I plan on frost seeding red clover next week for the first time. My question is, will it be worth running the cultipacker over it after I seed or am I wasting my time? There is no snow on the field and there are freezing and thawing cycles next week. If I ran the packer over it, I would do it with the temps around 45 degrees during the day then at night we are supposed to get a couple days of 28-31.
Frost seeding clover
- Thread starter BobinCt
- Start date
FarmerDan
5 year old buck +
Well Bob, if you run the cultipacker over your seeding then we need to take away your membership in the Frost Seeding Society! The whole idea of frost seeding is to let Mother (Nature) be your cultipacker! Your membership aside, cultipack away. Seems to me it can only help. And if you do you can probably reduce your seeding rate and get the same result.
Diesel5610
5 year old buck +
The beauty of frost seeding is the simplicity and effectiveness of it. Try it and see how well it works. I am doing a bunch of frost seeding next week as well, the weather is going to be perfect for it. You can cultipack if you want but I don’t think it will improve your results by any measurable amount.
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Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
I think the freeze / thaw cycle takes the seed down about 1/4" or so. We don't cultipack our clover when frost seeding.
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
I agree, if you are truly frost seeding, there is no need to run a cultipacker. I don't see where it would do much if any good on frozen ground.
Derek Reese 29
5 year old buck +
Frost seeded around 3 acres this week just spread it and walked away. Have had great success doing this but it works best on plots that have some bare ground showing...now the hard part of waiting for germination and growth begins!
fishin coyote
5 year old buck +
Did my gas line today. Hopefully we don’t get to much rain in the next couple of days before the cold moves back in
I feel your pain! Was -20 here Thursday morning!
356
5 year old buck +
I lived in Tower, Hibbing and Hallock MN for many years and understand. That said, I just finished frost seeding the trail to the back of our property. Excellent weather in the forecast, with rain/snow/freeze/thaw this week. I must say I love the "four seasons" of NW Missouri.
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
cultipacking will likely do damage to exisiting clover root systems damaging the tops of the roots in the muds shearing them from the lower frozen stuff.
the cultipacker will likely be a muddy mess too.
the cultipacker will likely be a muddy mess too.
Derek Reese 29
5 year old buck +
Frost seeded almost 3 acres this weekend...lots of good ground showing in between the existing clover and rye that is starting to green up....now just waiting for the almost 1" of rain to hit...hopefully it doesnt get washed away too bad...but its gonna cool off and get some rain/snow mix days and some good freeze/thawing this week..
![IMG_5822[1].JPG](https://habitat-talk.com/data/attachments/41/41799-76f310b79418cb63274e378f10ba841d.jpg "IMG_5822[1].JPG")
![IMG_5823[1].JPG](https://habitat-talk.com/data/attachments/41/41800-3e92cd6736ddae760f7b180cd98e8d1d.jpg "IMG_5823[1].JPG")
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bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
I have my foodplots in a snowmobile trail. And like some of us on here, our hunting spots are not down the road. So, we do what we can when we can.
Is frost seeding bad right before the winter hits, Like early to mid december in northern NY. Definitely cold enough for existing clover to not to grow. Or, sometimes Im there and there is still soft snow in the trail in march, like a soft 4-6 inches with bald spots. Sometimes theres some snow in december, but more is going over it. Ok, is better than not at all. Question is how ok is it?
Sometimes I spread seed in the 3rd week of april into the soil. Not wasting much time or money, but curious of the effectiveness of it.
What clover do you guys like to use and why? I have been using a mix of ladino / common medium red perrenial / sometimes dutch white. In my main spot, I am thinking of annual august reseeding clover n small grains. My other spots have been keep the clover going until it looks like a weedy mess.... I frost seed / spring seed and august add seed to fertilizer. Mowed usually 3 times a year to 4 inches or so. Going to try 6 inches this year with my mower lift kit (swisher 44 rough cut). In my annual redo plot, I am thinking of trying arrowleaf in the spring, and some sort of perennial red in the fall. May do a big till, might just scratch some bare areas and spread seed n roll with the tires. But, looking into a making a grain n legumes woods type spike roller seeder. I do own a sprayer and use roundup and clethodim.
Just went to the pump today and it said 4.35 a gallon. Each trip to my cabin and back is $170 in gas now........ Gonna try hard to do it right and hit it hard when I do. Definitely using vacation time each trip too.
Is frost seeding bad right before the winter hits, Like early to mid december in northern NY. Definitely cold enough for existing clover to not to grow. Or, sometimes Im there and there is still soft snow in the trail in march, like a soft 4-6 inches with bald spots. Sometimes theres some snow in december, but more is going over it. Ok, is better than not at all. Question is how ok is it?
Sometimes I spread seed in the 3rd week of april into the soil. Not wasting much time or money, but curious of the effectiveness of it.
What clover do you guys like to use and why? I have been using a mix of ladino / common medium red perrenial / sometimes dutch white. In my main spot, I am thinking of annual august reseeding clover n small grains. My other spots have been keep the clover going until it looks like a weedy mess.... I frost seed / spring seed and august add seed to fertilizer. Mowed usually 3 times a year to 4 inches or so. Going to try 6 inches this year with my mower lift kit (swisher 44 rough cut). In my annual redo plot, I am thinking of trying arrowleaf in the spring, and some sort of perennial red in the fall. May do a big till, might just scratch some bare areas and spread seed n roll with the tires. But, looking into a making a grain n legumes woods type spike roller seeder. I do own a sprayer and use roundup and clethodim.
