that, I ignore weeds.

I don't like mixing Durana and crimson. I find that I ended up with patches of crimson in the durana. When the crimson (annual) died, it left holes in the durana where summer weeds quickly took hold. I love crimson, but I don't mix it with Durana.

I would not plant Durana in the spring. You will have a much weeded field because it is slow to establish. If I were to plant in the spring, I'd probably mix it with Patriot White which is faster to establish, but in general I would avoid planting in the spring. You will get much better results planting in the fall with a nurse crop.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[SwampCat]

Durana is my go to planting. I have about 30 acres of plots with durana in them. I seed wheat into them each fall

 

[Foggy47]

I've planted a few varieties of white clover over the years. Paul Knox used to tout Alice White Clover......and I have used quite a bit of that over time.....but often will mix a few varieties. Lots depend on prices and availability......and sometimes my mood at the moment. Grin.

 

[bigboreblr]

Ive seen my deer in my backyard get a bit clover fussy. Right now , everything is new and fresh in NY. they're more interested in fresh tree/shrub nibble.

I'd put a mix of clovers in there. Patriot is a more cold hardy white clover than durana. My home is in 5a which I have a food plot, my hunting lease is 3A. Cheapest place I found durana or patriot was amazon from peddington directly. $7 a lb for a 25lb bag I think.

There is not bad time to plant clover. I Always add clover whenever and whatever I am planting. It takes time to grow. I like a mix with some medium red short perrenial clover. It grows quicker. Maybe 2 parts white perrenial to 1 part medium red. I usually get medium red, ladino, dutch white AG, some berseem, and this year I added some alphafa to the mix. that dutch white is almost like an annual, it grows real fast for me where I live. It's a hit or miss at the local Ag co-op, but I buy birdsfoot trefoil when they have it. Im also pretty happy with plotspike clover blend. They add some chicory and some crimson clover to the bag. If I cant make it to the ag co-op, I get a bag of that and add it to the "mess".

My mess I even add dandelion, plantain, and crabgrass where the area will be frequently mowed, like the hunting club parking lot and yard areas. I frequently see my critter go right past clover and hit every dandelion or plantain in my backyard plot.

 

[Native Hunter]

Durana is my go to planting. I have about 30 acres of plots with durana in them. I seed wheat into them each fall

Do you drill in the wheat or just broadcast it?

 

[Native Hunter]

Ive seen my deer in my backyard get a bit clover fussy. Right now , everything is new and fresh in NY. they're more interested in fresh tree/shrub nibble.

I'd put a mix of clovers in there. Patriot is a more cold hardy white clover than durana. My home is in 5a which I have a food plot, my hunting lease is 3A. Cheapest place I found durana or patriot was amazon from peddington directly. $7 a lb for a 25lb bag I think.

There is not bad time to plant clover. I Always add clover whenever and whatever I am planting. It takes time to grow. I like a mix with some medium red short perrenial clover. It grows quicker. Maybe 2 parts white perrenial to 1 part medium red. I usually get medium red, ladino, dutch white AG, some berseem, and this year I added some alphafa to the mix. that dutch white is almost like an annual, it grows real fast for me where I live. It's a hit or miss at the local Ag co-op, but I buy birdsfoot trefoil when they have it. Im also pretty happy with plotspike clover blend. They add some chicory and some crimson clover to the bag. If I cant make it to the ag co-op, I get a bag of that and add it to the "mess".

My mess I even add dandelion, plantain, and crabgrass where the area will be frequently mowed, like the hunting club parking lot and yard areas. I frequently see my critter go right past clover and hit every dandelion or plantain in my backyard plot.

Do your deer like to eat crabgrass?

 

[PatinPA]

Is there a clover that works better for wet areas? I planted this plot with clover/chicory and oats in late summer then overseeded with rye in early fall. I frost seeded clover in late winter and there is barely any coming up. The chicory looks good but there is very little clover.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Is there a clover that works better for wet areas? I planted this plot with clover/chicory and oats in late summer then overseeded with rye in early fall. I frost seeded clover in late winter and there is barely any coming up. The chicory looks good but there is very little clover.
View attachment 43298

I use alsike in low pH and wet soil, which some guys on here don't like, but I have had good growth and usage in pretty wet areas. I have heard dutch white works well (frost seeded some this year, but have not seen much), but I think you need a little better soil/pH for it. I think the alsike is like a biannual and the dutch white is a perennial also. Medium red is a go to for me but I think a variety called freedom red might be better for the wet soil.

 

[SwampCat]

Do you drill in the wheat or just broadcast it?

I have a Woods Seeder and set the disk blades so they arent very aggressive - so it isnt a drill, but it isnt just broadcasting, either. I have broadcast it with good results, but timing with a rain event can make a big difference. I wouldnt want the seed to just lay there for a month with no rain on it.

