Frost seed clover for fall food plots

[Bszweda]

My fall food plots were a bust this year due to lack of rain. I'm trying to decide what to do next year. Should I attempt to plant 5 acres of clover by Frost seeding this winter? Then just hopefully mow it as needed if it gets established? I feel that might be easier and less risky then try to plant fall food plots again. I was thinking about doing buckwheat / Jeff Sturgis method. Just wanted everyone's input as if the clover gets established it would be more tolerant to drought so id at least have something in the fall.

 

[356]

I started frost seeding four seasons ago. I do not mow my clover, but it has established well, and has served as a great supplemental and early season brows.

I frost seed a one acre plot and several of our access trails. So nothing on the scale of 5 acres.

Clover does not need to be a monoculture. I’ve done clover and rye with good results.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

You could put some oats as a nursery crop? Can’t frost seed them and I don’t know how you’re getting your seeds in the ground (thinking it would work best broadcastin) but just putting them in with the clover will make the oats more of a target for the deer in the early spring and they might leave your new clover alone more..also if you have rye in the plot from the fall it will come up and help shepherd the new clover..this happened to me a couple years ago when we had a drought and I couldn’t believe how good the rye and clover looked the next spring after being a dust bowl the preceding fall..

 

[bigboreblr]

2nd to oats. Also toss in some chickory. Could put some winter peas in there too. If waiting till spring, hy not do wheat and leave it all season, then throw some rye in it if summer doesn't pan out well.

If you feel the previous winter is like this one, assume drought again. I'd look for a winter/spring planted crop, then something late fall. You got 5 acres, split it up some. I'd clover it all for now.

 

[FarmerDan]

My fall food plots were a bust this year due to lack of rain. I'm trying to decide what to do next year. Should I attempt to plant 5 acres of clover by Frost seeding this winter? Then just hopefully mow it as needed if it gets established? I feel that might be easier and less risky then try to pla nt fall food plots again. I was thinking about doing buckwheat / Jeff Sturgis method. Just wanted everyone's input as if the clover gets established it would be more tolerant to drought so id at least have something in the fall.

Well.....What did you plant this year that busted in the fall? If it was clover I wouldn't give up on it yet. It has a very hard seed coat and will wait a long time before it germinates once it gets enough moisture. I think we all subscribe to the idea that fall planted clover performs best but, here in Virginia, October tends to be the driest month of the year. So we sow and hope and wait. I am not a big fan of frost seeding. I think it a crap shoot. If you do time it right you'll have success. The average (I hate averages) germination rate of frost seeded clover is less than 50%. Oats? I have had zero success just throwing oats on the ground and getting any useful production. I think that seed needs to be in the ground. But, in this game anything is possible. I guess if it were me, knowing what little I know about your situation and if your fall planting was truly destitute I might plant soybeans for a summer crop and then seed the clover with some oats and/or rye in the fall. Seems to me that covers food for three seasons and gets you, possibly, into a healthy stand of clover in the third season starting next spring. Just one thought. There are many others to consider.

 

[omicron1792]

I’m with farmer. I’ve never had oats do worth a dang with broadcasting. I will say for 5 acres buy a cheap bag of any annual clover about 10-20lbs and frost seed. Can’t hurt anything. But I bet farmer is right on you’ll get better spring growth than you think.

 

[Bszweda]

I used granda ray outdoors inner sanctum this fall. It was broadcasted into bush hogged / burned down with gly and cultipacked . It didn't look like I had any germination. I talked with my habitat guy who does the planting and were going to try to get clover established this spring.

 

[Bill]

I've never frost seeded clover. Not saying it doesn't work, I just never tried. I've fall planted with rye and had success and spring planted into disked ground with rye and oats and had success. I've never had success just broadcasting oats. Rye works but oats seem to like more soil contact. Again in my limited experience.

 

[bigboreblr]

Over the summer plantain was discussed a bit. I have it growing naturally in my home food plot I also have broadcasted it at camp in the parking lot, lawn, and trail areas.

I have broadcasted both common (round leaved) and English (long leaf) plantain. It's one of those crops where you need some frost activity to perk interest into it. It does get eaten some before frost, but at y house gets hammered after a few frosts. Positive, it's tough to kill. Negative, its tough to kill. Acts alot like clover when sprayed with gly. Stunts it good to allow other plants to start growing. I sprayed everything dead over labor day. The plantain was getting a bit too thick.

