Thank you! It's pretty well accepted that variety is beneficial not only to the wildlife but for soil health as well. That being said, your cafeteria food plot experiment was influential in my smorgasbord approach
Newbie - Recommendations!
- Thread starter Newbie
- Start date
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
I always use a bunch of varieties of clover.
I will say early sometimes it is nice to only use 2. You can see what does well and why and then adjust the next cycle. The ones I use now are ones that I know do well in certain situations.
I will say early sometimes it is nice to only use 2. You can see what does well and why and then adjust the next cycle. The ones I use now are ones that I know do well in certain situations.
I know it depends on a number of variables, but generally speaking, how many total #/acre do you recommend for clover?
For simplicities sake, if we assume 10#/acre and you want two varieties you just bring the total # to 10? I may be oversimplifying.
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
Great question.
Those numbers are almost always for tilled and prepared ground. Throwing into a hayfield will require lots more seed to have a decent plot.
That said
It’s usually not half. So if you put 10lbs of one seed, I would put 6-7lbs of two seeds. Something like 60-70% of the single seed amount per seed.
People get down to really low amounts of clover a year, but that’s after planting clover many years in a row and they are getting a lot of free seed from the previous crop. Or it’s on really fertile ground prepared really well.
Those numbers are almost always for tilled and prepared ground. Throwing into a hayfield will require lots more seed to have a decent plot.
That said
It’s usually not half. So if you put 10lbs of one seed, I would put 6-7lbs of two seeds. Something like 60-70% of the single seed amount per seed.
People get down to really low amounts of clover a year, but that’s after planting clover many years in a row and they are getting a lot of free seed from the previous crop. Or it’s on really fertile ground prepared really well.
Thank you! That tracks with my experience last year. It is essentially an unprepped overgrown hayfield. I had good luck last year in a section where I did NOT mow and instead sprayed, waited for the seed bed to sprout again, then spray again & throw and roll. That being said, I don't even want to know what the #/acre would have been if I calculated it. It was a small plot and I know I threw a ton of seed.
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
I would rather use more seed than have a bad plot!
That said over time it gets easier. After a few years you can cut it and not put more seed and it will look great. But I always add some new seed yearly too.
If you haven’t read it, read the throw and mow thread. Very good info for your situation.
That said over time it gets easier. After a few years you can cut it and not put more seed and it will look great. But I always add some new seed yearly too.
If you haven’t read it, read the throw and mow thread. Very good info for your situation.
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
Alsike is a good clover to mix in with the others. Alsike does well in wetter, poorer soil. We've used it in poorer areas with good results. We did Alsike, medium red, and Ladino together.
Derek Reese 29
5 year old buck +
I would add mammoth red to that mix and you have my “all but fool proof” mix…add some purple top and pasja turnips and maybe some Winfred brassica later In the summer with some rye even later on after a good low mowing and you’re good to go till the next spring!
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
How is the thatch layer u der the existing grass? You moght need to initially stir that up to get seed to soil.contact. a little harrowing or light discing might be needed to get those clovers going.