 

[bigboreblr]

I use alsike in low pH and wet soil, which some guys on here don't like, but I have had good growth and usage in pretty wet areas. I have heard dutch white works well (frost seeded some this year, but have not seen much), but I think you need a little better soil/pH for it. I think the alsike is like a biannual and the dutch white is a perennial also. Medium red is a go to for me but I think a variety called freedom red might be better for the wet soil.

Dutch white comes on strong, but is short lived if you keep it mowed. Medium is Red is about the same. Ladino lives a good year or two longer, but isn't a heavy producer.

Mowing clover has its u[ps and down. If you mow several times a year, expect to be putting seed down ever winter. Clover isn't as cheap or low labor as one might think, definitely worth it. Sometimes I think nuking a plot dead and planting whatever you want is as easier route. Learning to live with the weeds, or in my case intentionally putting a few desired ones there, is the easy route. The brown in the scope and the mount on the wall is the only thing that needs to be pretty......

I always have clover, oats, and winter rye on hand. If you get a bad crop or some bald spots, you can redo it. If you're prepping an area for next year for food plots or apple trees. I spread it in my lawn too. I put some clover in other plots like turnips or brassicas. Alteast there'll be some clover if plan A doesnt pan out.

 

[yoderjac]

Ive seen my deer in my backyard get a bit clover fussy. Right now , everything is new and fresh in NY. they're more interested in fresh tree/shrub nibble.

I'd put a mix of clovers in there. Patriot is a more cold hardy white clover than durana. My home is in 5a which I have a food plot, my hunting lease is 3A. Cheapest place I found durana or patriot was amazon from peddington directly. $7 a lb for a 25lb bag I think.

There is not bad time to plant clover. I Always add clover whenever and whatever I am planting. It takes time to grow. I like a mix with some medium red short perrenial clover. It grows quicker. Maybe 2 parts white perrenial to 1 part medium red. I usually get medium red, ladino, dutch white AG, some berseem, and this year I added some alphafa to the mix. that dutch white is almost like an annual, it grows real fast for me where I live. It's a hit or miss at the local Ag co-op, but I buy birdsfoot trefoil when they have it. Im also pretty happy with plotspike clover blend. They add some chicory and some crimson clover to the bag. If I cant make it to the ag co-op, I get a bag of that and add it to the "mess".

My mess I even add dandelion, plantain, and crabgrass where the area will be frequently mowed, like the hunting club parking lot and yard areas. I frequently see my critter go right past clover and hit every dandelion or plantain in my backyard plot.

I'm not sure about other locations, but there is definitely a bad time to plant perennial clover in my area. Perennial clover in general takes time to establish and some of the improved clovers like Durana take even longer than common clovers. Here, summer weeds are very much advantages against spring planted perennial clover, even faster establishing varieties like Patriot White. A perennial clover plot lasts multiple years, so taking advantages of best practices and fall planting with a WR nurse crop really makes a difference. As clover fixes N into the soil, the field becomes more and more attractive to N seeking plants like grasses. It is inevitable that eventually weeds will invade to the point that the field needs to be rotated. Even if you fight weeds with herbicides, it is a losing battle and is expensive in money and time. A spring planted perennial clover field will be over taken by weeds in many fewer years than a fall planted field with a nurse crop.

So, at least in zone 7a, I find a huge difference in when clover is planted.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[TreeDaddy]

I believe Foggy mentioned this ,but Paul Knox wrote' " Clover and WR go together like PB& J"

Those threads never get old

bill

 

[b116757]

I fall planted this very small plot last year after clearing it with my CAT 951 blowed it disc then broadcast WR and ladino one bag of the WR most of been old it didn’t germinate so re-broadcast WW and a bag of some co-op hunter mix. My deer pressure is very high and the plot looks terrible except where my exclusion cages are so I’m trying to help it along some this spring really wish I would of frost seeded it.

 

[SwampCat]

In the south, winter rye in a clover plot will be so tall by spring turkey season, the gobblers wont use the plot. I much prefer fall planted wheat in my clover plots if I am going to turkey hunt them - WR if I just want to provide some fawning cover.

 

[yoderjac]

In the south, winter rye in a clover plot will be so tall by spring turkey season, the gobblers wont use the plot. I much prefer fall planted wheat in my clover plots if I am going to turkey hunt them - WR if I just want to provide some fawning cover.

I find that with Durana, I can mow the WR back to 6" each time it gets much above a foot the first spring. This releases the clover slowly, keeps the WR growing and reducing weed competition, and makes the field attractive to turkey.

Thakns,

Jack

 

[SwampCat]

I find that with Durana, I can mow the WR back to 6" each time it gets much above a foot the first spring. This releases the clover slowly, keeps the WR growing and reducing weed competition, and makes the field attractive to turkey.

Thakns,

Jack

I could, also - if I could get to it. I usually cant get to my lowland plots with a tractor until late July of August. And even my upland plots I have taken a hands off approach.