Plantain (Boston)

Plantain is a low-growing forb that, like chicory, is high in minerals. It also contains a natural antibiotic compound that helps reduce infections and also modifies rumen fermentation to improve animal performance, similar to an ionophore like Rumensin. It grows very well on compacted soils and...

store.greencover.com

Frost seeding works, but germination isn't as good as tillage if your establishing. If I was really worried about drought, frost seeding, then light gly and light discing some cereal grains in mixed in with clover, then cultipacked would be a good way to go.

Oats and broadcating. Think I 've had luck on my side. Good wet springs, residual thatch, and rolled in good. Did that with plenty of ATV passes with a tire drag. A wet spring and sandy soil thats easy to get roots into could be the trick. Males root depth before it needs it mositure wise.

 

[omicron1792]

Over the summer plantain was discussed a bit. I have it growing naturally in my home food plot I also have broadcasted it at camp in the parking lot, lawn, and trail areas.

I have broadcasted both common (round leaved) and English (long leaf) plantain. It's one of those crops where you need some frost activity to perk interest into it. It does get eaten some before frost, but at y house gets hammered after a few frosts. Positive, it's tough to kill. Negative, its tough to kill. Acts alot like clover when sprayed with gly. Stunts it good to allow other plants to start growing. I sprayed everything dead over labor day. The plantain was getting a bit too thick.

Plantain (Boston)

Plantain is a low-growing forb that, like chicory, is high in minerals. It also contains a natural antibiotic compound that helps reduce infections and also modifies rumen fermentation to improve animal performance, similar to an ionophore like Rumensin. It grows very well on compacted soils and...

store.greencover.com

Frost seeding works, but germination isn't as good as tillage if your establishing. If I was really worried about drought, frost seeding, then light gly and light discing some cereal grains in mixed in with clover, then cultipacked would be a good way to go.

Oats and broadcating. Think I 've had luck on my side. Good wet springs, residual thatch, and rolled in good. Did that with plenty of ATV passes with a tire drag. A wet spring and sandy soil thats easy to get roots into could be the trick. Males root depth before it needs it mositure wise.

I guess I don’t really view dragging and packing as broadcasting. I think oats will do fine with cultipacking.

Cool on the plantain. I added some this year to the mix b

 

[Wanabhunter]

I was thinking of frosting seeding here in upstate NY. Was going to use a clover and a chicory seed.
Can I throw the seed over existing grass or does it have to be soil under the snow? (Currently have 1-3” of snow and a warm front coming so I want to try this). Will this work?

Below is the one area I want to do this and the other side is like mowed grass and want to try it there as well ?

 

[omicron1792]

I was thinking of frosting seeding here in upstate NY. Was going to use a clover and a chicory seed.
Can I throw the seed over existing grass or does it have to be soil under the snow? (Currently have 1-3” of snow and a warm front coming so I want to try this). Will this work?

Below is the one area I want to do this and the other side is like mowed grass and want to try it there as well View attachment 62679?

I would consider a blower before frost seeding. Or actually just plant it like normal with a disc and cumtipacker. Not gonna get great seed to soil contact with the litter.

 

[Maddog66]

I’ve had very good luck frost seeding clover and chicory in Z3.

I frost seed about 1.5x the normal rate into spent brassicas, in spring I’ll hit it with a few bags of low N fertilizer , and by fall it will look good……but by the following spring it will look great!

I seeded about 3 acres three weeks ago.

I’ve never tried it over the top of leaves like that pic above. I agree with the backpack blower first in that case.

Think about seed/soil contact and sunlight….pray for rain. My GUESS is that a liberal dose of lime will help too.

 

[Brian662]

Could also consider burning off the leaf litter/grasses. Will need partial sunlight at a minimum, so be sure it has as much as possible.

 

[omicron1792]

Could also consider burning off the leaf litter/grasses. Will need partial sunlight at a minimum, so be sure it has as much as possible.

You see that @Baker shed thread Brian? How nuts is that?

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

There are a lot of tall trees in that picture, so I don't think much sunlight will be hitting the ground there. You would have better luck if you found a location that receives more sun, but on the other hand, seed is fairly cheap so you wouldn't be out much if it didn't grow.