Hey all, new here and new to habitat management. My parents have a 70 acre farm in southern MN. 30 acres is pasture/ hay for horses, 30 river bottom woods, and 10 acre low land field.
For the 10 acre lower field, it used to be in CRP. Wasn't maintained properly in terms of mowing to keep trees down, so about a third has grown up in trees. I'm working on going through and cutting down any other saplings that are popping up to keep the rest of it as field. The rest of it is native grasses, and taller weeds. Usually gets to be about 5' tall during summer, and it frequently floods for a short time in the spring.
One thing I want to try as my first food plot is doing a clover perimeter around this lower field. Should make field edge access and summer trail cam pics easier. I'm thinking about 10' wide, which should be about two strips for the tractor. I've got a 30HP tractor with a bush hog and a small disc. Family prefers not to spray roundup. If I try to do the perimeter in clover without spraying, what's the best way of going about it? Or is not spraying and trying to get clover to grow just a waste of time? Mow, till, then do fall planting with winter rye cover? Frost seed in spring?
I still need to do soil testing and everything to figure out lime/ fertilizer. Any recommendations on clover that can handle wetter springs? Was thinking of putting together a blend of Ladino, Alice, NZ and White Dutch clover. Should I add in some red clover or chicory as well? Thanks for any assistance!
For the 10 acre lower field, it used to be in CRP. Wasn't maintained properly in terms of mowing to keep trees down, so about a third has grown up in trees. I'm working on going through and cutting down any other saplings that are popping up to keep the rest of it as field. The rest of it is native grasses, and taller weeds. Usually gets to be about 5' tall during summer, and it frequently floods for a short time in the spring.
One thing I want to try as my first food plot is doing a clover perimeter around this lower field. Should make field edge access and summer trail cam pics easier. I'm thinking about 10' wide, which should be about two strips for the tractor. I've got a 30HP tractor with a bush hog and a small disc. Family prefers not to spray roundup. If I try to do the perimeter in clover without spraying, what's the best way of going about it? Or is not spraying and trying to get clover to grow just a waste of time? Mow, till, then do fall planting with winter rye cover? Frost seed in spring?
I still need to do soil testing and everything to figure out lime/ fertilizer. Any recommendations on clover that can handle wetter springs? Was thinking of putting together a blend of Ladino, Alice, NZ and White Dutch clover. Should I add in some red clover or chicory as well? Thanks for any assistance!