Frost Seeding Clover for Nitrogen

[MATT]

Hi,
I have 5 acres is west central MN that I'm going to be putting in a food plot for deer/pheasants this year. It was previously farmed on a wheat/soybean rotation.

My hope is to plant a Soybean/Milo Mix this summer to have something for late season pheasants and deer.

I was wondering if there is any benefit to frost seeding some clovers this spring if I'm going to be planting Milo/Soybean late may or early June.
Will the clovers have enough time to fix any nitrogen, or would I just be throwing money away?

Thanks,

 

[Tree Spud]

If the clover gets thick enough, it will stall germination of soybean/silo. You can always broadcast seed the clover after the soybean/milo has emerged and is 6"-8" high.

Unlikely the clover will affix any measurable nitrogen assuming you are planting the beans in May/June.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Seems like wasted energy/money for that application.

 

[bigboreblr]

What do you need to do to the plot before your plant soybeans/milo? Need to do weed control? Turning the soil with discs and/or a plow before you apply? Need to rock pick? Apply lime? Fix drainage or hedgerow maintenace?

Rye and/or red clover will help your soil. Worth having something growing there all the time. Might be a waste of time and money to some, but I try to always give them something to eat.

How are you putting the beans n milo in? Seed drill, or broadcast and stip up?

I Dont own a drill, but I would put clover in, then give it a spray of gly before seeding.

Basic broadcast an sitr in, I'd do rye or oats instead. Easier to kill.

Do you know the last few rotations at that site? Wouldn't do a year 3 of beans. By me year or corn, followed by 2 years of beans. Either one 2 years max before you rotate. Somtime markets favor one over the other. Dont want to do 3 years, might have problems with certain diseases or insects if you do a crop too long.

 

[Foggy47]

I would consider spraying it in spring and planting a cereal rye to suppress weeds and scavage any nitrogen for your beans and milo. Then you might plant into the rye and then roll that rye over your crops within two weeks to provide a mulch for your new crop. If you don't have the means to roll it....you could also mow it (flail being preferred).....or cultipack it a few times.

 

[MATT]

Thanks for the input everyone.

A brief history, last year the field was wheat, the year before that soybeans. It was lightly worked last fall in prep for CRP grass planting. I was able to carve out 5 acres for food plot.
On the property I currently have about 2 acres of foodplots that get planted in the Lick Creek rye mix via the throw, mow and spray approach.

For equipment I have a sprayer, mower (brush hog) and spreader. I also have access to a disc and cultivator.
To plant the bean/milo mix, i'm hoping to find a planter or drill to use.

Maybe a mix of cereal grains with a bit of clover would be a better plan than just clover.
Would throw, mow and spray into a spring planted rye, oat and/or wheat work with a soybean/milo mix?

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I have a hard time seeing anything spring planted putting on significant growth by late May / early June?