Just went to the pump today and it said 4.35 a gallon. Each trip to my cabin and back is $170 in gas now........ Gonna try hard to do it right and hit it hard when I do. Definitely using vacation time each trip too.
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
If can frost seed before you get snow on the ground with hard seed like perennial clover, it works better. As you suggest, planting perennial clover with a cereal grain like winter rye as a nurse crops works best. It takes time for perennial clover to put down a root system and establish. I'll mow the WR in the first spring when it begins to shade out the clover. After that I just ignore weeds. I'll mow once a year in the fall before the season when night turn cool favoring the clover. Clover bounces back strong and retakes the field. Deer don't mind the weeds and many are as good or better than the clover for deer. Clover fixes N into the soil making it attractive to grasses. As you say, they eventually dominate the field after enough years. At that point, it is time to rotate to a crop that uses the N that has been banked before planting clover again. Buckwheat works well for summer with T&M and cultipacking. WR & PTT surface broadcast well for fall/winter. After that you can rotate back to perennial clover.
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
I enjoy the turnips. Im in my stand mid october with my TVM virginia rifle, and there's 15-20 ruffed grouse in my plot going nuts over the shoots. The males are fighting like they do in the spring. Definitely helps you stay awake in the afternoon.
Besides sedge grass and goldenrod, the lleaves are a problem in my plot too.
Looking more into clover, I am clover confused now...... Ladino is defintely staying the cabin yard and parking lot. They're moved monthly. Deer density isn't high, but they hit these smaller plots 1/8 acre sized plots and the trails like bandits. So, medium red clover might not be the best. I've wandered away from imperial clover over the years, in favor of common AG varieties sold per lb at the local Agway coop.
I use about 15lb of clover a year, I'm debating on biting the bullet and getting a 50lb bag, maybe durana clover, maybe ladino. Either one I go with, I will still buy ladino to seed the lawn areas t home and at camp.. I'll give arrowleaf a shot in new plot areas, and maybe one corner of the snowmobile trail to see how it lives.
Besides sedge grass and goldenrod, the lleaves are a problem in my plot too.
Looking more into clover, I am clover confused now...... Ladino is defintely staying the cabin yard and parking lot. They're moved monthly. Deer density isn't high, but they hit these smaller plots 1/8 acre sized plots and the trails like bandits. So, medium red clover might not be the best. I've wandered away from imperial clover over the years, in favor of common AG varieties sold per lb at the local Agway coop.
I use about 15lb of clover a year, I'm debating on biting the bullet and getting a 50lb bag, maybe durana clover, maybe ladino. Either one I go with, I will still buy ladino to seed the lawn areas t home and at camp.. I'll give arrowleaf a shot in new plot areas, and maybe one corner of the snowmobile trail to see how it lives.
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
I frost seeded last week. I usually mix lime and clover together and broadcast spread it. However, I am getting sick of the dust. And the dust isnt good for you, or your ATV either.
I used a solo 421 shoulder strap spreader. Just thre the seed by itself, and slowly opened the lever until I felt seed hitting my hand. it was getting dark after work and it was real windy, neither is ideal. But, I spreaded it. Did a little over 1lb on a 1/4-1/3 acre spot. Its an old apple orchard, so I did 2 passes on each side of the trre hill rows, and spread the lower areas that dont flood in the spring. The spreader worked great for it. Had the thing for a few years, but never like it much.
I used to have that 1/3 acre spot at home, a 1/4 acre plot at camp, and frost seed maybe another 1/4-1/6 acre cabin lawn and parking lot. Now I got 2 acres of clover plots up there, 2 small 1/10 acre shooting lanes by guest trrestands. And I donate my time to a 1/4 acre plot for the neighbors hunting camp for good gesture. Makes all that foot work easier without spreading lime with it. I used to drag the bags in with a ice fishing sled too.
Probably 1/2 of the clover is basic ag medium red, 1/4 ladino, and 1/4 dutch white. All basic coop AG varieties. Not ideal, but im learning. I still think putting a mix of medium red and ladino isnt a bad choice for establishing a new plot. Especially when doing clover alone without a nursery crop. Going to switch to durana in the fall.
I used a solo 421 shoulder strap spreader. Just thre the seed by itself, and slowly opened the lever until I felt seed hitting my hand. it was getting dark after work and it was real windy, neither is ideal. But, I spreaded it. Did a little over 1lb on a 1/4-1/3 acre spot. Its an old apple orchard, so I did 2 passes on each side of the trre hill rows, and spread the lower areas that dont flood in the spring. The spreader worked great for it. Had the thing for a few years, but never like it much.
I used to have that 1/3 acre spot at home, a 1/4 acre plot at camp, and frost seed maybe another 1/4-1/6 acre cabin lawn and parking lot. Now I got 2 acres of clover plots up there, 2 small 1/10 acre shooting lanes by guest trrestands. And I donate my time to a 1/4 acre plot for the neighbors hunting camp for good gesture. Makes all that foot work easier without spreading lime with it. I used to drag the bags in with a ice fishing sled too.
Probably 1/2 of the clover is basic ag medium red, 1/4 ladino, and 1/4 dutch white. All basic coop AG varieties. Not ideal, but im learning. I still think putting a mix of medium red and ladino isnt a bad choice for establishing a new plot. Especially when doing clover alone without a nursery crop. Going to switch to durana in the fall.
