Frost Seeding Cereal Grains

[farmlegend]

In my 25 years of foodplotting, the most foolproof planting tactic I’ve ever employed has been the frostseeding of clovers. I’m talking 100% success and zero disappointments. And that’s a really good thing, because my dirt loves clover and my deer have a high preference for clover, to the point of aggressively digging through snow to eat it every damn winter(and these are the same fussy deer that will not eat any type of rape, turnip, winter pea, and are generally quite picky about some other common deer plantings). I frostseed some clover someplace, every year.

This year, I plan on doing some experiments on some recent clover plots I established on plots of winter wheat by broadcasting my seed last March. There will be plenty of exposed dirt on these plots by the time my deer get through with them this winter. Some of the seeds I will be frost seeding soon include forage collard, Boston plantain, Korean lespedeza, and Endure chicory (which is purportedly more tolerant of wettish soils than all three other varieties of chicory I’ve tried, which have not done very well).

I’d like to also throw some cereal grains down with this year’s experimental frostseed mix. Having experienced allelopathic issues with cereal rye I’ve planted coexisting with other things I’ve seeded, I’m considering using oats, wheat(a historically great performer for me when planted in the fall), or spring triticale.

I’m also interested in getting some carbon-producing plants(grains, chicory, plantain, collard, and cereals) growing in these food plots to hopefully keep my clover plot enemies at bay for a couple years, the usual culprits being coolseason grasses.

Anyone here with any experience frostseeding cereals?

 

[SD51555]

Anyone here with any experience frostseeding cereals?

I got it to work once. Every other time it did not work, less than 0.01% success.

Have you ever planted your clovers in the fall? I'm curious if anyone has seen better stand formation from frost seeding vs fall seeding with a winter cereal. I'm open to change, but that's the bar.

 

[farmlegend]

I got it to work once. Every other time it did not work, less than 0.01% success.

Have you ever planted your clovers in the fall? I'm curious if anyone has seen better stand formation from frost seeding vs fall seeding with a winter cereal. I'm open to change, but that's the bar.

Yes indeed. Always along with wheat or oats. Success was usually pretty good.

Frostseeding into wheat(usually in March or early April in my area) has performed better, all in all. My #1 clover of choice these days is Alice White that I've been buying from Welter, it outperforms the various varieties of ladinos I used to go with. Wetter spots, alsike - I've literally spread alsike seed on iced-over spots that were ponded when the ice melted and still had pretty good stands of it.

Granted, it may not happen that often, but fall plantings are vulnerable to occurring concurrent with a year of 50 year August-September drought (like 2024 at my place).

I'm a fan of plain old medium red as well.

 

[bigboreblr]

done a few times, none successful. Try it as late as you can. Also done it with tillage, no luck there either.

Some seeds dont like frosts in their early growth life. Even some clovers are like that.

 

[farmlegend]

done a few times, none successful. Try it as late as you can. Also done it with tillage, no luck there either.

Some seeds dont like frosts in their early growth life. Even some clovers are like that.

I can believe it. Alfalfa didn't do so well the times I tried frostseeding it. If I throw some cereals down, I'll wait until April. I believe Kroll mentioned frostseeding oats at a property he helped manage in my state. I may try some of it, though every time I planted oats conventionally in the spring they got a bad case of rust.

All the clovers I've frostseeded have been boffo. In my decades of foodplotting, I've had countless things go wrong - and I'd have to say(at the risk of jinxing myself) that frostseeding clover is the only tactic that has never failed me. It just seems to work well on my dirt, YMMV.

 

[Mike]

I have always done perennial clovers late summer. Have yet to experience failure. Never get much growth that fall but the following spring the clover is able to really take advantage of the moisture from snowmelt and any spring rains. Even if you get a hot dry summer the clover has had time to establish mature roots and will come back late summer when more dependable rains arrive. This has also allowed me to prep the site earlier in the spring and summer and get any weed competition under control.

 

[bigboreblr]

Ladino is my insurance policy. Whatever I grow, it will not out compete it. IT'll stay alive in the background. If my main offering fails, likely the clover will sit there dormant until it has enough rain to grow. Also, if your late to the game far as frost date goes, it usually does just fine.

 

[farmlegend]

I owe this thread an update. I had a bit of frostseeded rye that came up, and a teeny bit of wheat. Chaulk it up to paying tuition. Won't frostseed cereals again.

Had excellent frostseeding results from Boston Plantain, and fair-to-decent with Endure Chicory (satisfied with this - other chicory varieties tried in previous years were overall failures).

All of the alice white, medium red, and alsike clovers I frostseeded kickedass and came in wonderfully. Frostseeding these clovers has been the most reliable foodplotting tactic in my arsenal for decades. Other white clovers (ladinos, white dutch) have done well in the past, but don't really persist as well on my dirt as the go-to's).

Neither the balansa or YBSC did very well. Had to look to find them. Those seeds, along with various alfalfas which I've tried in previous seasons, are likely much better planted in the fall along with a couple rosaries for rain.

 

[bigboreblr]

Ive read balansa clover can and cant be frost seeded.

As long as mother nature cooperates, I think a weed controlled, prepared seed bed clover plot in the fall is about the best way to introduce clover to a spot. However, frost seeding works well too. I have had some late season clover and early fail on me at camp. Usually years with little to no snow cover to protect from real bad freezes.

I am frost seeding a spot I applied clethodim around labor day. See if that helps out. It's a mowed every 3 week or so spot, but 4 or 5 inches tall deck height. Family gets grumpy seeing it too rough.

Who has that endure chicory? One of my my problems at camp its too wet for too long. Usually from several feet of snow melt. Not so much puddling, but everything is saturated. Looking to cut back what I do up there Labor and money wise. Hoping to make perennial plots I do major work on every 2 or 3 years,and just focus on one or two plots a year instead of 4 or 5.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Ive read balansa clover can and cant be frost seeded.

As long as mother nature cooperates, I think a weed controlled, prepared seed bed clover plot in the fall is about the best way to introduce clover to a spot. However, frost seeding works well too. I have had some late season clover and early fail on me at camp. Usually years with little to no snow cover to protect from real bad freezes.

I am frost seeding a spot I applied clethodim around labor day. See if that helps out. It's a mowed every 3 week or so spot, but 4 or 5 inches tall deck height. Family gets grumpy seeing it too rough.

Who has that endure chicory? One of my my problems at camp its too wet for too long. Usually from several feet of snow melt. Not so much puddling, but everything is saturated. Looking to cut back what I do up there Labor and money wise. Hoping to make perennial plots I do major work on every 2 or 3 years,and just focus on one or two plots a year instead of 4 or 5.

Green Cover. I can get it and save you the shipping if you have a tree order in. LOL I planted it for the 1st time last year and was very impressed. Deer consistently fed in it late Summer into Fall.