What to do with old clover plot?

[Powder]

I have a clover plot that is about 4 years old. It was the very first plot I ever put in and has done surprisingly well. In the next year or two I think it will start to deteriorate and I'll need to plant something else. It's about a 1/3 to maybe a 1/2 acre at most, not a spot we hunt and has a mineral lick/water hole. It is hands down our best place to get pictures in June, July and August. Eventually I'd like it to be a clover plot again. I like getting the summer pictures but knowing they will abandon the clover once we get a frost or two.

Any thoughts on what I could put in there for a season (at most) to use up the nitrogen the clover has been putting back in? It's getting a bit grassy. All I do right now is mow it.

 

[jsasker007]

Throw in some chicory and alfalfa and just mow it when needed.

 

[Tree Spud]

I would broadcast winter rye now which will help with weed control and suppress grasses. It will stay green longer than the clover into oct/nov will green up in the spring along with the clover for early nutrition.

You then hit it with gly late next spring and then broadcast turnips, GR radish, rape, etc. in June. Some of the clover will probably re-emerge. Ijust did the same thing with a 4 year old clover plot. In addition to the mix above, I added oats & winter peas. Disc'd everything under lightly. See below after 3 weeks ...

 

[Nova]

I have a great clover plot that provides us with many great summer/early fall pics. I hated to do it but it was starting to die out. I planted brassica in there one fall and it grew great and the deer hammered it. Later in the fall I overseeded the brassica with ladino clover and the next spring I had a great clover plot again. Brassica used up the nitrogen and was a decent cover crop for the clover that fall. It was kind of a PITA to get rid of the brassica the next spring so it didn't bolt though.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Sugar beets followed by a frost seeding of clover/chicory.

 

[Boll Weevil]

I'm 6 years in on Durana patches and just drill wheat directly into them each fall. Any of the cereal grains would help in mining accumulated nitrogen while adding desirable tonnage.

 

[JFK52]

RR Eagle soy beans, managers mix suggested for your northern location. Spray them twice to get a great weed free plot. Then top seed some winter rye later in the season just before a decent rain. I also think it will depend on when you want to plant your next clover, spring or fall.

 

[j-bird]

Find something that will love and use the N in the soil.....grasses (wheat, oats, rye, corn) and brassica (turnip, radish, beets) all come to mind. I really like using corn, but that may not work well for you in your case. Corn is great because with it being RR - I can really deplete the seed bank and the N will mean my need to apply N will be very minimal. I like to run about 2 years of a RR crop and then go back to a clover/chicory planting. If you don't plant something to consume that N in the soil mother nature will......

 

[Powder]

Find something that will love and use the N in the soil.....grasses (wheat, oats, rye, corn) and brassica (turnip, radish, beets) all come to mind. I really like using corn, but that may not work well for you in your case. Corn is great because with it being RR - I can really deplete the seed bank and the N will mean my need to apply N will be very minimal. I like to run about 2 years of a RR crop and then go back to a clover/chicory planting. If you don't plant something to consume that N in the soil mother nature will......

I agree. As much as I'd like to plant something like soybeans to provide a summer food source, it wouldn't help me deplete the nitrogen which is what is causing the plot to be overtaken with grasses.

I'm struggling with the timing of this but I am leaning towards killing it late in the summer, planting oats, rye, clover and maybe radishes in the fall. That way it should come back as a clover plot the next spring and all I'd need to do then is mow the rye.

I have three other food plots that were just established this year and I'm hoping by the time I have to kill this clover plot those will be doing much better so losing this one for a while won't really matter.

 

[Crimson n' Camo]

Something like sorghum or EW in the summer would be good.

 

[Ben Glantz]

I have about a 1/4 acre clover plot that is aging. It has weeds popping up around the edges and working their way in. This plot is right next to the farmers field and he has decided to go organic. I have broadcast some rye in the plot to add some extra food and also still help building the soil. Do you guys think if I increased the Rye to say 30-40 pounds, would the rye suppress the weeds enough to crowd out next years weeds? Current weeds are grasses, some broadleaves and a plant that looks a lot like rag weed but is much shorter.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I agree. As much as I'd like to plant something like soybeans to provide a summer food source, it wouldn't help me deplete the nitrogen which is what is causing the plot to be overtaken with grasses.

I'm struggling with the timing of this but I am leaning towards killing it late in the summer, planting oats, rye, clover and maybe radishes in the fall. That way it should come back as a clover plot the next spring and all I'd need to do then is mow the rye.

I have three other food plots that were just established this year and I'm hoping by the time I have to kill this clover plot those will be doing much better so losing this one for a while won't really matter.

Powder, what I would do is plant 50 pounds of winter rye, and 5 pounds of the clover of your choice into it now. This fall, and next spring the winter rye will use up the nitrogen in the soil, the new winter rye will work as a cover crop for the new clover, then just let the winter rye fall down next summer on its own, you should have a very good stand of clover next fall. Then every fall, toss in another 50 pounds of rye, and if the clover is thinning out, toss in some more clover, but the clover shouldnt need to be refreshed every year, more then likely about every 3 years. Clover, and winter rye I think are perfect companion crops, the clover produces the nitrogen, and the winter rye consumes it. The winter rye brings up P&K, and the clover uses that.

 

[Powder]

Powder, what I would do is plant 50 pounds of winter rye, and 5 pounds of the clover of your choice into it now. This fall, and next spring the winter rye will use up the nitrogen in the soil, the new winter rye will work as a cover crop for the new clover, then just let the winter rye fall down next summer on its own, you should have a very good stand of clover next fall. Then every fall, toss in another 50 pounds of rye, and if the clover is thinning out, toss in some more clover, but the clover shouldnt need to be refreshed every year, more then likely about every 3 years. Clover, and winter rye I think are perfect companion crops, the clover produces the nitrogen, and the winter rye consumes it. The winter rye brings up P&K, and the clover uses that.

I like you're idea. Do you think it's necessary to spray Cleth to kill the existing grasses first?

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I like you're idea. Do you think it's necessary to spray Cleth to kill the existing grasses first?

You can spray cleth now, or next summer when the winter rye is mature.


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[pointer]

Powder, what I would do is plant 50 pounds of winter rye, and 5 pounds of the clover of your choice into it now. This fall, and next spring the winter rye will use up the nitrogen in the soil, the new winter rye will work as a cover crop for the new clover, then just let the winter rye fall down next summer on its own, you should have a very good stand of clover next fall. Then every fall, toss in another 50 pounds of rye, and if the clover is thinning out, toss in some more clover, but the clover shouldnt need to be refreshed every year, more then likely about every 3 years. Clover, and winter rye I think are perfect companion crops, the clover produces the nitrogen, and the winter rye consumes it. The winter rye brings up P&K, and the clover uses that.

I am doing that and getting quite a bit of weeds late summer. It was suggested that a mowing or two after the rye sets seed or maybe a spraying with a broadleaf specific, clover safe herbicide might help. The grasses haven't been a problem yet, just broadleaf weeds.