M
MoLandOwner
Guest
I can't read the dam thing.
Sounds like you are in a great area though from what Stu says!
Tilling the earth
- Thread starter Standard lengthy
- Start date
I can't read the dam thing.
Sounds like you are in a great area though from what Stu says!
Standard lengthy
Yearling... With promise
Would it be foolish to till the sub par clover under and plant a clover/ brassica mid summer. I found a guy that will come out with his tractor and do it properly.
tooln
5 year old buck +
I would consider doing that in early July.
Steve Bartylla
5 year old buck +
Give it time. Many if not most 1st year clover plots look "meh" at best. It's the 2nd year that they really come on. I'd be surprised if you can't salvage it.
Here's what I'd suggest:
Unless the grass &/or weeds are really taking over and choking out the clover, don't spray cleth or mow this first year. Not doing either reduces stress on the clover. Now, if the weeds or grass are so thick it's choking the clover out, one must react accordingly.
Frost seed more clover into the plot late winter/early spring. Doing that, along with the clover naturally coming on stronger in year two almost always results in a thick stand of clover.
Then in year two you can focus on controlling weeds with a couple mowings and knocking out the grasses with spray. I don't worry much about weeds, unless they are risking choking out the clovers, as many of those weeds are merely extra deer food. Grass is evil, though.
I've had many less than pretty first year clover plantings (starting clover plots from frost seedings are typically the best 1st year clover stands I can produce) and can only think of a couple that were so horrifically bad that starting over was the best move.
Here's what I'd suggest:
Unless the grass &/or weeds are really taking over and choking out the clover, don't spray cleth or mow this first year. Not doing either reduces stress on the clover. Now, if the weeds or grass are so thick it's choking the clover out, one must react accordingly.
Frost seed more clover into the plot late winter/early spring. Doing that, along with the clover naturally coming on stronger in year two almost always results in a thick stand of clover.
Then in year two you can focus on controlling weeds with a couple mowings and knocking out the grasses with spray. I don't worry much about weeds, unless they are risking choking out the clovers, as many of those weeds are merely extra deer food. Grass is evil, though.
I've had many less than pretty first year clover plantings (starting clover plots from frost seedings are typically the best 1st year clover stands I can produce) and can only think of a couple that were so horrifically bad that starting over was the best move.
buckvelvet
5 year old buck +
It says it has a ph of 6.9, sheebus I don't have anything near 6 where i live. I hate you, its official.
phil@thesidehill
5 year old buck +
some observations......
Like Steve said first year clover (especially any of the long lived perennial varieties) tend to not look all to impressive. the long lived perennials spend much of the first growing season getting the root system established and what you see above ground wont look like much....especially in the first few weeks/months. This is why spring planting perennials can be problematic, because the weeds have plenty of growing season to get ahead of the clover as it tries to establish its root system. Fall planting perennial clovers (late august thru early september) with cover/nurse crop of oats or winter rye will help you get the clover established without too much weed competition, while the oats and/or rye will provide some fall/winter attraction for the deer. The following spring the perennial clover's root system will have a head start and the above ground growth should be able to start to get ahead of the weeds. If you planted a cover/nurse crop of oats and/or rye with the perennial clovers, the oats most likely winter killed but the rye will green up right away in late winter/early spring. you can either let the rye go to maturity and produce more rye seed for you or you can mow it off before it produces seed.
As far as soil prep goes, with clover you really dont need to do any conventional tillage. Like Stu related combining chemical and mechanical control of the existing vegetation and resultant sod can work. Spray the grasses and mow the dead thatch several times then broadcast you seed and either roll/pack it or just hope you get a good hard rain to get the seed down into the dead sod. Leaving that dead thatch/sod can help retain soil moisture which will help with quick germination and will add organic matter.
Like Steve said first year clover (especially any of the long lived perennial varieties) tend to not look all to impressive. the long lived perennials spend much of the first growing season getting the root system established and what you see above ground wont look like much....especially in the first few weeks/months. This is why spring planting perennials can be problematic, because the weeds have plenty of growing season to get ahead of the clover as it tries to establish its root system. Fall planting perennial clovers (late august thru early september) with cover/nurse crop of oats or winter rye will help you get the clover established without too much weed competition, while the oats and/or rye will provide some fall/winter attraction for the deer. The following spring the perennial clover's root system will have a head start and the above ground growth should be able to start to get ahead of the weeds. If you planted a cover/nurse crop of oats and/or rye with the perennial clovers, the oats most likely winter killed but the rye will green up right away in late winter/early spring. you can either let the rye go to maturity and produce more rye seed for you or you can mow it off before it produces seed.
As far as soil prep goes, with clover you really dont need to do any conventional tillage. Like Stu related combining chemical and mechanical control of the existing vegetation and resultant sod can work. Spray the grasses and mow the dead thatch several times then broadcast you seed and either roll/pack it or just hope you get a good hard rain to get the seed down into the dead sod. Leaving that dead thatch/sod can help retain soil moisture which will help with quick germination and will add organic matter.
