The Sweet Clover Thread

[SD51555]

The SC is really stretching out. I'd bet 25% of the stand is 6' or higher now.



I had some chicory bolts punch through, so I got my blues. There is a mature doe living near this plot. I don't know if she's got a fawn or not, but I keep seeing her up around the cabin every weekend.



My niece and her family stopped over yesterday. She was out collecting flowers, so I told we should go get some blue ones out of the food plot. I went back after taking these pics, and I couldn't find any of them. I wonder if that doe didn't go out and slurp them all up midday yesterday.



I've never been this excited for a thatch crop.

 

[SD51555]

I do have a chicory thief. I walked more of the plot last night and found some spots where deer have been crawling all over in there.





I've got more flowers coming, but every single chicory flower I find looks all beat up. On one hand I wonder if there's something wrong with the chicory (not likely) or if they're just getting trampled by bees. Judging by the number of bees I'm seeing every few feet and how fast they're working, those chicory flowers could be getting beat up.



The shooters keep increasing. I've got some well over 6' now, and more reaching 6'.

 

[SD51555]

Don’t mind that hole. I’m gonna fix that this week.

The SC is making seed. I don’t know if any of it will be viable by the time I have to mow and restart for the next year.

This is an outstanding host plot for beneficial insects. I haven’t counted the number of types of bees I’ve seen out there, but it’s a lot.

I’m running a chicory surplus on the property right now. It’s finally getting ahead of the deer.

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[TreeDaddy]

What was your recipe /mix for chicory, sweet clover and vetch/

thanks

bill

 

[SD51555]

What was your recipe /mix for chicory, sweet clover and vetch/

thanks

bill

4 lbs/ac sweet clover
4 lbs/ac chicory
4 lbs/ac plantain
4 bu/ac rye

That's the core blend. I throw in extra credit stuff for the fall.

Flax, jap millet, collards

**I wouldn't plant hairy vetch ever again.**

It gets too weedy and will overtake your plot and lead you back to the iron and chemicals to get it under control. This is a big reason I mix my own. I'd rather have a plot full of canada thistle than hairy vetch. Keep in mind, I let my plot go for a good 90-110 days before it gets mowed, depending on when spring begins.

 

[SD51555]

The big mow went down today. Didn’t have time to film today.

That SC was way harder to mow than the rye, but the goat ate it all.

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[SD51555]

I very much enjoyed the chicory bloom this year, but it ended today.

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[SD51555]

Any guesses on what my broadleaf is here? I never stopped to look at it. I'm hoping it's all chicory and not a curly dock invasion from you know where.

 

[SD51555]

One week post mowing. I’m getting to see what is coming back. One thing I hadn’t planned on is dormant clover seed waiting in the bank. I’ve got clover coming on strong, and I didn’t plant it. I’ve only ever put in sweet clover, and maybe some balansa last year. I did see a little balansa, but I know there is red coming, and likely white too, and I’m not happy about it.

Chicory is coming back bigly.

The new rye is starting to show too.

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[Wind Gypsy]

That is some lush looking stuff!

 

[SD51555]

That is some lush looking stuff!

It'll definitely pull critters. My night bucks like to use this plot. I had a group of 5 young bucks that would spend their days on the neighbors place across the road, and then walk through my yard at night and hit this plot.

I should have seen this coming. My nicest clover plot was never intended to be a clover plot, and that is the lawn around my cabin. I never planted anything at all. I just picked up all the debris and harrowed it flat enough to not destroy my mower. It quickly became grass, and after the grass was there, it filled up with white clover. It gets pretty beat up in late fall and early winter by the deer and turkey. I may be throwing my hands up in the air for good if the white clover invades this plot.

 

[SD51555]

2 weeks since mowing:

I think the clover I have right now is mostly balansa and a little red clover From the seed bank. Not seeing any white as of now. Not sure how I have balansa this late in the game, but I’ll take it.

I got a really good take on the cereals.

There’s a chicory boom coming too. I would take some more rain to help scoot this along, but I’m not complaining. For having less than 4” all season, I’m pleased with it.

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[Crimson n' Camo]

That looks awesome!

 

[SD51555]

Three weeks since mowing now. Would like to see about 2” of rain a day for a week to see what this is really capable of producing.

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[Foggy47]

^ Impressive. Been reading about yellow sweet clover tonight. Not sure ....but sounds like it could be roller crimped to terminate. Does it have a hollow stem?

 

[SD51555]

^ Impressive. Been reading about yellow sweet clover tonight. Not sure ....but sounds like it could be roller crimped to terminate. Does it have a hollow stem?

I’m sure it would roll if you let it go far enough. I mowed Aug 5th, and nearly all the SC had dried off as if it were at the end of its life cycle. I bet you could have rolled it in mid July and gotten a kill too. Either way, it dies on its own in the second year.

I’m considering rolling it next year if I get another good stand of it. I knocked down probably 20% anyway with the mower that laid down and didn’t actually get cut.


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[SD51555]

I think a layer of that would keep your sand in moisture for a while.


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[Foggy47]

I think a layer of that would keep your sand in moisture for a while.


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LOL.....I was just about to post this exact same video from YouTube. Reading the comments from that video.....it sounds like the roller / crimper did a decent job by terminating about 75% of the sweet clover (and they should have added water to the drum). But it sure sounds like a problem to drill into that mass of downed sweet clover.....and they had substantial problems with a no till drill. Hmmmm.....close?....but no cigar?? Dunno. Maybe rolling it in the first year could get the benefit we seek?

Can you plant sweet clover in the fall? Then terminate in late July (for the biomass and N credits) then plant again in late August??

 

[SD51555]

LOL.....I was just about to post this exact same video from YouTube. Reading the comments from that video.....it sounds like the roller / crimper did a decent job by terminating about 75% of the sweet clover (and they should have added water to the drum). But it sure sounds like a problem to drill into that mass of downed sweet clover.....and they had substantial problems with a no till drill. Hmmmm.....close?....but no cigar?? Dunno. Maybe rolling it in the first year could get the benefit we seek?

Can you plant sweet clover in the fall? Then terminate in late July (for the biomass and N credits) then plant again in late August??

That biomass is hell to deal with, that's for sure. I thought a stout crop of rye was something to behold, just wait until you try to handle a stout crop of sweet clover.

You don't need to terminate sweet clover for a fall plot. It will die on it's own in the second year. By the time I mowed mine, it was about all dead and beginning to dry down. (see pic below from mow day) The flowers were mostly gone, the leaves seemed to be about all fallen, and the stems were turning color. I would think a drill would have a terrible time with SC because it's all tangled and knotted together. I drove some walking paths through my plot with the wheeler so I could get around and throw seed where I needed it.

I will say this, short of what Baker grows for a roll down crop in Louisiana, you'll be hard pressed to find a better duff crop than rye and sweet clover.

 

[Foggy47]

^. I did read where folks had lots of trouble mowing it with a flail mower.....and it tended to wrap pretty bad. Also read that even with a heavy no-till drill that folks had trouble keeping the drill in the ground due to the heavy thatch. Not sure if it would make more problems than solutions??

EDIT: I am wondering what rate of sc you put down? Also, could you (roll crimp) terminate the sc in the first year? Would it be as thick and tangly?..........or maybe the question should be is this the first year since planting?....or the second year??