Spring Cover Crop

[gjs4]

Have a few areas that were mulched invasives (and yeah, I anticipate a war with them coming back) where I am looking to have a spring-summer cover crop and then try a plot this fall. Goals would be, build it (nutrients and subsurface health-activity), protect it (moisture loss), increase thatch and organics and not a have it get worse in nature...and plant a fall plot in (likely clover, rye, radish).

It is Appalachian red clay, 5.5ish pH(but will be limed w HiCal), low CEC, low rainfall in summer, higher ground, good sun with only a couple shady spots, and will be doing this without a disc/tiller/plow (dont own them and not in the cards rn). I think this is all mining spoils cover and does have trees (Cherry, Honey Locust, Sycamore) randomly throughout-to which i planned to remove most of . Most of the woody debris from the mulching will be removed. Not sure on its termination - depends on the regen (BH, AO, MFR)- but am not against spraying or mowing. ~3 ac total. It is bare right now. And of course.....I am not looking for

If it was fall time- Winter Rye comes to mind, and if the soil was softer I would be thinking buckwheat. Havent had much like with broadcasting oats and not sure if there is a shorts wearing version of winter rye or how i could get ample seed cover/depth with one of the regen style mixes like Vitalize.... was pondering oats during the spring rains (when it is muddy, and if you know red clay)....bare soil baking, let alone where there is next to nothing for organics just seems so darn bad.

Any suggestions? Open to ideas and approaches....

 

[BenA]

Heavy, heavy, heavy annual clover.

 

[SD51555]

What are your invasives, and where is this?

 

[gjs4]

Heavy, heavy, heavy annual clover.

Any specific variety?

 

[gjs4]

What are your invasives, and where is this?

Bush Honeysuckle, Chinese Privet, Autumn Olive, Multiflora Rose

Southern Ohio

 

[BenA]

Any specific variety?

Crimson clover after last frost. I'd plant 100 lbs total or more on that 3 acres.

 

[gjs4]

Crimson clover after last frost. I'd plant 100 lbs total or more on that 3 acres.

just CC?

 

[BenA]

just CC?

Maybe some medium red clover too to make it last until you want to fall plant. Then in the fall, I'd go with wheat and those clovers too along with radishes and maybe some turnips. Keep doing that to get your organic matter up.

 

[Mortenson]

Agree with Ben. I'd get at least 2 different plants down and pray for rain. You never know when one might do poorly for a variety of reasons but the other one might hang in there.

 

[KY wild]

I would add some balansa clover, good at fixing nitrogen and organic matter. Pretty tough for me

 

[SwampCat]

With that mix of mulched invasives, I would leave the pto sprayer on the tractor all summer and be ready to spray hell out of it about every two months and plant this fall

 

[RGrizzzz]

With that mix of mulched invasives, I would leave the pto sprayer on the tractor all summer and be ready to spray hell out of it about every two months and plant this fall

I agree. If you're expecting that bad of regrowth, I'd focus on killing it in year one, ammending and then planting in the fall or next spring. Chances are the invasive stuff will green up first so you can try to kill it before anything native comes in. It will also likely stay greener longer, so you can spray after the natives drop their leaves.

 

[BenA]

I agree with the treating of invasives as they return, but I'd still plant (if you want to continue the area to continue as a food plot). I'd have a backpack or ATV sprayer with a wand and use that to spot spray. Or, even better, a weed wipe, so you could drive over it and treat the invasives as they get taller over your clover.

 

[SwampCat]

You could plant some type of grass species like millet that would allow a ground cover to prevent erosion - but could still use a variety of broadleaf specific herbicides. I have not had very good luck using 24d-B for woody regen

 

[omicron1792]

You could plant some type of grass species like millet that would allow a ground cover to prevent erosion - but could still use a variety of broadleaf specific herbicides. I have not had very good luck using 24d-B for woody regen

Agree here. I would plant grasses only and spray triclopyr one cycle and 2-4d on next cycle for invasive regen.

 

[jsasker007]

Clover and Chicory go together like peanut butter and jelly. They feed each other and if it's dry enough for the clover to go dormant the chicory keeps on thriving. jmo

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

Do you have a drag to pull behind an ATV? If so, you might have good luck with some larger seeds like oats and peas broadcast then dragged in. If you have a thatch layer from the mulching step, you should be able to cover some of the seed and hold enough moisture to get some germination. Then I would follow up with broadcasting a wide variety of small seeds - annual clover, radishes, hairy vetch, brassicas, millet, sorghum, etc. If this early planting is just a cover crop to build up some organic matter, use whatever you have and see what works best. If you have a lot of mulch on the ground, a lot of your nitrogen might be tied up trying to decompose the mulch so nitrogen fixing plants like peas and clover would be helpful.

Then spray the growing field before the plants go to seed and follow up with your fall planting.

 

[gjs4]

Awesome input gents. Thank you. Not sure what to do now though.....

 

[Mortenson]

Do both man. You're gonna terminate annual clover and possible invasives; do them together if it must be. I like getting something out there now. Deal with the future then. I've never regretted putting down pocket change worth of clover not matter what happens after that.

 

[BenA]

This is one of the weed wipers I was talking about. Takes care of weeds that get above your planted stuff.

https://www.forestry-suppliers.com/p/071591/smucker-super-sponge-weed-wiper-atv-herbicide-applicator