Spring Appearance of Fall Planted Clover

[SD51555]

SD above posts by Buehler of why his clover is not germinating or filling in. Thank you

I'm new to red clover, so I can't offer anything more than a wild guess. I never purchased red clover, but got a plot full of it when I opened up my road plot. Into the full second growing season, I produced a massive crop of red clover and it went to seed and browned down on it's own. I also had balansa do the same. I rolled it down thinking I'd have 100x the clover seed I needed from what grew and matured.

The following year, which is now, I'm not seeing a ton of clover. It's still very early up by me. Things will go fast now over the next 6 weeks, especially as we barrel towards the summer solstice. I spread a rescue seeding in September to see if I could keep the crop going, but again, still too early to say what I'm going to get.

My theory was the clover seed was stuck in dried seed heads and never contacted the soil because it was gently pressed flat.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I'm new to red clover, so I can't offer anything more than a wild guess. I never purchased red clover, but got a plot full of it when I opened up my road plot. Into the full second growing season, I produced a massive crop of red clover and it went to seed and browned down on it's own. I also had balansa do the same. I rolled it down thinking I'd have 100x the clover seed I needed from what grew and matured.

The following year, which is now, I'm not seeing a ton of clover. It's still very early up by me. Things will go fast now over the next 6 weeks, especially as we barrel towards the summer solstice. I spread a rescue seeding in September to see if I could keep the crop going, but again, still too early to say what I'm going to get.

My theory was the clover seed was stuck in dried seed heads and never contacted the soil because it was gently pressed flat.

With no rolling, pressing, self-seeding (because it wasn't there before), or even trying to grow clover in lawns and other places we don't want it - I'd like to know how it gets there. Clover in lawns around our neighborhood is considered an eyesore. I'd love to have it pop up like that in food plots with no effort!!!

 

[omicron1792]

With no rolling, pressing, self-seeding (because it wasn't there before), or even trying to grow clover in lawns and other places we don't want it - I'd like to know how it gets there. Clover in lawns around our neighborhood is considered an eyesore. I'd love to have it pop up like that in food plots with no effort!!!

I was at our local baseball field and an area around the batting cages was the thickest, most lush white clover I have ever seen. I was thinking man sometimes it grows better as a weed than when I want to cultivate it.

Heck there wasn’t even any other weeds or grass in it. Just pure flowering clover.

 

[matinc]

Another thought what does the group think if you just mowed your fields at 4 inches and kept planting more ladino every year. Basically a grass plot with any number of different plants growing. Maybe mow the field twice a year.

 

[omicron1792]

Another thought what does the group think if you just mowed your fields at 4 inches and kept planting more ladino every year. Basically a grass plot with any number of different plants growing. Maybe mow the field twice a year.

Mowing makes grass get thicker.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Another thought what does the group think if you just mowed your fields at 4 inches and kept planting more ladino every year. Basically a grass plot with any number of different plants growing. Maybe mow the field twice a year.

^ ^ ^ Years ago, before we started planting clover and other food plots at camp, deer would commonly come into the lawn of the cabin itself to eat the white Dutch clover that was in the lawn. Ever since we started planting food plots, the deer pretty much stay out of the lawn for foraging purposes.

 

[SD51555]

With no rolling, pressing, self-seeding (because it wasn't there before), or even trying to grow clover in lawns and other places we don't want it - I'd like to know how it gets there. Clover in lawns around our neighborhood is considered an eyesore. I'd love to have it pop up like that in food plots with no effort!!!

Some natural seeds have amazing staying power in the soil. They can resist germination for decades waiting for just the right time to go. Think thistle, dogwood, clovers, jackpine.

All kinds of events trigger changes in organic acids in the soil, and that can be the call.


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[SD51555]

If you see a pile of scat full of seeds, if you don’t want to pick it up and move it, give it a kick, because those are all ready to go.


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[matinc]

SD watching white clover explode in a yard without being planted would it take over a plot if it were mowed and reseeded every year

 

[farmlegend]

The main theme I’m trying to convey is, if the ground won’t grow what you want, grow what it can first to fix the problem, then switch it over.


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A+.

It only took me decades of playing whack-a-mole with food plot “weeds” to figure this out.

And it was right there staring me in the face all along.

Ask - what seemingly wants to grow in that spot? Why is it growing there, and not some place else? What are the plants trying to accomplish? Why do the enemy plants remain enemies, in spite of my efforts to make them go away? And then, how to work with what I’ve got so as to achieve a good outcome?

Makes me wonder what other truths of life I fail to see while pounding on the square peg.

