Question on the red clover in cereal mix

[BJE80]

So here is my question. Why put annual red clover in the cereal mix of the LC plan when I believe it will be killed about 3 weeks after germination? Say I plant, mid to late Aug and my first killing Frost is in September. Don't the peas put N back in where the red clover isn't necessary? I'm sure there is a reason I just want to know why.

 

[BJE80]

I'm guessing you're talking about crimson clover? Red is a perennial or biennial. Crimson won't die from a frost, it takes temps around 15 degrees or so to kill it. In years where snow comes (and stays) before temps get into the teens I've seen crimson make it through the winter.

I'm talking about the "Red Clover".


Cereal Grain combo in 45% of plot
Winter rye 50-80#'s per acre (56#'s = a bushel)
Spring oats 80-120#'s per acre (32#'s = a bushel)
Frostmaster Winter Peas or 4010/6040 Forage peas 20-80#'s per acre
Red Clover 8-12#'s per acre or white clover at 6#'s per acre (or 20-40 pounds hairy vetch and 20-30#'s crimson clover on sandy soils)
Groundhog Forage Radish 5#'s per acre
Plant in late August to early September, if following well fertilized brassicas use 100 - 200#'s of urea, if starting a new plot add 400#'s of 6-28-28


So the red clover will come up the next spring? That is the reason?

 

[BJE80]

Yep, red clover will come up next spring or this fall if it happens to be a warm, extended fall.

I believe Paul uses Mammoth Red Clover. Its cheap and fixes a lot of nitrogen. It will hold the soil along with the rye next spring/summer and add N. Peas are usually wiped out long before they're gonna add much N. The red clover will add the N when you till it under/terminate it next August/September when you replant.

Ok makes sense. Thanks. I could not figure this out but I was confusing crimson and red. Thanks.

 

[scott44]

I usually plant the cheapest perrenial red clover I can find, last year I had some partial bags of different clovers so I just used them and it worked ok.