 

[Joe Buck]

Update on the results of our reseeding of Clover April 28th. We planted 39 lbs. of clover April 28th in Central Wis. Sands Area on approx. 1 3/4 acres. We used 15lbs. Jumbo Ladino and 24lbs. Aberlasting Clover. We used a Solo hand spreader and we went over twice with the cultipacker. We got some heavy rain that night and then some more rain 3 days later. No more rain until I went there May 10th (two weeks after planting). Was expecting to see a fair amount of clover sprouts and there was almost nothing. Was very disappointed. We got 1.35 inches rain May15th and 1.48 inches May 20th.. Stopped May 30th and we have a field full of Brohm Grass about 8 to 10 inches high and seeded out. There is some clover that is growing in places but overall not much under the Brohm Grass. There are spots where we got a fair amount of germination from the Aberlasting but almost nothing in the 2 areas we planted the Jumbo Ladino. With all the rain we were hoping for so much more. We got another .74 inches of rain this afternoon. Am planning on going up there this Thursday to cut the Brohm Grass and weeds that are starting to grow before the seed heads ripen. So far it's been pretty much a failure. Since last Fall we have planted 58lbs. of Clover in that 1 3/4 acre food plot. With almost nothing to show for it. Anybody reading this thread may want to go back to the beginning to see how this all started. Just a quick note to Bueller. I know you are only a few miles away from us. Based on your post I know for sure now we lost everything this last Winter as well. Just to cold with almost 2 months of no snow cover. No idea why we have had such terrible germination this Spring.

 

[matinc]

Joe 60 pounds of clover on less than 2 acres and no results? Do you have any pics to show?

 

[matinc]

Check out the sweet clover thread by SD. This is how I am planting this year based on SD information and observations

 

[Joe Buck]

i have some picts. on my phone but will have to get them to my computer to attach, will try to do that tomorrow.

 

[SD51555]

Update on the results of our reseeding of Clover April 28th. We planted 39 lbs. of clover April 28th in Central Wis. Sands Area on approx. 1 3/4 acres. We used 15lbs. Jumbo Ladino and 24lbs. Aberlasting Clover. We used a Solo hand spreader and we went over twice with the cultipacker. We got some heavy rain that night and then some more rain 3 days later. No more rain until I went there May 10th (two weeks after planting). Was expecting to see a fair amount of clover sprouts and there was almost nothing. Was very disappointed. We got 1.35 inches rain May15th and 1.48 inches May 20th.. Stopped May 30th and we have a field full of Brohm Grass about 8 to 10 inches high and seeded out. There is some clover that is growing in places but overall not much under the Brohm Grass. There are spots where we got a fair amount of germination from the Aberlasting but almost nothing in the 2 areas we planted the Jumbo Ladino. With all the rain we were hoping for so much more. We got another .74 inches of rain this afternoon. Am planning on going up there this Thursday to cut the Brohm Grass and weeds that are starting to grow before the seed heads ripen. So far it's been pretty much a failure. Since last Fall we have planted 58lbs. of Clover in that 1 3/4 acre food plot. With almost nothing to show for it. Anybody reading this thread may want to go back to the beginning to see how this all started. Just a quick note to Bueller. I know you are only a few miles away from us. Based on your post I know for sure now we lost everything this last Winter as well. Just to cold with almost 2 months of no snow cover. No idea why we have had such terrible germination this Spring.

Man, that is a heart breaker. Here's what I might try, and sand is tough conditions, so you'll need a little luck too. Let your weeds grow all summer so you can some residue built up above ground. Hit it with gly around August 15th again, and then throw and roll rye, yellow sweet clover, chicory, plantain, and hairy vetch (yes i'm recommending a plant I do not like) again on Labor day weekend. Your weed residue should help keep the temps down on your sand, and give maybe a little winter insulation.

Focus on getting that big rye duff layer first. Once you can get a blanket of residue on your sand, sand problems won't be such a problem. Check out the sweet clover thread because the same problems I was trying to address. After you have a full growing season of rye and you let it go all the way to August 15th again, then I'd spread the clovers you want and roll it down again. Add a cereal grain again too, rye if you have high browse pressure, winter trit if it isn't so bad.

Thread 'The Sweet Clover Thread'

Jun 12, 2023

I’ve been at this for 21 years. I’ve had white clover every year. I think I am finally ready to kill it all. I’ve not been able to overcome the smothering effects of WC, and because of that, I haven’t been able to punch in a stand of rye to hold back the grasses with the equipment and methods I use. I’m not going the tractor/drill route either. I’m building a real cabin and fish pond before that ever happens.

I started the road plot last summer. It got primarily rye, chicory, plantain, and yellow sweet clover. Balansa didn’t survive the winter. The deer wiped the sweet clover off the map...

• SD51555
• Replies: 287
• Forum: Foodplots

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[bigboreblr]

Clover with no weeds or grass is much harder than planting clover with the grass you want.

You mow, weeds just o their thing shorter. Been fighting red aramath at home and mace sedge at camp for years.

Clethodim fights grass better than the mower. Killing stuff dead, then going clover n cereal grains keep weeds away for awhile. mid spring spraying with gly helps too.

A little weeds ok, starting to get a bunch, time to redo the plot.

clethodim only does ture grasses, there areras, but are things out there that look like grass, but are not. ID your target weeds well.

2,4db attacks broadleaf weeds without significantly harming clover. I never used it.

At camp, I let nature does what it wants until mid august. Then I spray with gly, or just knock the stuff over with a tire drag. I spread a good dose or rye, a little oats, and a medium dose of clover. There is live clover under the tall axlerod.

Sandy poor pH plot has been looking better every year. PRetty sure those tall weeds are mining nutrients down deep. /Most years dont even use fertilizer.